Online Etymology Dictionary

lough (n.): "a lake, pool," early 14c., Anglo-Celtic, representing a northern form of Irish and Gaelic loch, Welsh llwch, from PIE root *laku- (see lake (n.1)).
dodecahedron (n.): 1560s, from Greek dodeka "twelve" (short for duodeka, from duo "two" + deka "ten;" compare dozen) + hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid," from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit" (see sedentary).
rewind (v.): also re-wind, 1717, from re- "back, again" + wind (v.1). Noun meaning "mechanism for rewinding film or tape" is recorded from 1938. Related: Rewound; rewinding.
external (adj.): early 15c., from Middle French externe or directly from Latin externus "outside, outward" (from exterus; see exterior) + -al (1). This version won out over exterial. Related: Externally.
extract (v.): late 15c., from Latin extractus, past participle of extrahere "draw out," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + trahere "to draw" (see tract (n.1)). Related: Extracted; extracting.
rhododendron (n.): c. 1600, from French rhododendron and directly from Latin rhododendron, from Greek rhododendron, literally "rose-tree," from rhodon "rose" (see rose (n.1)) + dendron "tree" (see dendro-).
photo-: word-forming element meaning "light" or "photographic" or "photoelectric," from Greek photo-, comb. form of phos (genitive photos) "light," from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine" (see phantasm).
picturesque (adj.): 1703, on pattern of French pittoresque, a loan-word from Italian pittoresco, literally "pictorial" (1660s), from pittore "painter," from Latin pictorem (nominative pictor); see painter (n.1). As a noun from 1749. Related: Picturesquely; picturesqueness.
hydrant (n.): "apparatus for drawing water from a street main," 1806, from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + -ant. OED double-damns it as "Irregularly formed" and "of U.S. origin."
drill (n.2): "small furrow," 1727; also "machine for sowing seeds" (1731), from obsolete drill "rill, trickling stream" (1640s), which is of unknown origin; perhaps connected to drill (n.1).
mill (v.2): "to keep moving round and round in a mass," 1874 (implied in milling), originally of cattle, from mill (n.1) on resemblance to the action of a mill wheel. Related: Milled.
cockade (n.): 1709, earlier cockard (1650s), from French cocarde (16c.), fem. of cocard (Old French cocart) "foolishly proud, cocky," as a noun, "idiot, fool;" an allusive extension from coq (see cock (n.1)).
pitfall (n.): c. 1300, "concealed hole," a type of animal trap, from pit (n.1) + fall (n.). Extended sense of "any hidden danger" is first recorded early 15c.
plagio-: before vowels plagi-, word-forming element meaning "slanting, oblique," from comb. form of Greek plagios "oblique, slanting," from plagos "side," from PIE *plag- "flat, spread," from *plak- (1) "to be flat" (see placenta).
plane (n.3): "tool for smoothing surfaces," mid-14c., from Old French plane, earlier plaine (14c.), from Late Latin plana, back-formation from planare "make level," from Latin planus "level, flat" (see plane (n.1)).
miscast (v.): late 14c., "to cast (a glance, an 'eye') with evil intent" see mis- (1) + cast (v.). Theatrical sense of "to place an actor in an unsuitable roll" is first recorded 1927. Related: Miscasting.
miscue (n.): 1873, in billiards, "failure to strike the ball properly with the cue" from mis- (1) or perhaps miss (v.) + cue (2). General sense is attested from 1883.
misdeal (v.): 1746, "to make an error in dealing (cards);" from mis- (1) + deal (v.). The noun in this sense is attested from 1850. The original verbal sense (late 15c.) was "to distribute unfairly."
misguide (v.): late 14c., "to go astray;" see mis- (1) + guide (v.). Transitive sense of "to guide in the wrong direction" is first attested c. 1500. Related: Misguided; misguiding.
misplace (v.): 1550s, "to assign a wrong position to;" see mis- (1) + place (v.). Of affections, confidence, etc., "to give to a wrong object," it is recorded from 1630s. Related: Misplaced; misplacing.
tribology (n.): 1965, "study of friction," from comb. form of Greek tribos "rubbing," from tribein "to rub, rub down, wear away" (from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn, twist;" see throw (v.)) + -logy.
mother-in-law (n.): mid-15c., "mother of one's spouse," from mother (n.1) + in-law. Also in early use, "stepmother." In British slang c. 1884, mother-in-law was "a mixture of ales old and bitter."
port (n.4): type of sweet dark-red wine, 1690s, shortened from Oporto, city in northwest Portugal from which the wine originally was shipped to England; from O Porto "the port" (see port (n.1)).
truncate (v.): late 15c., from Latin truncatus "cut off," past participle of truncare "to maim, mutilate, cut off," from truncus "mutilated, cut off, deprived of branches or limbs" (see trunk (n.1)). Related: Truncated; truncating.
trunnion (n.): "either of two round projections of a cannon," 1620s, from French trognon "core of fruit, stump, tree trunk," from Middle French troignon (14c.), probably from Latin truncus (see trunk (n.1)).
