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4274 entries found
publicize (n.)
1902; see public (adj.) + -ize. Related: Publicized; publicizing.
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publicly (adv.)
1560s, "in public," from public (adj.) + -ly (2). From 1580s as "by the public." Variant publically is attested from 1812, perhaps based on the fact that publicly is the only exception in this class of words, which as a rule are spelled -ically though often they are pronounced otherwise.
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publish (v.)
mid-14c., "make publicly known, reveal, divulge, announce;" alteration of publicen (early 14c.) by influence of banish, finish, etc.; from extended stem of Old French publier "make public, spread abroad, communicate," from Latin publicare "make public," from publicus "public" (see public). Meaning "issue (a book, etc.) to the public" is from late 14c., also "to disgrace, put to shame; denounce publicly." Related: Published; publishing. In Middle English the verb also meant "to people, populate; to multiply, breed" (late 14c.), for example ben published of "be descended from."
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publishable (adj.)
1803, from publish + -able.
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publisher (n.)
mid-15c., "one who announces in public," agent noun from publish (v.). Meaning "one whose business is bringing out for sale books, periodicals, engravings, etc." is from 1740.
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publishing (n.)
mid-15c., "act of announcing or declaring," also "the issuing of copies of a book for public sale," verbal noun from publish (v.).
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puce (n.)
"brownish-purple," 1787, from French puce "flea-color; flea," from Latin pucilem (nominative pulex) "flea," from PIE *plou- "flea" (source also of Sanskrit plusih, Greek psylla, Old Church Slavonic blucha, Lithuanian blusa, Armenian lu "flea"). That it could be generally recognized as a color seems a testimony to our ancestors' intimacy with vermin.
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pucelle (n.)
"maid," mid-15c., especially in reference to Joan of Arc (called in Old French la pucelle from c. 1423), according to French sources from Vulgar Latin *pulicella "maid" (source also of Italian pulcella), diminutive of Latin pulla, fem. of pullus "young animal," especially a chicken (see foal (n.)), but there are difficulties with this derivation. Also, in 16c. English, "a drab, a slut."
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puck (n.)
"ice hockey disk," 1891, possibly from puck (v.) "to hit, strike" (1861), which perhaps is related to poke (v.) via notion of "push." Another suggestion traces the noun to Irish poc "bag."
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Puck 
"mischievous fairy" (in "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), probably from pouke "devil, evil spirit" (c. 1300), from Old English puca, pucel "goblin," cognate with Old Norse puki "devil, fiend," of unknown origin (compare pug). Celtic origins also have been proposed. Capitalized since 16c. His disguised name was Robin Goodfellow.
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