Online Etymology Dictionary

inelegant (adj.): c. 1500, from Middle French inélégant (15c.), from Latin inelegantem (nominative inelegans) "not elegant, not choice," also "without taste, without judgment," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + elegans (see elegant). Related: Inelegantly.
ball (v.): 1650s, "make into a ball," from ball (n.1). Sense of "to become like a ball" is 1713; that of "to copulate" is first recorded 1940s in jazz slang, either from the noun sense of "testicle" or "enjoyable time" (from ball (n.2)). Related: Balled; balling.
bank (v.): "to act as a banker," 1727, from bank (n.1). As "to deposit in a bank" from 1833. Figurative sense of "to rely on" (i.e. "to put money on") is from 1884, U.S. colloquial. Meaning "to ascend," as of an incline, is from 1892. In aeronautics, from 1911. Related: Banked; banking.
dateline (n.): 1880, imaginary line down the Pacific Ocean on which the calendar day begins and ends, from date (n.1) + line (n.). Meaning "line of text that tells the date and place of origin of a newspaper, article, telegram, etc." is from 1888.
Boxing Day (n.): 1809, "first weekday after Christmas," on which postmen and others expect to receive a Christmas present, originally in reference to the custom of distributing the contents of the Christmas box, which was placed in the church for charity collections. See box (n.1). The custom is older than the phrase.
economical (adj.): 1570s, "pertaining to household management;" from economic + -al (1). Sense of "pertaining to political economy" is from 1781, but that sense more commonly goes with economic, and the main modern sense of this spelling is "thrifty" (1780). Related: Economically.
eiderdown (n.): "soft feathers of the eider-duck" (such as it uses to line its nest), 1774; see eider + down (n.1). Ultimately from Icelandic æðardun, via a Scandinavian source (compare Danish ederdunn) or German Eiderdon.
millennial (adj.): 1660s, "pertaining to the millennium," from stem of millennium + -al (1). Meaning "pertaining to a period of 1,000 years" is from 1807. As a noun from 1896, originally "thousandth anniversary." From 1992 as a generational name for those born in the mid-1980s and thus coming of age around the year 2000.
tactical (adj.): 1560s, "pertaining to tactics," from Modern Latin tactica (see tactics) + -al (1). Meaning "characterized by adroit management" is from 1883. In reference to nuclear weapons ("for limited use in military operations," opposed to strategic) it is recorded from 1957. Related: Tactically.
chopper (n.): 1550s, "one who chops," agent noun from chop (v.1). Meaning "meat cleaver" is by 1818. Meaning "helicopter" is from 1951, Korean War military slang (compare egg-beater); as a type of stripped-down motorcycle (originally preferred by Hells Angels) from 1965.
conation (n.): in philosophical use from 1836, from Latin conationem (nominative conatio) "an endeavoring, effort," noun of action from past participle stem of conari "to endeavor, to try," from PIE *kona-, from root *ken- (1) "to set oneself in motion" (see deacon).
congregational (adj.): 1630s, in reference to Congregationalism, a Protestant movement in which church congregations were to be self-governing (the term most used in New England, in Britain they were called Independent); from congregation + -al (1). Related: Congregationalist.
constitutional (adj.): 1680s, "pertaining to a person's (physical or mental) constitution," from constitution + -al (1). Meaning "beneficial to bodily constitution" is from 1750. Meaning "authorized or allowed by the political constitution" is from 1765. Constitutional monarchy is recorded from 1801, from French. Related: Constitutionally.
cockscomb (n.): c. 1400, "comb or crest of a cock," from possessive of cock (n.1) + comb (n.). Meaning "cap worn by a professional fool" is from 1560s; hence "conceited fool" (1560s), a sense passing into the derivative coxcomb. As a plant name, from 1570s.
cocksure (adj.): 1520s, "certain," from cock (n.1) + sure (adj.). Probably "as assured as a cock." "The word was originally perfectly dignified, and habitually used in the most solemn connexions" [OED]. D.H. Lawrence playfully coined hensure as a female version (1929).
awesome (adj.): 1590s, "profoundly reverential," from awe (n.) + -some (1). Meaning "inspiring awe" is from 1670s; weakened colloquial sense of "impressive, very good" is recorded by 1961 and was in vogue from after c. 1980. Related: Awesomely; awesomeness.
backwater (n.): late 14c., "water behind a dam," from back (adj.) + water (n.1). Hence flat water without a current near a flowing river, as in a mill race (1820); figurative use of this for any flat, dull place is from 1899.
