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1765, "authenticated official report concerning some event, issued for the information of the public," from French bulletin (16c.), modeled on Italian bulletino, diminutive of bulletta "document, voting slip," itself a diminutive of Latin bulla "round object" (see bull (n.2)) with equivalent of Old French -elet (see -let). For use of balls in voting, see ballot (n.).

The word was used earlier in English in the Italian form (mid-17c.). It was popularized by the use of bulletin in the Napoleonic Wars as the name for dispatches sent from the front and meant for the home public (which led to the proverbial expression as false as a bulletin). The broadcast news sense of "any brief, notice or public announcement of news" is from 1925. Bulletin board "public board on which news and notices are posted" is from 1831; computer sense is from 1979.

also knuckle-head, "stupid person," 1890, American English, from knuckle (n.) + head (n.).

"That infernal knuckle-head at the camp ought to have reported before now," he thought to himself, as he smoked. [Charles H. Shinn, "The Quicksands of Toro," in Belford's Magazine, vol. v, June-November 1890, New York]

From 1869 as the name of a part in a type of mechanical coupling device. Popularized in the "stupid person" sense from 1942, from character R.F. Knucklehead, star of "Don't" posters hung up at U.S. Army Air Force training fields.

Everything Knucklehead does is wrong and ends in disaster. He endures one spectacular crash after another so that the students at the Gulf Coast Air Force Training Center may profit by his mistakes, and it looks now as if there will be no let-up in his agony. [Life magazine, May 25, 1942]

"holder for a coffee cup," 1836, from Arabic zarf "vessel."

These holders are usually of metal and of ornamental design in open work. Their immediate object is to prevent the hot cup from burning the fingers. [Century Dictionary, 1891]

familiar name for a male goat, by 1826, from the familiar form of William; also see goat (n.), and compare billy.

before vowels quadr- (before -p- often quadru-, from an older form in Latin), word-forming element used in compounds of Latin origin and meaning "four, four times, having four, consisting of four," from Latin quadri-, which is related to quattor "four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four").

Old English Heortfordscir, from Herutford (731), literally "ford frequented by harts;" see hart (n.) + ford (n.).

"beautiful, fine or graceful in any way," from pulchritude (from Latin pulchritudo "beauty," genitive pulchritudinis) + -ous.

By 1840 in a humor piece in a Boston newspaper, composed almost entirely of p- words; in general use as a jocular word in newspapers in England, Canada, and U.S. by 1858.

Returning to the pulchritudinous Fanny Newlove, she was reclining on a settee, listening with all her ears to the outpourings of a personage, whose appearance at once arrested my attention as indicative of any thing except the clean potato. [Rev. R.J. MacGeorge, "Count or Counterfeit," 1854]

Earlier English had the now-obsolete pulcrious "beautiful, fair" (c. 1500).

horseradish-like herb root used in Japanese cooking, 1903, from Japanese.

fem. proper name, Spanish form of Agnes (q.v.).

"condition of having an abnormally enlarged heart," 1855 (in German by 1826), from megalo- "enlarged, exaggerated" + cardia "heart" (from PIE root *kerd- "heart").

"one-time, former, having been formerly," 1580s, from earlier use as an adverb ("formerly") and a noun ("former holder" of some office or position), both 1530s, from Latin quondam (adv.) "formerly, at some time, at one time; once in a while," from quom, cum "when, as" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns) + demonstrative ending -dam. Related: Quondamship.

c. 1400, variacioun, "discrepancy, lack of agreement;" mid-15c., "act or process of undergoing change;" from Old French variacion "variety, diversity" and directly from Latin variationem (nominative variatio) "a difference, variation, change," from past-participle stem of variare "to change" (see vary).

By c. 1500 as "fact of undergoing alteration" in any way; by 1610s as "instance of varying or changing." It is attested by 1810 as "extent to which a thing varies." The musical sense of "tune or theme repeated with changes, elaborations, etc." is attested from 1801. Related: Variational.

"a violent, noisy effort to expel air from the lungs," early 14c., coughen, probably in Old English but not recorded, from Proto-Germanic *kokh- (source also of Middle Dutch kochen, Middle High German kuchen), with the rough "kh" of German or of Scottish loch. Onomatopoeic. Related: Coughed; coughing.

