Online Etymology Dictionary

impalpable (adj.): c. 1500, "too unsubstantial to be perceived by touch," from French impalpable or directly from Medieval Latin impalpabilis, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + palpabilis (see palpable). Figurative (mental) sense of "that cannot be grasped by the intellect" is from 1774. Related: Impalpably; impalpability.
imperceptible (adj.): early 15c., from Middle French imperceptible (15c.), from Medieval Latin imperceptibilis, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + perceptibilis (see perceptible). Related: Imperceptibly; imperceptibility. OED marks imperceivable (1610s) as "Now rare."
imprudent (adj.): late 14c., from Latin imprudentem (nominative imprudens) "not foreseeing, unaware, inconsiderate, heedless," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + prudens, contraction of providens, present participle of providere "to provide," literally "to see before (one)" (see provide). Related: Imprudently.
inconsiderable (adj.): 1590s, "incalculable;" from 1630s as "not worthy of consideration or notice," from French inconsidérable (16c.), from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + considérable (see considerable). Related: Inconsiderably. OED has found an instance of the rare verb inconsider from 1697.
incongruity (n.): 1530s, "quality of being incongruent," from French incongruité (16c.) or directly from Medieval Latin incongruitas, from Latin in- "not" (see in- (1)) + congruitas (see congruity). Meaning "that which is incongruent, an example of incongruency" is from c. 1600.
contract (n.): early 14c., from Old French contract (Modern French contrat), from Latin contractus "a contract, agreement," from past participle of contrahere "to draw together," metaphorically, "to make a bargain," from com- "together" (see com-) + trahere "to draw" (see tract (n.1)). U.S. underworld sense of "arrangement to kill someone" first recorded 1940.
poser (n.): "one who practices an affected attitude," 1881, agent noun from pose (v.1); revived in teen-ager slang by 1983. Meaning "question that puzzles" is from 1793 from pose (v.2); earlier it meant "one who asks testing questions" (1580s).
cramp (n.2): "metal bar bent at both ends," early 15c., from Middle Dutch crampe or Middle Low German krampe, both from the same Proto-Germanic root that yielded cramp (n.1). Metaphoric sense of "something that confines or hinders" first recorded 1719.
nutter (n.): "one who gathers nuts," late 15c., from nut + -er (1). Meaning "crazy person" is British slang, 1958, from nut + -er (3). Nuttery "mental hospital" is attested from 1931; earlier it meant "place for storing nuts" (1881).
paronomasia (n.): "pun," 1570s, from Latin, from Greek paronomasia "play upon words which sound similarly," from paronomazein "to alter slightly, to call with slight change of name," literally "to name beside," from par- (see para- (1)) + onomasia "naming," from onoma "name" (see name (n.)).
Planaria (n.): flat worm-like animal, 1819, from Modern Latin (1776) noun use of fem. of Latin planarius, literally "on level ground" (here used to mean "flat"), from planum, planus "flat, level, even, plain" (see plane (n.1)). Related: Planarian.
band (v.): 1520s, "to bind or fasten;" also "to join in a company," from band (n.1) and (n.2) in various noun senses, and partly from French bander. The meaning "to affix an ID band to (a wild animal, etc.)" is attested from 1914. Related: Banded; banding.
digraph (n.): 1788, in linguistics, from Greek di- "twice" (see di- (1)) + -graph "something written," from Greek graphe "writing," from graphein "to write, express by written characters," earlier "to draw, represent by lines drawn" (see -graphy). In mathematics, from 1955, a contraction of directed graph.
dimity (n.): mid-15c., from Italian dimiti, plural of dimito, a name for a kind of strong cotton cloth, from Medieval Latin dimitum, from Greek dimitos "of double thread," from di- (see di- (1)) + mitos "warp thread, thread" (see mitre).
rosy (adj.): late 14c., of a color, from rose (n.1) + -y (2), probably modeled on Old French rose. From 1590s of healthy complexions; 1775 in the sense "cheerful;" meaning "promising" is from 1887. Similar formation in Middle Dutch rosich, Dutch rozig, German rosig.
succinite (n.): 1816, "amber-colored mineral," from -ite (1) + Latin succinum "amber," which Klein calls a loan word from a Northern European language that has been assimilated in form to Latin succus, sucus "juice, sap." Related: Succinic, from French succinique.
stiffen (v.): early 15c., "make steadfast," from stiff (adj.) + -en (1). Intransitive sense from 1690s. Earlier verb was simply stiff "gain strength, become strong" (late 14c.). Related: Stiffened; stiffener; stiffening. Compare German steifen "to stiffen."
