Online Etymology Dictionary

trillion: 1680s, from French trillion, from Italian trilione; see tri- + million. In the U.S., the fourth power of a thousand (one thousand billion, 1 followed by 12 zeroes); in Great Britain, the third power of a million (one million billion, 1 followed by 18 zeroes), which is the original sense. Compare billion.
postprandial (adj.): also post-prandial, 1820, from post- "after" + Latin prandium "luncheon" (usually bread, fish, or cold meat, taken around noon), from *pram "early" (from PIE *pre-, variant of root per- (1) "forward, through;" see per) + edere "to eat" (see edible) + -al (1).
coulomb (n.): 1881, named for French chemist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (1736-1806), who devised a method of measuring electrical quantity. It is the quantity of electricity conveyed in 1 second by a current of 1 ampere. The name is a French form of Columbus.
watermark (n.): also water-mark, 1708, "distinctive mark on paper," from water (n.1) + mark (n.1). Similar formation in German wassermarke. Not produced by water, but probably so called because it looks like a wet spot. The verb is recorded from 1866. Related: Watermarked.
armpit (n.): mid-14c., from arm (n.1) + pit (n.1). Arm-hole (early 14c.) was used in this sense but was obsolete by 18c. Colloquial armpit of the nation for any locale regarded as ugly and disgusting was in use by 1965.
anhydrous (adj.): "containing no water," 1809, a modern coinage from Greek an-, privative prefix (see an- (1)), + hydor "water" (see water (n.1)). Greek did have anhydros "waterless," used of arid lands or corpses that had not been given proper funeral rites.
scalene (adj.): "having unequal sides," 1680s, from Late Latin scalenus, from Greek skalenos "uneven, unequal, odd (numbered)," as a noun, "triangle with unequal sides," from skallein "chop, hoe," from PIE *(s)kel- (1) "to cut" (see scale (n.1)).
Samhain (n.): 1888, from Irish samhain (Gaelic samhuinn), from Old Irish samain, literally "summer's end," from Old Irish sam "summer" (see summer (n.1)) + fuin "end." Nov. 1, the Celtic festival of the start of winter and of the new year.
sculpture (n.): late 14c., from Latin sculptura "sculpture," from past participle stem of sculpere "to carve, engrave," back-formation from compounds such as exculpere, from scalpere "to carve, cut," from PIE root *(s)kel- (1) "to cut, cleave" (see scale (n.1)).
freshen (v.): 1690s, "grow brisk, grow stronger" (intransitive), from fresh (adj.1) + -en (1). The earlier verb was simply fresh (mid-14c.). Transitive sense "refresh, revive, renew" is from 1749. Of a drink, "to top off," from 1961. Related: Freshened; freshening.
birdlime (n.): viscous sticky stuff prepared from holly bark and used to catch small birds, mid-15c., from bird (n.1) + lime (n.1). Used as rhyming slang for time (especially time in prison) by 1857.
mortarboard (n.): also mortar-board, "academic cap," 1854, probably from mortar (1) + board (n.1); so called because it resembles a mason's square board for carrying mortar. Earlier it was called a mortar cap (1680s) or simply morter (c. 1600), from French mortier.
parotid (adj.): "situated near the ear," 1680s, from French parotide (1540s), or directly from Latin parotid-, stem of parotis, from Greek parotis "tumor near the ear," from para- "beside" (see para- (1)) + ot-, stem of ous "ear" (see ear (n.1)). As a noun, "the parotid gland."
whore (n.): 1530s spelling alteration (see wh-) of Middle English hore, from Old English hore "prostitute, harlot," from Proto-Germanic *horaz (fem. *horon-) "one who desires" (source also of Old Norse hora "adulteress," Danish hore, Swedish hora, Dutch hoer, Old High German huora "whore;" in Gothic only in the masc. hors "adulterer, fornicator," also as a verb, horinon "commit adultery"), from PIE *ka- "to like, desire," a base that has produced words in other languages for "lover" (source also of Latin carus "dear;" Old Irish cara "friend;" Old Persian kama "desire;" Sanskrit Kama, name of the Hindu god of love, kamah "love, desire," the first element in Kama Sutra).