As a noun from c. 1300, "single act of coughing." As "illness or other condition that affects the sufferer with frequent coughs or fits of coughing," by 1742. Cough-drops attested by 1829; cough-medicine by 1828. To cough up "to present, hand over" is from 1894.

early 15c., vocatif, in grammar, "relating to calling or addressing by name, showing the person or thing spoken to," from Old French vocatif and directly from Latin vocativus (casus) "(case of) calling," from vocat-, past participle stem of vocare "to call," which is related to vox (genitive vocis) "voice" (from PIE root *wekw- "to speak").

The Latin is a translation of Greek kletikē ptōsis, from kletikos "related to calling," from kletos "called." As a noun in English from c. 1400, "the vocative case."

in anatomy, "main trunk of the arterial system," 1590s, from Medieval Latin aorta, from Greek aortē "a strap to hang (something by)," a word applied by Aristotle to the great artery of the heart, literally "what is hung up," probably from aeirein "to lift, heave, raise," which is of uncertain origin, according to Watkins possibly from PIE root *wer- (1) "raise, lift, hold suspended," But Beekes writes that "No cognates are known." Used earlier by Hippocrates of the bronchial tubes. It is cognate with the second element in meteor. Related: Aortal; aortic.

"not noticed, regarded, or heeded," 1610s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of observe (v.).

late 14c., exaccioun, "action of demanding payment; imposition, requisitioning" of taxes, etc., from Old French exaccion and directly from Latin exactionem (nominative exactio) "a driving out; supervision; exaction; a tax, tribute, impost," noun of action from past-participle stem of exigere (see exact (adj.)). Meaning "a tax, tribute, toll, fee," etc. is from mid-15c.

1640s, "hovering, persistently overhanging" (as a mother bird does her nest), from present participle of brood (v.); meaning "that dwells moodily" is attested from 1818 (in "Frankenstein").

"action of incubating," c. 1400, verbal noun from brood (v.). Figuratively (of weather, etc.) from 1805; of mental fixations by 1873. Related: Broodingly.

"gigolo, good-looking romantic man," 1927, from Italian-born U.S. movie actor Rudolph Valentino (1895-1926), who was adored by female fans. His full name was Rodolfo Guglielmi di Valentino, from the Latin masc. proper name Valentinus (see Valentine).

before vowels, xen-, word-forming element of Greek origin meaning "strange, foreign; stranger, foreigner," from Greek xenos "a guest, stranger, foreigner, refugee, guest-friend, one entitled to hospitality," cognate with Latin hostis, from PIE root *ghos-ti- "stranger, guest, host." "The term was politely used of any one whose name was unknown" [Liddell & Scott].

As an element in English, used from late 19c., at first in sciences, later in politics.

"explain in too simplistic terms," 1908, from over- + simplify. Related: Oversimplified; oversimplifying.

c. 1600, in ancient Greek music, in reference to one of the three standard tetrachords, from French diatonique, from Latin diatonicus, from Greek diatonikos, from diatonos "extending; pertaining to the diatonic scale," from dia "through, across" (see dia-) + teinein "to stretch," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." In modern music, "using tones, intervals, and harmonies of the standard major and minor scales without chromatic alteration," 1690s. Related: Diatonically.

"the body formed in the females of all animals (with the exception of a few of the lowest type) in which by impregnation the development of the fetus takes place," mid-14c., egge, mostly in northern England dialect, from Old Norse egg, from Proto-Germanic *ajja(m) (source also of Old Saxon, Middle Dutch, Dutch, Old High German, German ei, Gothic ada), probably from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg" (source also of Old Church Slavonic aja, Russian jajco, Breton ui, Welsh wy, Greek ōon, Latin ovum); possibly derived from root *awi- "bird."

This Norse-derived northern word vied in Middle English with native cognates eye, eai, from Old English æg, until finally displacing the others after c. 1500. Caxton (15c.) writes of a merchant (probably a north-country man) in a public house on the Thames who asked for eggs:

And the goode wyf answerde, that she coude speke no frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for he also coude speke no frenshe, but wolde have hadde egges, and she understode hym not. 

She did, however, recognize another customer's request for "eyren." Used of persons from c. 1600. Bad egg in the figurative sense is from 1855; bad eggs aren't always obvious to outward view (there was an old proverb, "bad bird, bad egg"). To have egg on (one's) face "look foolish" is attested by 1948.

