Online Etymology Dictionary

information (n.): late 14c., informacion, "act of informing, communication of news," from Old French informacion, enformacion "advice, instruction," from Latin informationem (nominative informatio) "outline, concept, idea," noun of action from past participle stem of informare "to train, instruct, educate; shape, give form to" (see inform). The restored Latin spelling is from 16c.

Meaning "knowledge communicated concerning a particular topic" is from mid-15c. The word was used in reference to television broadcast signals from 1937; to punch-card operating systems from 1944; to DNA from 1953. Information theory is from 1950; information technology is from 1958 (coined in "Harvard Business Review"); information revolution, to be brought about by advances in computing, is from 1966. Information overload is by 1967.
informational (adj.): 1810, from information + -al (1).
info (n.): 1906, short for information.
info-: word-forming element abstracted from information.
misinformation (n.): mid-15c., from mis- (1) + information.
informatics (n.): 1967, translating Russian informatika (1966); see information + -ics.
disinformation (n.): 1955, from Russian dezinformatsiya (1949), which is said to be from French; see dis- + information.
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.
ASCII: 1963, initialism (acronym) from "American Standard Code for Information Interchange."
CD: 1979 as an abbreviation of compact disc as a system of information storage.
tipster (n.): "one who provides private information," 1862, from tip (v.2) + -ster.
debrief (v.): "obtain information (from someone) at the end of a mission," 1945, from de- + brief (v.). Related: Debriefed; debriefing.
poop (n.3): "up-to-date information," 1941, in poop sheet, U.S. Army slang, of unknown origin, perhaps from poop (n.2).
indicia (n.): "indications, discriminating marks," Latin plural of indicium "a notice, information, disclosure, discovery," from index (genitive indicis); see index (n.).
know (n.): "inside information," 1883, in in the know, from know (v.) Earlier it meant "knowledge, fact of knowing" (1590s).
brief (v.): "to give instructions or information to," 1866; originally "to instruct by a brief" (1862), from brief (n.). Related: Briefed; briefing.
tip-off (n.): 1901 in reference to information, from tip (v.2) + off (adv.). From 1924 in basketball, from tip (v.3).
informer (n.): late 14c., enfourmer "instructor, one who teaches or gives advice," from inform (Middle English enfourmen) and also from Old French enformeor. Meaning "one who communicates information" is mid-15c.; sense of "one who gives information against another" (especially in reference to law-breaking) is c. 1500.
sidelight (n.): also side-light, c. 1600, "light coming from the side," from side (adj.) + light (n.). Figurative meaning "incidental information on a subject" is attested from 1862.
update (v.): 1944, in reference to information, 1952 in reference to persons, from up (adv.) + date (v.1). Related: Updated; updating. The noun is attested from 1967.
scout (n.): "person who scouts, one sent out to gain information," 1550s, from scout (v.1). Boy Scout is from 1908. Scout's honor attested from 1908.
data (n.): 1640s, plural of datum, from Latin datum "(thing) given," neuter past participle of dare "to give" (see date (n.1)). Meaning "transmittable and storable computer information" first recorded 1946. Data processing is from 1954.
rundown (n.): in baseball, 1908, from verbal phrase, from run (v.) + down (adv.). Meaning "list of entries in a horse race and the odds" is from 1935; slang generalized sense of "summary, account, list of information or facts" is from 1945.
expose (n.): also exposé, "display of discreditable information," 1803, initially as a French word; noun use of past participle of French exposer "lay open" (see expose (v.)). Earliest use was in reference to Napoleon.
feedback (n.): 1920, in the electronics sense, "the return of a fraction of an output signal to the input of an earlier stage," from verbal phrase, from feed (v.) + back (adv.). Transferred use, "information about the results of a process" is attested by 1955.
classified (adj.): "arranged in classes," 1828, past participle adjective from classify. Meaning "secret" (of government information) is from 1941, American English. Classifieds (n.) "newspaper advertisements arranged by classes," 1913, is short for classified advertisements
communicate (v.): 1520s, "to impart" (information, etc.), from Latin communicatus, past participle of communicare "impart, inform" (see communication). Meaning "to share, transmit" (diseases, etc.) is from 1530s. Related: Communicated; communicating.
