- taurine (adj.)
- 1610s, from Latin taurus (see Taurus) + -ine (1). In reference to a period in history, it means the time when the sun was in Taurus at the vernal equinox (roughly 4500-1900 B.C.E.).
- unkindness (n.)
- c. 1300, "state or character of being unkind, lack of natural regard or proper consideration," from un- (1) "not" + kindness (n.), or from unkind (adj.) + -ness. Meaning "an unkind act" is from c. 1500.
- unsettled (adj.)
- 1590s, "not peaceful, not firmly established," from unsettle (v.) or else from un- (1) "not" + past participle of settle (v.). Meaning "not occupied by settlers" is attested from 1724.
- unsweetened (n.)
- 1775, "not having been sweetened," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of sweeten (v.); or else, if the sense is "with sweetness removed," from unsweeten (v.), which is attested from 1610s.
- unhistorical (adj.)
- 1610s, "not in accordance with history, not being a part of recorded history," from un- (1) "not" + historical. Unhistoric in this sense is from 1801. Related: Unhistorically.
- unaccomplished (adj.)
- 1520s, "not finished," from un- (1) "not" + past participle of accomplish (v.). Meaning "not furnished with social or intellectual accomplishments" is from 1729 (see accomplished).
- unblown (adj.)
- "not yet bloomed," 1580s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of blow (v.2).
Life is the rose's hope while yet unblown;
The reading of an ever-changing tale;
[Keats, "Sleep and Poetry"]
- unfamous (adj.)
- late 14c., "not well known, obscure," from un- (1) "not" + famous (adj.). Also from late 14c. as "notably bad," a sense now in infamous.
- vault (v.2)
- "to form with a vault or arched roof," late 14c., from Old French vaulter, volter, from voute "arch, vaulted roof" (see vault (n.1)). Related: Vaulted; vaulting.
- wind-up (n.)
- 1570s, "conclusion or final adjustment and settlement of some matter," from verbal phrase wind up (see wind (v.1)). Baseball pitching sense attested from 1906.
- womanly (adj.)
- c. 1200, of a man, "wanton, lascivious;" late 14c. of a woman, "feminine," of qualities, "proper to a woman;" from woman + -ly (1). From c. 1400 of men with the sense "effeminate, weak." Related: Womanliness.
- Yarborough (n.)
- in bridge/whist, a hand with no card above a nine, 1874, said to be so called for an unnamed Earl of Yarborough who bet 1,000 to 1 against its occurrence.
- crampon (n.)
- "metal bar bent at the ends for fastening," c. 1300, from Old French crampoun, from Germanic (see cramp (n.1); also compare cramp (n.2)).
- El Paso
- city in Texas, named for the nearby pass where the Rio Grande emerges from the Rockies, Spanish, short for el paso del norte "the northern pass;" see pass (n.1).
- eury-
- word-forming element meaning "wide," from comb. form of Greek eurys "broad, wide," from PIE root *were- (1) "wide, broad" (source also of Sanskrit uruh "broad, wide").
- inelegance (n.)
- 1690s, from French inélégance (16c.) or directly from Late Latin inelegantia, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin elegantia "taste, propriety, refinement" (see elegance).
- inerrable (adj.)
- "incapable of erring," 1610s, from Late Latin inerrabilis "unerring," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + errabilis, from Latin errare "to wander; to err" (see err). Related: Inerrability "infallibility" (1620s).
- interminate (adj.)
- 1530s, from Latin interminatus "unbounded, endless," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + terminalis "pertaining to a boundary or end, final," from terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus).
- inurbane (adj.)
- c. 1600, from Latin inurbanus "not civil or polite," from in- "not" (see in- (1) + urbanus "refined, courteous," literally "of a city" (see urban (adj.)). Related: Inurbanity.
- Aberdeen
- literally "mouth of the (River) Don," from Gaelic aber "(river) mouth," from Celtic *ad-ber-o-, from *ad- "to" (see ad-) + *ber- "to carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry" (see infer). Compare Inverness.