[Young & Rubincam] realize full well that a crew can sometimes make or break a show. It can do little things to ruin a program or else, by giving it its best, can really get that all-important rating. They are mindful of an emcee of a variety show who already has been tabbed "old egg in your face" because the crew has managed to get him in such awkward positions on the TV screen. [Billboard, March 5, 1949] 

We don't have egg on our face. We have omelet all over our suits. [NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, some time past 3 a.m. ET on Nov. 8, 2000, after the U.S. television networks called a winner, then retracted the call, in the Bush-Gore presidential election]

 Eggs Benedict is attested by 1898; various Benedicts are cited as the eponym, and the dish itself is said to have originated in the Waldorf-Astoria or Delmonico's, both in New York. The figure of speech represented in to have (or put) all (one's) eggs in one basket "to venture all one has in one speculation or investment" is attested by 1660s. The conundrum of the chicken (or hen) and the egg is attested from 1875.

Bumble, bramble, which came first, sir,

Eggs or chickens? Who can tell?

I'll never believe that the first egg burst, sir,

Before its mother was out of her shell.

[Mary Mapes Dodge, "Rhymes and Jingles," N.Y., 1875]

"to incite, urge, encourage, instigate," c. 1200, from Old Norse eggja "to goad on, incite," from egg "edge" (see edge (n.)). The unrelated verb from egg (n.) is by 1808 in cookery, "to cover or mix with eggs;" the meaning "to pelt with (rotten) eggs" is from 1857. Related: Egged; egging.

present-participle adjective from print (v.). Printing press "machine for taking impression from an inked surface upon paper" is from 1580s.

late 14c., "art or process of making impressions or imprints by pressing into a soft surface; writing, written characters;" verbal noun from print (v.). Meaning "total number of copies printed at the same time" is from 1520s.

"hand-held cutting instrument consisting of a short blade and handle," late Old English cnif, probably from Old Norse knifr "knife, dirk," from Proto-Germanic *knibaz (source also of Middle Low German knif, Middle Dutch cnijf, German kneif), a word of uncertain origin. To further confuse the etymology, there also are forms in -p-, such as Dutch knijp, German kneip. French canif "penknife" (mid-15c.) is probably of Germanic origin, perhaps from Frankish. For pronunciation, see kn-.

1865, "stab or kill with a knife," from knife (n.). Intransitive meaning "move as a knife does" is from 1920. Related: Knifed; knifing.

in pugilism, a close-in strike upward with the fist, 1831, from upper (adj.) + cut (n.). Perhaps the image is of the action in chopping a tree by making cuts up (as well as down) in the trunk.

It was on a side hill, and I observed a boy, who appeared to be about fifteen years of age, opposite the house felling a large tree; he had cut a few chips from the under side, and was then making the principal incision on the upper. ... I said to the boy, "Well Sir, I see that you make the upper cut." "That is the true cut," said the boy; "for if you will take the axe and try below, you will find that the tree will crowd down upon your chips, and you can't get it down in double the time." [Theodore Sedgwick, "Hints to My Countrymen," 1826]

late 14c., "to turn aside, deviate" (a sense now archaic), also "sink to a lower level," and, figuratively, "fall to an inferior or impaired condition," from Old French decliner "to sink, decline, degenerate, turn aside," from Latin declinare "to lower; avoid, deviate; bend from, inflect," from de "from" (see de-) + clinare "to bend" (from PIE *klein-, suffixed form of root *klei- "to lean").

In grammar, "to inflect as a noun or adjective," from late 14c. The sense has been altered by interpretation of de- as "downward;" intransitive meaning "to bend or slant down" is from c. 1400. Sense of "not to consent, politely refuse or withhold consent to do" is from 1630s. Related: Declined; declining.

early 14c., "deterioration, degeneration, a sinking into an impaired or inferior condition," from Old French declin, from decliner "to sink, decline, degenerate" (see decline (v.)). Meaning "the time of life when physical and mental powers are failing" is short for decline of life (by 1711).

also jackrabbit, large prairie hare, 1863, American English, shortening of jackass-rabbit (1851; see jackass + rabbit (n.)); so called for its long ears. Proverbial for bursts of speed (up to 45 mph).

native people and language of New Mexico, 1834, from Spanish, from a local native word.

mid-12c., forloren "disgraced, depraved," past participle of obsolete forlesan "be deprived of, lose, abandon," from Old English forleosan "to lose, abandon, let go; destroy, ruin," from for- "completely" + leosan "to lose" (from Proto-Germanic *lausa-, from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart"). In the Mercian hymns, Latin perditionis is glossed by Old English forlorenisse. OED's examples of forlese end in 17c., but the past participle persisted. Sense of "forsaken, abandoned" is 1530s; that of "wretched, miserable" first recorded 1580s.