Whore itself is perhaps a Germanic euphemism for a word that has not survived. The Old English vowel naturally would have yielded *hoor, which is the pronunciation in some dialects; it might have shifted by influence of Middle English homonym hore "physical filth, slime," also "moral corruption, sin," from Old English horh. The wh- form became current 16c. A general term of abuse for an unchaste or lewd woman (without regard to money) from at least c. 1200. Of male prostitutes from 1630s. Whore of Babylon is from Rev. xvii:1, 5, etc. In Middle English with occasional plural forms horen, heoranna.
The word, with its derivatives, is now avoided polite speech; its survival in literature, so as it survives, is due to the fact that it is a favorite word with Shakspere (who uses it, with its derivatives, 99 times) and is common in the authorized English version of the Bible ... though the American revisers recommended the substitution of harlot as less gross .... [Century Dictionary]
Some equivalent words in other languages also derive from sources not originally pejorative, such as Bohemian nevestka, diminutive of nevesta "bride;" Dutch deern, German dirne originally "girl, lass, wench;" also perhaps Old French pute, perhaps literally "girl," fem. of Vulgar Latin *puttus (but perhaps rather from Latin putidus "stinking;" see poontang). Welsh putain "whore" is from French, probably via Middle English. Among other languages, Greek porne "prostitute" is related to pernemi "sell," with an original notion probably of a female slave sold for prostitution; Latin meretrix is literally "one who earns wages" (source of Irish mertrech, Old English miltestre "whore, prostitute").

The vulgar Roman word was scortum, literally "skin, hide." Another term was lupa, literally "she-wolf" (preserved in Spanish loba, Italian lupa, French louve; see wolf (n.)). And of course there was prostituta, literally "placed in front," thus "publicly exposed," from the fem. past participle of prostituere (see prostitute (n.)). Another Old Norse term was skækja, which yielded Danish skøge, Swedish sköka; probably from Middle Low German schoke, which is perhaps from schode "foreskin of a horse's penis," perhaps with the sense of "skin" (compare Latin scortum) or perhaps via an intermediary sense of "vagina." Spanish ramera, Portuguese ramiera are from fem. form of ramero "young bird of prey," literally "little branch," from ramo "branch." Breton gast is cognate with Welsh gast "bitch," of uncertain origin. Compare also strumpet, harlot.

Old Church Slavonic ljubodejica is from ljuby dejati "fornicate," a compound from ljuby "love" + dejati "put, perform." Russian bljad "whore" derives from Old Church Slavonic bladinica, from bladu "fornication." Polish nierządnica is literally "disorderly woman." Sanskrit vecya is a derivation of veca- "house, dwelling," especially "house of ill-repute, brothel." Another term, pumccali, means literally "one who runs after men." Avestan jahika is literally "woman," but only of evil creatures; another term is kunairi, from pejorative prefix ku- + nairi "woman."
Balthazar: masc. proper name, from French, from Latin, from Greek Baltasar, from Hebrew Belteshatztzar (Dan. x:1), from Babylonian Balat-shar-usur, literally "save the life of the king."
unflappable (adj.): 1958, from un- (1) "not" + flap (v.) + -able. Originally used in reference to Harold Macmillan, British P.M. 1957-63.
quesadilla (n.): Mexican tortilla with filling of cheese, etc., 1944, from Spanish, diminutive of quesada, "type of cheesecake," from queso "cheese," from Latin caeseus (see cheese (n.1)).
rare (v.): "rise up," 1833, dialectal variant of rear (v.1). Sense of "eager" (in raring to go) first recorded 1909. Related: Rared; raring.
incommunicable (adj.): "not able to be communicated," 1570s, from in- (1) "not" + communicable. Earlier in a now-disused sense of "not communicative" (1570s). Related: Incommunicably.
incomplete (adj.): late 14c., from Late Latin incompletus "incomplete," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + completus (see complete (adj.)). Related: Incompletely; incompleteness.
incongruous (adj.): 1610s, from Latin incongruus "incongruous, inconsistent," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + congruus "fit, suitable" (see congruent). Related: Incongruously; incongruousness.
inconsistent (adj.): 1640s, "not agreeing in substance or form;" 1650s, "self-contradictory," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + consistent. Related: Inconsistently.
xyster (n.): "surgical instrument for scraping bones," 1680s, from Greek xyster "a graving tool," from xyein "to scrape," from PIE root *kes- (1) "to scrape."