tonnage (n.): early 15c., "tax or duty on wine imported in tuns," from ton (n.1) + -age, and from Old French tonnage "duty levied on wine in casks" (c. 1300). Meaning "carrying capacity of a ship" is from 1718.
toothsome (adj.): "pleasant to the taste," 1560s, from -some (1) + tooth in a figurative sense of "appetite, taste, liking" attested from late 14c. (compare sweet tooth, also figurative use of palate). The extended sense of "attractive" (1550s) is attested earlier. Related: Toothsomely; toothsomeness.
tachycardia (n.): "rapid heartbeat," 1868, Modern Latin, coined 1867 by German-born physician Hermann Lebert (1813-1878) from tachy- "swift" + Latinized form of Greek kardia "heart," from PIE root *kerd- (1) "heart" (see heart (n.)).
Stalingrad: name of southern Russian city from 1925-1961, from Stalin (q.v.) + -grad (see yard (n.1)). Now Volgograd, formerly Tsaritsyn (1589), from Turkish sarisin "yellowish," in reference to the river water, but associated in Russian with Tsar.
trademark (n.): also trade-mark, 1838 (the thing itself attested continuously from 14c., apparently originally the watermarks on paper), from trade (n.) + mark (n.1). Figurative use by 1869. As a verb, from 1904. Related: Trademarked; trademarking.
mannerly (adj.): "well-mannered, seemly, modest," late 14c., from manner (n.) + -ly (1). As an adverb, "in accord with custom; becomingly" (mid-14c.); later "in accord with good manners" (c. 1400). Related: Mannerliness.
log (n.2): "record of observations, readings, etc.," 1842, sailor's shortening of log-book "daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc." (1670s), from log (n.1). The book so called because a wooden float at the end of a line was cast out to measure a ship's speed. General sense by 1913.
kylix (n.): "elegant cup or vase for drinking" (usually broad and shallow, with handles), 1873 (earlier in German), from Greek kylix "cup," cognate with Latin calix, from PIE root *kal- (1) "cup" (see chalice).
kit and caboodle (n.): also kaboodle, 1870, earlier kit and boodle (1855), kit and cargo (1848), according to OED from kit (n.1) in dismissive sense "number of things viewed as a whole" (1785) + boodle "lot, collection," perhaps from Dutch boedel "property." Century Dictionary compares the whole kit, of persons, "every one" (1785).
knuckleball (n.): also knuckle-ball, baseball pitch, by 1909, from knuckle (n.) + ball (n.1). So called from the position of the fingers in throwing it. Short form knuckler attested from 1914 (earlier this was the name of a type of toy marble, 1895, and slang for "a pick-pocket," 1834). Related: Knuckleballer.
rocks (n.): plural of rock (n.1). Meaning "ice cubes" is from 1946; slang meaning "testicles" is first recorded in phrase get (one's) rocks off "achieve intense satisfaction." On the rocks "ruined" is from 1889, figurative use of the expression with reference to ships (by 1735).
serpentine (adj.): "twisting, winding," 1610s; see serpent + -ine (1). An earlier adjective meaning "having the evil qualities of a serpent" is recorded from late 14c., from the French source of serpentine (n.). The winding lake of that name in Hyde Park, London, was constructed in 1730.
tag (v.1): "to furnish with a tag," late 14c. (implied in tagged), from tag (n.1). Meaning "go along as a follower" is from 1670s; sense of "follow closely and persistently" is from 1884. Related: Tagging. Verbal phrase tag along is first recorded 1900.
mine (v.1): to dig, c. 1300, "to tunnel under fortifications to overthrow them," from mine (n.1) or from Old French miner "to dig, mine; exterminate." From mid-14c. as "to dig in the earth" (for treasure, etc.). Figurative use from mid-14c. Related: Mined; mining.
wind (v.2): "to perceive by scent, get wind of," c. 1400, from wind (n.1). Of horns, etc., "make sound by blowing through," from 1580s. Meaning "tire, put out of breath; render temporarily breathless" is from 1802, originally in pugilism, in reference to the effect of a punch in the stomach. Related: Winded; winding.
wind (n.2): "an act of winding round," 1825, from wind (v.1) . Earlier, "an apparatus for winding," late 14c., in which use perhaps from a North Sea Germanic word, such as Middle Dutch, Middle Low German winde "windlass."