grizzly (adj.): "somewhat gray," 1590s, from grizzle "gray-colored" + -y (1). Also see grizzled. Grizzly bear (ursus horribilis) for the large ferocious bear of the western U.S., is recorded by 1806; sometimes said to belong rather to grisly (q.v.), but either adjective suits it.
hydrargyrum (n.): "mercury, quicksilver," 1560s, from Latin hydrargyrus, from Greek hydrargyros "quicksilver" (as prepared artificially from cinnabar ore; native quicksilver was argyros khytos "fused silver"), from hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + argyros "silver" (see argent). Hence the chemical abbreviation Hg for the element mercury.
hydrocephalus (n.): "accumulation of fluid in the cranial cavity, 'water on the brain,'" 1660s, medical Latin, from Greek hydro- "water" (see water (n.1)) + kephale "head" (see cephalo-). Also the name of a trilobite genus. Related: Hydrocephalic; hydrocephalous.
hero (n.2): 1955, the New York City term for a sandwich elsewhere called submarine, grinder, poor boy (New Orleans), or hoagie (Philadelphia); origin unknown, perhaps so called for its great size (from hero (n.1)), or a folk-etymology alteration of Greek gyro as a type of sandwich.
hid (adj.): early 13c., past tense and alternative past participle of hide (v.1).
How to entangle, trammel up and snare
Your soul in mine, and labyrinth you there
Like the hid scent in an unbudded rose?
Aye, a sweet kiss -- you see your mighty woes.

[Keats, "Lamia"]
homograph (n.): 1810 as a method of signalling, from homo- (1) "same" + -graph "something written." Meaning "a word of identical spelling with another, but of different origin and meaning," is from 1873. Related: Homographic; homography. Greek homographos meant "of the same letters."
hexapod (n.): "six-footed insect," 1660s, from Modern Latin hexapod-, stem of hexapodus, from Greek hex "six" (see six) + Greek pod-, stem of pous "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)). Greek hexapous (adj.) was used only with reference to poetic meter. As an adjective from 1856.
hustler (n.): 1825, "thief" (especially one who roughs up his victims), from hustle (v.) + -er (1). Sense of "one who is energetic in work or business" (especially, but not originally, a salesman) is from 1884; sense of "prostitute" dates from 1924.
insubstantial (adj.): c. 1600, from Medieval Latin insubstantialis "not substantial," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Late Latin substantialis "having substance or reality, material," in Late Latin "pertaining to the substance or essence," from substantia "being, essence, material" (see substance). Related: Insubstantially.
irrecoverable (adj.): mid-15c., from Old French irrecovrable (Modern French irrecouvrable), from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + recovrable (see recover). In same sense irrecuperable (from Late Latin irrecuperabilis) is from mid-14c. Related: Irrecoverably.
irreconcilable (adj.): 1590s, from assimilated form of in- (1) "not, opposite of" + reconcilable, if that word is so old. Or perhaps from French irréconcilable (16c.). Related: Irreconcilably. As a noun, "one who refuses reconciliation or compromise" (especially in politics), from 1748.
irreprehensible (adj.): "blameless," late 14c., from Late Latin irreprehensibilis, from Latin irreprehensus "blameless, without blame," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + reprehensibilis, from past participle stem of Latin reprehendere "to blame, censure, rebuke; seize, restrain" (see reprehend).
irresolute (adj.): "not firm in purpose, wavering, given to doubt or hesitation," 1570s, from Latin irresolutus "not loosed, not loosened," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + resolutus (see resolute). Related: Irresolutely.
impenetrable (adj.): mid-15c., from Middle French impenetrable (14c.) or directly from Latin impenetrabilis "that cannot be penetrated," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + penetrabilis "penetrable" (see penetrable). Related: Impenetrably; impenetrability.
impossible (adj.): late 14c., from Old French impossible (14c.), from Latin impossibilis "not possible," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + possibilis (see possible). Weakened sense of "unable to be accomplished or tolerated" is from mid-19c. Related: Impossibly.
immodest (adj.): 1560s, "arrogant, impudent, not modest about one's pretentions," from Latin immodestus "unrestrained, excessive," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + modestus (see modest). Meaning "indecent, lewd, not modest in person or utterance" is from 1580s. Related: immodestly.
inaccessible (adj.): early 15c., from Middle French inaccessible (14c.), from Late Latin inaccessibilis "unapproachable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + accessibilis "approachable" (see accessible). Related: Inaccessibly; inaccessibility. Earlier in same sense was unaccessible (c. 1400).