embitter (v.): c. 1600, from em- (1) + bitter (adj.). Now rare in its literal sense; figurative meaning first attested 1630s. Related: Embittered; embitterment.
batting (n.): "sheets of cotton fiber," 1875, variant of obsolete bat "felted mass of fur, wool, etc.," from bat (n.1), on notion of "beaten" fabric.
zaftig (adj.): "alluringly plump, curvaceous, buxom," 1937, from Yiddish zaftik, literally "juicy," from zaft "juice," from Middle High German saft "juice" (see sap (n.1)).
carte de visite (n.): 1861, French, literally "visiting card" (see card (n.1)); photograph portrait mounted on a 3.5 by 2.5 inch card.
casus belli (n.): 1849, from Latin casus "case" (see case (n.1)) + belli, genitive of bellum "war" (see bellicose). An act justifying war.
depose (v.): c. 1300, from Old French deposer (12c.), from de- "down" (see de-) + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). Related: Deposed; deposing.
paraquat (n.): quick-acting herbicide, 1961, from para- (1) + first element in quaternary. So called in reference to its chemical configuration.
ahead (adv.): 1620s, "at the head, in front," from a- "on" (see a- (1)) + head (n.). Originally nautical. To be ahead of (one's) time attested by 1837.
encamp (v.): 1560s, "go into camp, settle in temporary quarters," from en- (1) "make, put in" + camp (n.). Related: Encamped; encamping.
insignificant (adj.): 1650s, "without meaning," also "answering to no purpose," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + significant. From 1748 as "small in size." Related: Insignificantly.
gobble (v.2): "make a turkey noise," 1670s, probably imitative, perhaps influenced by gobble (v.1) or gargle. As a noun from 1781.
Hera: sister and wife of Zeus, the type of virtuous womanhood, from Greek Hera, literally "protectress," related to heros "hero," originally "defender, protector" (see hero (n.1)).
flugelhorn (n.): 1854, from German flügelhorn, from flügel "wing" (related to fliegen "to fly;" see fly (v.1)) + horn "horn" (see horn (n.)).
inimitable (adj.): late 15c., from Latin inimitabilis "that cannot be imitated," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + imitabilis "imitable" (see imitable). Related: Inimitably.
entrance (v.): "to throw into a trance," 1590s, from en- (1) "put in" + trance (n.). Meaning "to delight" also is 1590s. Related: Entranced; entrancing; entrancement.
entrench (v.): also intrench, 1550s, implied in intrenched, from en- (1) "make, put in" + trench (n.). Figurative use is from 1590s. Related: Entrenched; entrenching.
envision (v.): 1914, from en- (1) "make, put in" + vision (n.). Related: Envisioned; envisioning. Earlier (1827) is envision'd in sense "endowed with vision."
rentier (n.): 1847, from French rentier, "holder of rental properties or investments that pay income," from rente "profit, income" (see rent (n.1)).
maternal (adj.): late 15c., from Old French maternel (14c.), from Vulgar Latin *maternalis, from Latin maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother (n.1)).
amass (v.): late 15c., "to heap up for oneself," from Old French amasser, from à "to" (see ad-) + masser (see mass (n.1)). Related: Amassed; amassing.
Eudora: fem. proper name, Greek, literally "generous," fem. of eudoros, from eu "well, good" (see eu-) + doron "gift" (see date (n.1)).
granary (n.): 1560s, from Latin granaria (plural) "granary, store-house for grain," from granum "grain," from PIE root *gre-no- "grain" (see corn (n.1)).
irrefrangible (adj.): 1722, "that cannot be broken or violated," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + refrangible. Related: Irrefrangibly.
irreligious (adj.): c. 1400, from Late Latin irreligiosus "irreligious, impious," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + religiosus (see religious). Related: Irreligiously.
maybe (adv.): early 15c., from (it) may be; see may (v.1) + be (v.). Still sometimes written as two words early 19c.
tidbit (n.): 1630s, probably from dialectal tid "fond, solicitous, tender" (perhaps by influence of tit (n.2)) + bit (n.1) "morsel."
anaemia (n.): 1824, from French medical term (1761), Modern Latin, from Greek anaimia "lack of blood," from anaimos "bloodless," from an- "without" (see an- (1)) + haima "blood" (see -emia).