insider (n.): "one in possession of special information by virtue of being within some organization," 1848, from inside (n.) + -er (1). Originally in reference to the stock markets.
imprint (n.): mid-15c., emprente "an imprint or mark, impression made by printing or stamping," from Old French empreinte "mark, impression, imprint" (see imprint (v.)). Meaning "publication information of a book" (1790) is directly from the verb.
notice (n.): early 15c., "information, intelligence," from Middle French notice (14c.), and directly from Latin notitia "a being known, celebrity, fame, knowledge," from notus "known," past participle of (g)noscere "come to know, to get to know, get acquainted (with)," from PIE *gno-sko-, a suffixed form of root *gno- (see know). Sense of "formal warning" is attested from 1590s. Meaning "a sign giving information" is from 1805.
informant (n.): 1690s, "someone who supplies information," from Latin informantem (nominative informans), present participle of informare "train, instruct, educate" (see inform). Occasionally as "one who gives information to the authorities, one who dishonorably betrays knowledge gained in confidence" (1783). Informer is older in both senses and more usual in the latter. As an adjective from 1890.
retrovirus (n.): 1977, earlier retravirus (1974), from re(verse) tra(nscriptase) + virus. So called because it contains reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that uses RNA instead of DNA to encode genetic information, which reverses the usual pattern. Remodeled by influence of retro- "backwards."
scout (v.1): late 14c., "observe or explore as a scout, travel in search of information," from Old French escouter "to listen, heed" (Modern French écouter), from Latin auscultare "to listen to, give heed to" (see auscultate). Related: Scouted; scouting.
intimation (n.): mid-15c., "action of making known," from Middle French intimation (14c.), from Late Latin intimationem (nominative intimatio) "an announcement," noun of action from past participle stem of Latin intimare "make known, announce, impress" (see intimate (adj.)). Meaning "action of expressing by suggestion or hint, indirect imparting of information" is from 1530s.
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).
informed (adj.): 1540s, "current in information," past-participle adjective from inform (v.). In 16c.-17c. it also could mean "unformed, formless," from in- (1) "not, opposite of," and was used in astronomy of stars that did not form part of the visual pattern of a constellation but were within it.
know-it-all (n.): "one deemed (over)full of information or correct answers," 1895, from verbal phrase; see know (v.). Earlier in the same sense was know-all (1862); and Mr. Know-All was a minor character in Bunyan's "The Holy War" (1682).
magazine (n.): 1580s, "place for storing goods, especially military ammunition," from Middle French magasin "warehouse, depot, store" (15c.), from Italian magazzino, from Arabic makhazin, plural of makhzan "storehouse" (source of Spanish almacén "warehouse, magazine"), from khazana "to store up." The original sense is almost obsolete; meaning "periodical journal" dates from the publication of the first one, "Gentleman's Magazine," in 1731, which was so called from earlier use of the word for a printed list of military stores and information, or in a figurative sense, from the publication being a "storehouse" of information.
inquire (v.): c. 1300, enqueren, anqueren, "to ask (a question), ask about, ask for (specific information); learn or find out by asking, seek information or knowledge; to conduct a legal or official investigation (into an alleged offense)," from Old French enquerre "ask, inquire about" (Modern French enquérir) and directly from Medieval Latin inquerere, from in- "into" (see in- (2)) + Latin quaerere "ask, seek" (see query (v.)), in place of classical Latin inquirere "seek after, search for, examine, scrutinize." The English word was respelled 14c. on the Latin model, but half-Latinized enquire persists. Related: Inquired; inquiring.
intelligence (n.): late 14c., "the highest faculty of the mind, capacity for comprehending general truths;" c. 1400, "faculty of understanding, comprehension," from Old French intelligence (12c.) and directly from Latin intelligentia, intellegentia "understanding, knowledge, power of discerning; art, skill, taste," from intelligentem (nominative intelligens) "discerning, appreciative," present participle of intelligere "to understand, comprehend, come to know," from inter- "between" (see inter-) + legere "choose, pick out, read" (see lecture (n.)).

