Online Etymology Dictionary

irreligion (n.): 1590s, from French irréligion (16c.) or directly from Late Latin irreligionem (nominative irreligio) "irreligion, impiety," from assimiliated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + religio (see religion).
knee-jerk (n.): patellar reflex, a neurological phenomenon discovered and named in 1876; see knee (n.) + jerk (n.1) in the medical sense. The figurative use appeared soon after the phrase was coined.
labyrinthine (adj.): 1630s; see labyrinth + -ine (1). Figurative use by 1831. Earlier adjective forms were labyrinthian/labyrinthean (1580s), labyrinthial (1540s), labyrinthical (1620s), labyrinthic (1640s).
incogitable (adj.): "unthinkable, inconceivable," 1520s, from Late Latin incogitabilis "unthinking; unthinkable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + cogitabilis "thinkable, conceivable," from stem of cogitare "to think" (see cogitation).
incommodity (n.): early 15c., from Old French incommodité (14c.), from Latin incommoditas "inconvenience, disadvantage; damage, injury," from incommodus "inconvenient, unsuitable, troublesome," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + commodus "suitable, convenient" (see commode).
indeterminable (adj.): late 15c., from Late Latin indeterminabilis "that cannot be defined," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + determinabilis "that can be defined," from determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to" (see determine). Related: Indeterminably.
inequable (adj.): "not uniform, changeable," 1716, from Latin inaequabilis "unequal," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + aequabilis "similar, equal; constant, not varying" (see equable). Related: Inequability (1580s).
improvidence (n.): "lack of foresight, rashness," mid-15c., from Late Latin improvidentia, from assimilated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin providentia "foresight, precaution" (see providence).
immitigable (adj.): 1570s, from Latin immitigabilis, from assimilated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + mitigabilis, from past participle stem of mitigare "make mild or gentle" (see mitigate). Related: Immitigably.
madden (v.): "to drive to distraction," 1822; earlier "to be mad" (1735), from mad (adj.) + -en (1). Related: Maddened; maddening. The earlier verb was simply mad (early 14c., intransitive; late 14c., transitive), from the adjective.
clock (v.): "to time by the clock," 1883, from clock (n.1). The slang sense of "hit, sock" is 1941, originally Australian, probably from earlier slang clock (n.) "face" (1923). Related: Clocked; clocking.
clade (n.): "group of organisms evolved from a common ancestor," 1957, from Greek klados "young branch, offshoot of a plant, shoot broken off," from PIE *kele-, possibly from root *kel- (1) "to strike, cut" (see holt).
clerical (adj.): 1590s, "pertaining to the clergy," from cleric + -al (1), or from French clérical, from Old French clerigal "learned," from Latin clericalis, from clericus (see cleric). Meaning "pertaining to clerks" is from 1798.
cardio-: before vowels cardi-, word-forming element meaning "pertaining to the heart," from Latinized form of Greek kardia "heart," from PIE root *kerd- (1) "heart" (see heart (n.)).
casein (n.): principal protein-constituent of milk, forming the basis of cheese, 1841, from French caséine, from Latin caseus "cheese" (see cheese (n.1)) + chemical suffix -ine (2).
derma (n.): "skin beneath the epidermis," 1706, from Modern Latin derma, from Greek derma (genitive dermatos) "skin," from PIE root *der- (2) "to split, peel, flay" (see tear (v.1)).
cupboard (n.): late 14c., "a board or table to place cups and like objects," from cup (n.) + board (n.1). As a type of closed cabinet for food, etc., from early 16c.
bar (v.): c. 1300, "to fasten (a gate, etc.) with a bar," from bar (n.1); sense of "to obstruct, prevent" is recorded by 1570s. Expression bar none "without exception" is recorded from 1866.
courtly (adj.): mid-15c., "having manners befitting a court," from court (n.) + -ly (1). Meaning "pertaining to the court" is from late 15c. Courtly love "highly conventionalized medieval chivalric love" (amour courtois) is attested from 1896.
crowbar (n.): 1748, with bar (n.1), earlier simply crow (c. 1400); so called from its "beak" or from resemblance to a crow's foot; or possibly it is from crows, from Old French cros, plural of croc "hook."
dashboard (n.): 1846, from dash (v.) + board (n.1); "board in front of a carriage to stop mud from being splashed ("dashed") into the vehicle by the horse's hoofs." Of motor vehicles, from 1904.
date (n.3): "liaison," 1885, gradually evolving from date (n.1) in its general sense of "appointment;" romantic sense by 1890s. Meaning "person one has a date with" is from 1925.
cynical (adj.): 1580s, "resembling Cynic philosophers," from cynic + -al (1). By late 17c. the meaning had shaded into the general one of "critical, disparaging the motives of others, captious, sneering, peevish." Related: Cynically.
enfeeble (v.): "to cause to weaken, deprive of strength," mid-14c., from Old French enfeblir "become weak," from en- (see en- (1)) + feble (see feeble). Related: Enfeebled; enfeebling; enfeeblement.
ennoble (v.): late 15c., "refine, impart a higher character to" (implied in ennobled), from Middle French ennoblir; see en- (1) + noble (adj.). Sense of "give noble rank to" is from 1590s. Related: Ennobler; ennobling.