incurious (adj.): 1560s, "negligent, heedless," from Latin incuriosus "careless, negligent, unconcerned," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + curiosus (see curious). Meaning "uninquisitive" is from 1610s. Objective sense of "unworthy of attention" is from 1747. Related: Incuriously. Incuriosity is attested from c. 1600.
indiscretion (n.): mid-14c., "want of discretion, imprudence," from Old French indiscrecion "foolishness, imprudence" (12c.), from Late Latin indiscretionem (nominative indiscretio) "lack of discernment," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + discretionem "discernment, power to make distinctions" (see discretion). Meaning "indiscreet act" is from c. 1600.
indention (n.): 1763, formed irregularly from indent (v.1). It could be a useful word if it split with indentation the two senses (relating to marginal notches and to dents) of that word, but indention, too, is used in both.
infelicity (n.): late 14c., "unhappiness," from Latin infelicitas "bad luck, misfortune, unhappiness," from infelix (genitive infelicis) "unfruitful, barren; unfortunate, unhappy; causing misfortune, unlucky," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + felix (see felicity). Meaning "inappropriateness, unhappiness as to occasion" is from 1610s.
isopod (n.): "animal with legs equal in size and position," 1835, from French isopode, from Latin isopoda (neuter plural), from Greek iso- "equal, identical" (see iso-) + pod-, stem of pous "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1) "a foot" (see foot (n.)).
jewelry (n.): late 14c., juelrye "precious ornaments, jewel work," from Old French juelerye, from jouel (see jewel). In modern use it probably is a new formation and can be analyzed as jewel + -ery or jeweler + -y (1). Also jewellery. "The longer is the commercial & popular form, the shorter the rhetorical & poetic" [Fowler].
keyword (n.): also key-word, "word which serves as a guide to other words or matters," 1807, from key (n.1) in the figurative sense + word (n.). Originally in reference to codes and ciphers. In reference to information retrieval systems, "word from the text chosen as indicating the contents of a document" (1967).
nudism (n.): 1929, from French nudisme (see nude + -ism). Nudist "one who practices nudism" appeared at the same time.
Made in Germany, imported to France, is the cult of Nudism, a mulligan stew of vegetarianism, physical culture and pagan worship. ["Time," July 1, 1929]
unalterable (adj.): 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + alterable. Related: Unalterably.
He reach'd a middle height, and at the stars,
Which are the brain of heaven, he look'd, and sank.
Around the ancient track march'd, rank on rank,
The army of unalterable law.

[George Meredith, "Lucifer in Starlight"]
glazier (n.): "one who fits window glass into frames," early 15c. variant of late 14c. glasier (late 13c. as a surname, glasyer, from glass (v.) + -er (1). Influenced by French words in -ier. Alternative glazer recorded from c. 1400 as "one who applies coatings to earthenware."
scopophilia (n.): "voyeurism," 1924 (in a translation of Freud), from Greek -skopia "observation" (see scope (n.1)) + -philia. In early use often scoptophilia through a mistake by Freud's translators. Modern form by 1937. Related: Scopophiliac.
serviceable (adj.): "ready to do service," early 14c., from Old French servicable, from servise (see service (n.1)). Related: Serviceability.
Edgar: I know thee well: a serviceable villain,
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
As badness would desire.
["King Lear," IV.vi.]
environ (v.): late 14c. (implied in environing), "to surround, encircle, encompass," from Old French environer "to surround, enclose, encircle," from environ "round about," from en- "in" (see en- (1)) + viron "a circle, circuit," also used as an adverb, from virer "to turn" (see veer). Related: Environed.
Eritrea: named 1890 when it was an Italian colony, ultimately from Mare Erythreum, Roman name of the Red Sea, from Greek Erythre Thalassa, literally "Red Sea" (which to the Greeks also included the Gulf of Arabia and the Indian Ocean), from erythros "red" (see red (1)).
en- (2): word-forming element meaning "near, at, in, on, within," from Greek en "in," cognate with Latin in (see in), and thus with en- (1). Typically assimilated to em- before -p-, -b-, -m-, -l-, and -r-.
infatigable (adj.): "untiring," c. 1500, from French infatigable (15c.) or directly from Late Latin infatigabilis "that cannot be wearied," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + fatigabilis "that may be wearied," from Latin fatigare "to weary" (see fatigue (n.)).