Meaning "superior understanding, sagacity, quality of being intelligent" is from early 15c. Sense of "information received or imparted, news" first recorded mid-15c., especially "secret information from spies" (1580s). Meaning "a being endowed with understanding or intelligence" is late 14c. Intelligence quotient first recorded 1921 (see I.Q.).
tariff (n.): 1590s, "arithmetical table," also "official list of customs duties on imports or exports; law regulating import duties," from Italian tariffa "tariff, price, assessment," Medieval Latin tarifa "list of prices, book of rates," from Arabic ta'rif "information, notification, a making known; inventory of fees to be paid," verbal noun from arafa "he made known, he taught." Sense of "classified list of charges made in a business" is recorded from 1757. The U.S. Tariff of Abominations was passed in 1828.
inform (v.): early 14c., "to train or instruct in some specific subject," from Old French informer, enformer "instruct, teach" (13c.) and directly from Latin informare "to shape, give form to, delineate," figuratively "train, instruct, educate," from in- "into" (see in- (2)) + formare "to form, shape," from forma "form" (see form (n.)). In early use also enform until c. 1600. Sense of "report facts or news, communicate information to" first recorded late 14c. Related: Informed; informing.
hint (n.): c. 1600 (Shakespeare), "an indirect suggestion intended to be caught by the knowing," apparently from obsolete hent, from Middle English hinten "to tell, inform" (c. 1400), from Old English hentan "to seize," from Proto-Germanic *hantijan (source also of Gothic hinþan "to seize"), related to hunt (v.). OED dates the sense "small piece of practical information" to 1777.
Lloyd: male proper name, from Welsh Llwyd, literally "gray," from PIE *pel- (2) "pale" (see pallor). Lloyd's, meaning the London-based association of marine underwriters, is first recorded as such 1805, from Lloyd's Coffee House, Tower Street, London, opened in 1688 by Edward Lloyd, who supplied shipping information to his patrons.
boilerplate (n.): newspaper (and now information technology) slang for "unit of writing that can be used over and over without change," 1893, from a literal meaning (1840) "metal rolled in large, flat plates for use in making steam boilers." The connecting notion is probably of sturdiness or reusability. From 1890s to 1950s, publicity items were cast or stamped in metal ready for the printing press and distributed to newspapers as filler. The largest supplier was Western Newspaper Union.
dope (n.): 1807, American English, "sauce, gravy, thick liquid," from Dutch doop "thick dipping sauce," from doopen "to dip" (see dip (v.)). Extension to "drug" is 1889, from practice of smoking semi-liquid opium preparation. Meaning "foolish, stupid person" is older (1851) and may have a sense of "thick-headed." Sense of "inside information" (1901) may come from knowing before the race which horse had been drugged to influence performance. Dope-fiend is attested from 1896.
retail (v.): mid-14c. "sell in small quantities or parcels," from Old French retaillier "cut back, cut off, pare, clip, reduce, circumcise," from re- "back" (see re-) + taillier "to cut, trim" (see tailor (n.)). Sometimes also "to deal out (information, etc.) in small quantities; hand down by report; recount, tell over again" (1590s). Related: Retailed; retailing.
revelation (n.): c. 1300, "disclosure of information to man by a divine or supernatural agency," from Old French revelacion and directly from Latin revelationem (nominative revelatio), noun of action from past participle stem of revelare "unveil, uncover, lay bare" (see reveal). General meaning "disclosure of facts" is attested from late 14c.; meaning "striking disclosure" is from 1862. As the name of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation of St. John), it is first attested late 14c. (see apocalypse); as simply Revelations, it is first recorded 1690s.
source (n.): mid-14c., "support, base," from Old French sourse "a rising, beginning, fountainhead of a river or stream" (12c.), fem. noun taken from past participle of sourdre "to rise, spring up," from Latin surgere "to rise" (see surge (n.)). Meaning "a first cause" is from late 14c., as is that of "fountain-head of a river." Meaning "person or written work supplying information or evidence" is by 1777.
google (v.): "to search (something) on the Google search engine," 2000 (do a google on was used by 1999). The domain google.com was registered in 1997. According to the company, the name is a play on googol and reflects the "mission" of founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin "to organize a seemingly infinite amount of information on the web." A verb google was an early 20c. cricket term in reference to a type of breaking ball, from googly.