- improbity (n.)
- "want of integrity," 1590s, from Latin improbitas "badness, dishonesty," from assimilated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + probitas "uprightness, honesty," from probus "worthy, good" (see prove).
- inappetence (n.)
- "failure of appetite," 1690s, from French inappétence (16c.), from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + appétence "desire" (for food); see appetence. Related: Inappetency (1610s).
- inappreciable (adj.)
- 1773, "too inconsiderable to matter;" 1787, "that cannot be sufficiently appreciated," from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + appreciable. Perhaps modeled on French inappreciable. Related: Inappreciably.
- inconsummate (adj.)
- "unfinished, incomplete," 1640s, from Late Latin inconsummatus "unfinished," from in- "not" (see in- (1) + consummatus "perfected, complete," past participle of consummare "sum up, to complete" (see consummation).
- indubious (adj.)
- "certain, not doubtful," 1620s, from Latin indubius "not doubtful," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + dubius "vacillating, fluctuating," figuratively "wavering in opinion, doubting" (see dubious). Related: Indubiously.
- inedita (n.)
- "unpublished writings," Modern Latin noun use of neuter plural of Latin ineditus, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + editus, past participle of edere "to bring forth, produce" (see edition).
- inenarrable (adj.)
- "inexpressible, that cannot be told, indescribable," c. 1500, from Old French inenarrable (14c.) or directly from Latin inenarrabilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + enarrabilis "describable," from enarre "to narrate."
- goal-post (n.)
- 1834, from goal (n.) + post (n.1). To move the goal posts as a figurative expression for "cheat by changing the objectives after the process has begun" is by 1988.
- goniometer (n.)
- instrument for measuring solid angles, 1766, from Greek gonia "corner, angle," from PIE root *genu- (1) "knee; angle" (see knee (n.)) + -meter. Related: Goniometry.
- ensorcell (v.)
- also ensorcel, "to bewitch," 1540s, from French ensorceller, from Old French ensorceler, dissimilated from ensorcerer from en- (see en- (1)) + verb from sorcier "sorcerer, wizard" (see sorcery). Related: Ensorcelled; ensorceled.
- keychain (n.)
- also key-chain, 1849, from key (n.1) + chain (n.). Earlier in the same sense was key-ring (1889), key-band (mid-15c.).
- hepcat (n.)
- also hep-cat, "addict of swing music," more generally, "one who is in the know and knows it," 1937, from hep (1) "aware, up-to-date" in jazz slang + cat (n.) "jazz enthusiast."
- lemony (adj.)
- "resembling or infused with lemon," 1846, from lemon (n.1) + -y (2). In Australia/New Zealand slang, also "irritated, angry" (1941). An earlier adjective was lemonish (1719).
- leaded (adj.)
- early 13c., "covered with lead," from lead (n.1). In reference to printed matter, "set with more than ordinary space between the lines," 1864. Of fuel, "with added lead," 1936.
- letter-press (adj.)
- in reference to matter printed from relief surfaces, 1840, from letter (n.1) "a type character" + press (n.). Earlier "text," as opposed to copper-plate illustration (1771).
- letter (v.)
- "write in letters," 1660s, from letter (n.1). Earlier it was used in a now obsolete sense "instruct" (mid-15c.). Related: Lettered; lettering.
- lickspittle (n.)
- also lick-spittle, "sycophant, abject toady, one who will do any repulsive thing," 1741, from lick (v.1) + spittle. Phrase lick the spittle as a repulsive act is from 1640s.
- lime (n.2)
- greenish-yellow citrus fruit, 1630s, probably via Spanish lima, from Arabic limah "citrus fruit," from Persian limun "lemon" (see lemon (n.1)). Lime-green as a color is from 1890.
- linstock (n.)
- also linestock, lintstock, forked staff used for firing a cannon, 1570s, from Dutch lonstok, from lont "match" + stok "stick," from Proto-Germanic *stukkaz-, from PIE root *steu- (1) "to push, stick, knock, beat."