ashen (adj.): "made of ash wood," c. 1300; see ash (n.2) + -en (2); meaning "ash-colored, whitish-gray, deadly pale" is 1808, from ash (n.1).
moon-calf (n.): also mooncalf, "abortive, shapeless, fleshy mass," 1560s, attributed to the influence of the moon; from moon (n.) + calf (n.1). In later 16c., "deformed creature, monster."
bumbailiff (n.): server of writs, maker of arrests, etc., c. 1600, from bum "arse" (see bum (n.1)), because he was always felt to be close behind, + bailiff.
portable (adj.): early 15c., from French portable "that can be carried," from Late Latin portabilis "that can be carried," from Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)). Related: Portability.
porter (n.3): type of dark beer, 1734, short for porter's ale (1721), from porter (n.1), because the beer was made for or preferred by porters and other laborers, being cheap and strong.
portico (n.): c. 1600, from Italian portico, from Latin porticus "colonnade, arcade, covered walk, porch," from porta "gate" (see port (n.1)). Especially of the Painted Porch in Athens.
Portugal: late 14c., Portyngale, from Medieval Latin Portus Cale (Roman name of modern Oporto), "the port of Gaya," from Latin portus "harbor, port" (see port (n.1)). Alfonso, Count of Portucale, became the first king of Portugal.
postdate (v.): also post-date, 1620s, from post- + date (v.1) "to assign a date to, to mark a date on." Related: Postdated; postdating. Intransitive meaning "be of an earlier date" is from 1909.
potluck (n.): also pot-luck, 1590s, from pot (n.1) + luck; with notion of "one's luck or chance as to what may be in the pot." As an adjective from 1775.
potty (n.): 1942, child's word for "chamber pot," from pot (n.1). Potty-training is attested from 1958. Potty-mouth "one who uses obscene language" is student slang from 1968.
rosette (n.): "a rose-shaped ornament," especially a bunch or knot of ribbons worn as a decoration, 1790, from French rosette, diminutive of rose "rose" (see rose (n.1)).
arthritis (n.): "inflammation of a joint," 1540s, from medical Latin arthritis, from Greek (nosos) arthritis "(disease) of the joints," from arthritis, fem. of arthrites (adj.) "pertaining to joints" (Greek nosos is a fem. noun), from arthron "a joint" (see arm (n.1)).
bronchial (adj.): c. 1735, from Late Latin bronchus, from Greek bronkhos "windpipe, throat" (from PIE *gwro-nkh-, from root *gwere- (4) "to swallow;" see voracity) + -al (1). bronchial tubes is from 1847.
buck-eye (n.): "American horse chestnut," 1763, said to be so called from resemblance of the nut to a stag's eye. See buck (n.1) + eye (n.). Meaning "native of Ohio" is attested since 1822.
modal (adj.): 1560s, term in logic, from Middle French modal and directly from Medieval Latin modalis "of or pertaining to a mode," from Latin modus "measure, manner, mode" (see mode (n.1)). Musical sense is from 1590s.
modify (v.): late 14c., from Old French modifier (14c.), from Latin modificare "to limit, measure off, restrain," from modus "measure, manner" (see mode (n.1)) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Related: Modified; modifying.
modus (n.): "way in which anything is done," 1640s, from Latin modus (plural modi), literally "a measure, extent, quantity; manner" (see mode (n.1)). Especially in modus operandi and modus vivendi.
misshapen (adj.): "having a bad or ugly shape, crippled, deformed, monstrous," also "degraded, perverted," late 14c., from mis- (1) + old alternative past participle of shape (v.).
misstep (v.): also mis-step, c. 1300; see mis- (1) + step (v.). The noun in the figurative sense of "faux pas" is first recorded c. 1800; literal sense is from 1837.
pip (n.3): "spot on a playing card, etc." c. 1600, peep, of unknown origin. Because of the original form, it is not considered as connected to pip (n.1). Related: Pips.
pipeline (n.): 1859, "continuous line of pipes," from pipe (n.1) + line (n.). Figurative sense of "channel of communication" is from 1921; surfer slang meaning "hollow part of a large wave" is attested by 1963.
mule (n.2): "loose slipper," 1560s, from Middle French mule, from Latin mulleus calceus "red high-soled shoe," worn by Roman patricians, from mullus "red" (see mullet (n.1)). Related: Mules.
primeval (adj.): also primaeval, 1650s, with -al (1) + Latin primaevus "early in life, youthful," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)) + aevum "an age" (see eon).
springbok (n.): South African gazelle, 1775, from Afrikaans, from springen "to leap" (from Middle Dutch springhen, see spring (v.)) + bok "antelope," from Middle Dutch boc (see buck (n.1)).
pret a porter (adj.): 1957, from French prêt à porter, "ready-to-wear." For pret, see presto. Porter is literally "to carry," from Latin portare "to carry" (see port (n.1)). For a similar sense evolution, compare German kleider tragen.