entrain (v.1): "to draw along," 1560s, a term in chemistry, from French entrainer (12c.), from en- "away" (see en- (1)) + trainer "to drag" (see train (n.)). Related: Entrained; entrainment.
entrap (v.): "to catch, as in a trap," 1530s, intrappe, from Old French entraper "trap, catch in a trap;" see en- (1) + trap (n.). Related: Entrapped; entrapping.
envenom (v.): c. 1300, envenymen, from Old French envenimer (12c.) "to poison, taint;" from en- (see en- (1)) + venim (see venom). Figurative use is from late 14c. Related: Envenomed; envenoming.
emotional (adj.): 1821, "pertaining to emotion," from emotion + -al (1). Meaning "characterized by or subject to emotions" is attested by 1857. Related: Emotionally. Emotional intelligence coined by mid-1960s, popular from mid-1980s.
electoral (adj.): 1670s, "pertaining to electors," in reference to Germany, from elector + -al (1). In general sense from 1790. Related: Electorally. The U.S. electoral college so called from 1808 (the term was used earlier in reference to Germany).
elliptical (adj.): 1650s, "elliptic in shape;" see elliptic + -al (1). Grammatical sense of "missing essential words or phrases" is recorded from 1778 (see ellipsis). Related: Elliptically.
encrypt (v.): 1968 in telecommunications, a back-formation from encryption (1964), or from en- (1) + crypt (n.) on the notion of "hidden place" (see crypto-). Related: Encrypted; encrypting.
boarding (n.): 1530s, "supplying of meals, food and lodging," from board (n.1) in its extended sense of "food" (via notion of "table"). Boarding-school is from 1670s; boarding-house attested from 1728.
checkers (n.): U.S. name for the game known in Britain as draughts, 1712, from plural of checker (n.1). So called for the board on which the game is played.
checkpoint (n.): 1940, from check (v.1) + point (n.). Originally an aviator's term for landforms or structures of known height against which the craft's altitude could be visually checked. The "vehicle stop" sense is recorded from 1950.
cheliped (n.): 1859, Modern Latin, from chela "claw," from Greek khele "claw" (see chelicerae) + Latin pod-, stem of pes "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)).
chinky (adj.): "full of chinks," 1640s, from chink (n.1) + -y (2). As a noun by 1879, variant of chink (n.2), derogatory term for "Chinese person;" chiefly British.
compassionate (adj.): 1580s, from compassion + -ate (1). Related: Compassionately. Phrase compassionate conservatism in American political language recorded by 1992, popularized, if not coined, by Marvin Olasky, University of Texas at Austin instructor.
cephalopod (n.): 1825, from French cephalopode, from Modern Latin Cephalopoda (the class name), from Greek kephale "head" (see cephalo-) + pod-, stem of pous "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)).
cloche (n.): type of bell jar, 1882, from French cloche "bell, bell glass" (12c.), from Late Latin clocca "bell" (see clock (n.1)). As a type of women's hat, recorded from 1907, so called from its shape.
comatose (adj.): 1755, from Latinized form of Greek komat-, comb. form of koma (genitive komatos; see coma) + -ose (1). Perhaps immediately from French comateux. Transferred sense of "lethargic" is from 1828.
colonial (adj.): 1756, from Latin colonia (see colony) + -al (1), or directly from colony on model of baronoinal. Meaning "from or characteristic of America during colonial times" is from 1776. The noun meaning "inhabitant of a colony" is recorded from 1865.
commercial (adj.): 1680s, "pertaining to trade," from commerce + -al (1). Meaning "paid for by advertisements" (in reference to radio, TV, etc.) is from 1932; meaning "done for the sake of financial profit" (of art, etc.) is from 1871. Related: Commercially.
beastly (adj.): c. 1200, "brutish, sensual, debased;" late 14c., "in the manner of a beast," from beast + -ly (1). Weakened in British upper crust use to "awfully, exceedingly" by mid-19c. Beastly drunk is from 1803.
baited (adj.): c. 1600, "furnished with bait," past participle adjective from bait (v.2). Hence, in a figurative sense, "exciting, alluring" (1650s). For bated breath see bate (v.1).
lonely (adj.): c. 1600, "solitary, lone," from lone + -ly (1). Meaning "dejected for want of company" is from 1811. Lonely heart (n.) "a lonely-hearted person" is from 1922. Lonely hearted (adj.) is attested from 1820.
occasional (adj.): late 14c., "occurring now and then," from occasion (n.) + -al (1). Meaning "casual" is 1560s. Meaning "happening on or pertaining to a particular occasion" is from 1630s. Of furniture, etc., from 1749.
mechanical (adj.): early 15c., "of or pertaining to machines," from mechanic (adj.) + -al (1); of persons or human actions, "resembling machines, automatic" it is from c. 1600. Related: Mechanically. Mechanical-minded is recorded from 1820.
omphaloskepsis (n.): 1925, from omphalo- + Greek -skepsis, from skeptesthai "to reflect, look, view" (see scope (n.1)). Also omphaloscopy (1931), and used in the sense of "navel-gazer" were omphalopsychic (1892), omphalopsychite (1882).
parishioner (n.): mid-15c., with -er (1), from earlier parishen "parishioner" (c. 1200), from Old French paroissien, parochien, from paroisse (see parish). Doublet form parochian was obsolete by 1700.