Online Etymology Dictionary

tap (n.2): "light blow or stroke," mid-14c., from tap (v.1). Tap dancer first recorded 1927, from tap (n.) in the sense of "metal plate over the heel of a shoe" (1680s).
muleteer (n.): "mule driver," 1530s, from Middle French muletier, from mulet "mule," a diminutive formation replacing Old French mul as the word for "mule" in French (see mule (n.1)).
clip (n.2): mid-15c., "shears," from clip (v.1). Meaning "act of clipping" is from 1825, originally of sheep-shearing, later of haircuts. Meaning "rate of speed" is 1867 (compare clipper). Meaning "an extract from a movie" is from 1958.
inch (v.): 1590s, "move little by little" (intrans.), from inch (n.1). Meaning "drive or force by small degrees" (trans.) is from 1660s. Related: Inched; inching.
topless (adj.): of women, "bare-breasted," 1966, from top (n.1) + -less. Earlier it was used of men's bathing suits (1937) and women's (1964). Earliest sense is "without a visible summit; immeasurably high" (1580s).
shock (v.1): "to come into violent contact, strike against suddenly and violently," 1570s, now archaic or obsolete, from shock (n.1). Meaning "to give (something) an electric shock" is from 1746; sense of "to offend, displease" is first recorded 1690s.
card (v.2): 1540s, "to play cards" (now obsolete), from card (n.1). From 1925 as "to write (something) on a card for filing." Meaning "require (someone) to show ID" is from 1970s. Related: Carded; carding.
card-carrying (adj.): 1948, used frequently during Cold War in U.S. (typically in reference to official membership in the communist party), from card (n.1) + present participle of carry (v.).
Octobrist (n.): 1., from Russian oktyabrist, "member of the league formed October 1905 in response to imperial policies"; 2., from Russian Oktyabryonok, "member of a Russian communist children's organization founded 1925 and named in honor of the October Revolution."
chop (n.): "act of chopping," mid-14c., from chop (v.1). Meaning "piece cut off" is mid-15c.; specifically "slice of meat" from mid-17c. Sense of "a blow, strike" is from 1550s.
graft (v.): late 15c., "insert a shoot from one tree into another," from graft (n.1). Figurative use by 1530s. Surgical sense by 1868. Related: Grafted; grafting.
pump (v.): c. 1500, from pump (n.1). Metaphoric extension in pump (someone) for information is from 1630s. To pump iron "lift weights for fitness" is from 1972. Related: Pumped; pumping.
pet (v.): 1620s, "treat as a pet," from pet (n.1). Sense of "to stroke" is first found 1818. Slang sense of "kiss and caress" is from 1920 (implied in petting). Related: Petted.
fool (adj.): c. 1200, "sinful, wicked; lecherous" (a fool woman (c. 1300) was "a prostitute"), from fool (n.1). Meaning "foolish, silly" is mid-13c. In modern use considered U.S. colloquial.
stateroom (n.): also state-room, 1703, room reserved for ceremonial occasions; earlier (1650s) "a captain's cabin;" from room (n.) + state (n.1) in a sense also preserved in stately.
cerato-: word-forming element meaning "horn," from Latinized form of Greek keras (genitive keratos) "horn of an animal; horn as a substance," from PIE *ker- (1) "horn, head" (see horn (n.)).
pipe (n.2): type of cask, early 14c., from Old French pipe "liquid measure, cask for wine," from a special use of Vulgar Latin *pipa "pipe" (see pipe (n.1)).
ply (v.2): "to bend," late 14c., plien, from Old French plier, earlier pleier "to fold, bend," from Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist" (see ply (v.1)). Related: Plied; plies; plying.
protero-: before vowels proter-, word-forming element meaning "former, earlier," from comb. form of Greek proteros "before, former, anterior," from PIE *pro-, from root *per- (1) "forward, through" (see per).
pseudepigraphy (n.): "ascription of false authorship to a book," 1842, probably via German or French, from pseudo- + epigraph + -y (1). Related: Pseudepigrapha; pseudepigraphic (1830); pseudepigraphical (1838); pseudepigraphal (1630s).
clepsydra (n.): "ancient Greek water clock," 1640s, from Latinized form of Greek klepsydra, from stem of kleptein "to steal, to hide" (see kleptomania) + hydor "water" (see water (n.1)).
clock-watcher (n.): "employee habitually prompt in leaving," 1887, from clock (n.1) + agent noun from watch (v.). Related: Clock-watching. Compare earlier tell-clock "idler" (c. 1600).
pothead (n.): also pot-head "chronic marijuana user," 1967, from pot (n.2) + head (n.). Earlier it meant "stupid person" (1530s), from pot (n.1).
punchless (adj.): 1950 of fighters and others lacking requisite power, from punch (n.1); 1853 of situations in which one might seek a drink, from punch (n.2). Related: Punchlessly; punchlessness.
quadruplicate (v.): 1660s, from Latin quadruplicatus, past participle of quadruplicare "make fourfold," from quadri- "four" (see quadri-) + plicare "to fold" (see ply (v.1)). Related: Quadruplicated; quadruplicating.