metronymic (adj.): "derived from the name of a mother or maternal ancestor," 1881, from Late Greek metronymikos "named for one's mother," from meter (genitive metros) "mother" (see mother (n.1)) + onyma "name" (see name (n.)). Related: Metronymically (1822).
seat (v.): 1570s, "to be in a certain position" (implied in seated), from seat (n.2). Of diseases, in the body, from 1610s (hence deep-seated). Meaning "to cause to sit in a seat" is from 1610s, from seat (n.1). Related: Seated; seating.
plait (n.): c. 1400, "a fold, a crease," from Anglo-French pleit, Old French ploit, earlier pleit, "fold, manner of folding," from Latin plicatus, past participle of plicare "to lay, fold, twist" (see ply (v.1)). Meaning "interlaced strands of hair, ribbon, etc." is from 1520s, perhaps from plait (v.).
toil (v.): early 14c., toilen, "pull at, tug," from Anglo-French toiller, Old French toellier "pull or drag about" (see toil (n.1)). Intransitive meaning "struggle, work hard, labor for considerable time" is from late 14c., perhaps by influence of till (v.). Related: Toiled; toiling.
saw (v.): "cut with a saw," c. 1200, sauen, saghen, from saw (n.1). Strong conjugation began by c. 1400 on model of draw, etc. Related: Sawed; sawing. Sawed-off "short, cut short" is attested 1887 of persons, 1898 of shotguns.
hydrate (v.): 1812 (implied in hydrated), "to form a hydrate, combine chemically with water," from hydrate (n.), perhaps modeled on French hydrater. From 1947 as "to restore moisture;" from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + -ate (2). Related: Hydrating.
butt (n.4): "flat fish," c. 1300, a general Germanic name applied to various kinds of flat fishes; compare Old Swedish but "flatfish," German Butte, Dutch bot, perhaps ultimately related to butt (n.1). "Hence butt-woman, who sells these, a fish-wife." [OED]
pin-ball (n.): as a type of game, 1907, from pin (n.) + ball (n.1). Originally of types of open-air bowling and basketball variation where the goal was to knock down a pin or pins. Earlier still it meant "pin-cushion." The tabletop pin-ball machine is attested from 1937.
boom (n.2): in the business sense, 1873, sometimes said to be from boom (n.1), from the nautical meaning "a long spar run out to extend the foot of a sail" -- a ship "booming" being one in full sail. But it could just as well be from boom (v.) on the notion of "suddenness."
Polydorus: Priam's youngest son (Homer), from Latin Polydorus, from Greek Polydoros "one who has received many gifts," noun use of adjective meaning "richly endowed," from polys "much, many" (see poly-) + doron "gift" (see date (n.1)).
puncheon (n.2): "pointed tool for punching or piercing" used by masons, also "die for coining or seal-making," mid-14c.; see punch (n.1). Meaning "stamp, die" is from c. 1500, a specialized use.
Red Sea (n.): the Greek thalassa erythra; the reason for the name is unknown; speculation has traced it to: 1. algae in coastal waters; 2. sandstone rock formations on the shores; 3. a tribal name; 4. ancient association of "red" with "south" (as "black" with "north").
redemptioner (n.): "indentured servant," 1775, from redemption + -er (1).
REDEMPTIONER. One who redeems himself or purchases his release from debt or obligation to the master of a ship by his services; or one whose services are sold to pay the expenses of his passage to America. [Webster, 1830]
slip (n.4): "sprig or twig for planting or grafting, small shoot," late 15c., of uncertain origin. Compare Middle Dutch slippe, German schlippe, schlipfe "cut, slit, strip." Hence "young person of small build" (1580s, as in a slip of a girl); see slip (n.1).
slot (v.1): 1747, "provide with a slot, cut slots in," from slot (n.1). Meaning "drop a coin in a slot" is from 1888. Sense of "take a position in a slot" is from 1940; that of "fit (something) into a slot" is from 1966. Oldest sense is obsolete: "stab in the base of the throat" (c. 1400). Related: Slotted; slotting.
rip-saw (n.): "a hand saw, the teeth of which have more rake and less set than a cross-cut saw, used for cutting wood in the direction of the grain," 1846, from rip (n.) "split timber" (see rip (v.) + saw (n.1)).
rock (n.2): "action of rocking; a movement to and fro," 1823, from rock (v.1). As short for rock and roll, by 1957; but sense of "musical rhythm characterized by a strong beat" is from 1946, in blues slang. Rock star attested by 1966.