- literary (adj.)
- 1640s, "pertaining to alphabet letters," from French littéraire, from Latin literarius/litterarius "belonging to letters or learning," from littera/litera "alphabetic letter" (see letter (n.1)). Meaning "pertaining to literature" is attested from 1737. Related: Literariness.
- -lite
- word-forming element meaning "stone," from French -lite, variant of -lithe, from Greek lithos "stone" (see litho-). The form perhaps influenced by chemical word-forming element -ite (1).
- chakra (n.)
- 1888 in yoga sense, from Sanskrit cakra "circle, wheel," from PIE root *kwel- (1) forming words having to do with wheels and turning round (see cycle (n.)).
- abound (v.)
- early 14c., from Old French abonder "to abound, be abundant, come together in great numbers" (12c.), from Latin abundare "overflow, run over," from Latin ab- "off" (see ab-) + undare "rise in a wave," from unda "a wave," from PIE *unda-, nasalized form of root *wed- (1) "water, wet" (see water (n.1)). Related: Abounded; abounding.
- importune (v.)
- "harass with solicitation, demand persistently," 1520s, back-formation from importunity, or else from Middle French importuner, from Medieval Latin importunari "to make oneself troublesome," from Latin importunus "unfit, unfavorable, troublesome," literally "having no harbor" (thus "difficult to access"), from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + portus "harbor" (see port (n.1)). Related: Importuned; importuning. As an adjective from early 15c. Portunus was the Roman deity of harbours; hence Portunium "temple of Portunus."
- quasimodo (n.)
- "Low Sunday," 1706, Quasimodo Sunday, from Latin quasi modo, first words of introit for the first Sunday after Easter: quasi modo geniti infantes "as newborn babes" (1 Pet. ii:2). The hunchback in Victor Hugo's novel was supposed to have been abandoned as an infant at Notre Dame on this day, hence his name. For first element, see quasi; for second see mode (n.1).
- redundant (adj.)
- 1590s, from Latin redundantem (nominative redundans), present participle of redundare, literally "overflow, pour over; be over-full;" figuratively "be in excess," from re- "again" (see re-) + undare "rise in waves," from unda "a wave," from PIE *unda-, nasalized form of root *wed- (1) "water, wet" (see water (n.1)). Of persons, in employment situations, from 1928, chiefly British. Related: Redundantly.
- floe (n.)
- 1817, first used by Arctic explorers, probably from Norwegian flo "layer, slab," from Old Norse flo, from Proto-Germanic *floho-, from PIE *plak- (1) "to be flat," extended form of root *pele- (2) "flat, to spread" (see plane (n.1)). Related to first element in flagstone. Earlier explorers used flake. Floe-rat was a seal-hunter's name for the ringed seal (1880).
- pedicure (n.)
- 1839, "one whose business is surgical care of feet" (removal of corns, bunions, etc.), from French pédicure, from Latin pes (genitive pedis) "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)) + curare "to care for," from cura "care" (see cure (n.1.)). In reference to the treatment itself, attested from 1890; specifically as a beauty treatment, from 1900.
- rink (n.)
- late 14c., Scottish dialect, probably from Old French renc, reng "row, line," from Frankish and ultimately connected with ring (n.1). Probably confused in meaning with ring (n.1) in sense of "area marked out for a sporting contest." From 1787 in curling; ice hockey sense first attested 1896.
- pregnant (adj.2)
- "convincing, weighty, pithy," late 14c., "cogent, convincing, compelling" (of evidence, an argument, etc.); sense of "full of meaning" is from c. 1400. According to OED from Old French preignant, present participle of preindre "press, squeeze, stamp, crush," from earlier priembre, from Latin premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). But Watkins has it from Latin praehendere "to grasp, seize," and in Barnhart it is from Latin praegnans "with child," literally "before birth" and thus identical with pregnant (adj.1).