recto (n.): "right-hand page in an open book" (opposed to verso or reverso), 1824, from Latin recto (in recto folio), ablative of rectum "right," (see right (adj.1)).
redtail (n.): 1812 in reference to a type of North American hawk; earlier used of various smaller European birds with red tail feathers (1550s); from red (adj.1) + tail (n.).
redbird (n.): mid-13c., a name for sundry red or partly red birds, including the common bullfinch and the scarlet tanager, but in U.S. especially the cardinal, from red (adj.1) + bird (n.).
reel (v.2): "to wind on a reel," late 14c., from reel (n.1). Verbal phrase reel off "recite without pause or effort" is from 1837. Fishing sense is from 1849. Related: Reeled; reeling.
speller (n.): c. 1200, "a preacher;" mid-15c. apparently in the sense "a person who reads letter by letter;" 1864 of a book to teach orthography. Agent noun from spell (v.1).
rifle (v.2): "to cut spiral grooves in" (a gun barrel), 1630s, probably from French rifler, from Old French rifler "to scratch or groove" (see rifle (v.1)). Related: Rifled; rifling.
ringing (n.): "act of causing a bell to ring; sound made by a bell," 14c., verbal noun from ring (v.1). Meaning "ringing sensation in the ears" is from late 14c.
rocking (adj.): "moving back and forth or to and fro," late 14c., present participle adjective from rock (v.1). Of music, from 1949 (see rock (v.2)). Rocking-horse is first recorded 1724; rocking-chair is from 1766.
rook (v.): "to defraud by cheating" (originally especially in a game), 1590s, from rook (n.1) in some sense (such as "a gull, simpleton," but this is not attested until 17c.). Related: Rooked; rooking.
rag-doll (n.): child's plaything, 1776 (from 1757 as "a dressed-up woman"), from rag (n.1) + doll (n.). Rag-baby attested from 1798. Shakespeare has babe of clowts (i.e. "clouts"), 1590s.
rail-splitter (n.): 1853, from rail (n.1) + agent noun from split (v.). Usually with reference to or suggestion of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, as it figured in his political biography.
sack (n.3): "plunder; act of plundering, the plundering of a city or town after storming and capture," 1540s, from French sac "pillage, plunder," from Italian sacco (see sack (v.1)).
sack (v.4): type of U.S. football play, 1969, from sack (v.1) in the sense of "to plunder" or sack (v.2) on the notion of "put in a bag." As a noun from 1972.
sandbox (n.): also sand-box, 1570s as an instrument to sprinkle sand, from sand (n.) + box (n.1). From 1680s as "a box holding sand;" 1891 as a low-sided sand pit for children's play.
smack (n.2): "smart, sharp sound made by the lips," 1560s, from smack (v.1). Meaning "a loud kiss" is recorded from c. 1600. Meaning "sharp sound made by hitting something with the flat of the hand" is from c. 1746.
snuffer (n.): also snuffter, "instrument for cropping the snuff of a candle, with a closed box to contain the burnt smell and smoke," mid-15c., agent noun from snuff (v.1).
stay (n.3): 1520s, "delay, postponement, period of remaining in a place," from stay (v.1). Meaning "action of stoppage, appliance for stopping" is 1530s; that of "suspension of judicial proceedings" is from 1540s.
stem-winder (n.): "excellent thing" (especially a rousing speech), 1892, from stem-winding watches (1875), which were advanced and desirable when introduced. See stem (n.) + wind (v.1).
straight-edge (n.): 1812, "bar for drawing or measuring straight lines," from straight (adj.1) + edge (n.). As the name of a punk subculture, attested by 1987, probably suggested by straight (adj.2).
straiten (v.): 1520s (transitive) "to restrict, make narrow," from strait (adj.) + -en (1). Related: straitened; straitening. Earlier verb was simply strait "to make narrow" (early 15c.).
stripe (v.): "ornament with stripes," early 15c., from stripe (n.1). Compare Middle Flemish stripen, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch stripen. Related: Striped; striping.
stallage (n.): "tax levied for the privilege of erecting a stall at a market or fair," late 14c. (mid-13c. in Anglo-Latin), from stall (n.1) + -age.
tail-pipe (n.): also tailpipe, 1757, "small pipe fixed at the swell of a musket to receive the ramrod," from tail (n.1) + pipe (n.). From 1832 as "suction pipe of a pump;" 1907 as "exhaust pipe of an automobile."
tidewater (n.): also tide-water, 1772, "water affected by the normal ebb and flow of the tide," from tide (n.) + water (n.1). In reference to the lowland regions of the Virginia shore of the western Chesapeake Bay, 1832.
talaria (n.): "winged sandals of Hermes (Mercury)" and often other gods (Iris, Eros, the Fates and the Furies), 1590s, from Latin talaria, noun use of neuter plural of talaris "of the ankle," from talus "ankle" (see talus (n.1)).