A common Germanic compound (cognates: Old Saxon farilosan, Old Frisian urliasa, Middle Dutch verliesen, Dutch verliezen, Old High German virliosan, German verlieren, Gothic fraliusan "to lose").

In English now often in forlorn hope (1570s), which is a partial translation of Dutch verloren hoop, in which hoop means "troop, band," literally "heap," and the sense of the whole phrase is of a suicide mission. The phrase more often than not is used in English as if it meant "a faint hope," and the misuse has colored the meaning of forlorn. Related: Forlornly; forlornness.

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to change, go, move," "with derivatives referring to the exchange of goods and services within a society as regulated by custom or law" [Watkins].

It might form all or part of: amiss; amoeba; azimuth; common; commune; communicate; communication; communism; commute; congee; demean; emigrate; emigration; excommunicate; excommunication; immune; immutable; incommunicado; mad; mean (adj.1) "low-quality;" mew (n.2) "cage;" mews; migrate; migration; mis- (1) "bad, wrong;" mistake; Mithras; molt; Mstislav; municipal; munificent; mutable; mutant; mutate; mutation; mutatis mutandis; mutual; permeable; permeate; permutation; permute; remunerate; remuneration; transmutation; transmute; zenith.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit methati "changes, alternates, joins, meets;" Avestan mitho "perverted, false;" Hittite mutai- "be changed into;" Latin mutare "to change," meare "to go, pass," migrare "to move from one place to another," mutuus "done in exchange;" Old Church Slavonic mite "alternately;" Czech mijim "to go by, pass by," Polish mijać "avoid;" Gothic maidjan "to change."

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "small."

It might form all or part of: administer; administration; comminute; diminish; meiosis; Menshevik; menu; metier; mince; minestrone; minim; minimum; minister; ministration; ministry; minor; minuend; minuet; minus; minuscule; minute; minutia; Miocene; mis- (2); mite (n.2) "little bit;" mystery (n.2) "handicraft, trade, art;" nimiety.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit miyate "diminishes, declines;" Greek meion "less, smaller;" Latin minus, minor "smaller," minuere "to diminish, reduce, lessen;" Old English minsian "to diminish;" Russian men'she "less."

tributary of the Yukon River in northwestern Canada, from Kutchin (Athabaskan) throndiuk, said to mean "hammer-water" and to be a reference to the practice of driving stakes into the riverbed to support fish traps. Scene of a gold rush after 1896. Related: Klondiker.

salutation in drinking healths, mid-12c., from Old Norse ves heill "be healthy," a salutation, from ves, imperative of vesa "to be" (see was) + heill "healthy," from Proto-Germanic *haila- (see health). Its use as a drinking phrase appears to have arisen among Danes in England and spread to native inhabitants. A similar formation appears in Old English wes þu hal, but this is not recorded as a drinking salutation.

The sense extended by c. 1300 to "liquor in which healths are drunk," especially spiced ale served in Christmas Eve celebrations. The meaning "a carousal, reveling" is attested by c. 1600.

As a verb, "offer toasts, drink healths," c. 1300. Wassailing "custom of going caroling house to house at Christmas time" is recorded from 1742.

Roman god of the bright sky, also a poetical name of the planet Jupiter, late 14c., from Latin Iovis, from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god" (compare Zeus). In classical Latin, the compound Iuppiter replaced Old Latin Iovis as the god's name (see Jupiter). Old English had it as Iob.

1906, diminutive euphemistic abbreviation for women's underwear (or undergarments).

1590s; see etymology + -ical. Related: Etymologically.

c. 1200, "without concealment, plainly, openly," from naked + -ly (1).

science of waves, 1906, from Greek kyma (genitive kymatos) "a wave" (from PIE root *keue- "to swell") + -ology. Related: Kymatological; kymatologist.

1940, from French extraordinaire (14c.), literally "extraordinary, unusual, out of the ordinary," but used colloquially as a superlative; see extraordinary, which represents an older borrowing of the same word.

"marine web-footed bird," 1580s, from sea + bird (n.1). Middle English had sæfugol "sea-bird, sea-fowl."

1570s, "want of power, strength, or ability," from dis- + ability. Meaning "incapacity in the eyes of the law" is from 1640s. Related: Disabilities.

Disability implies deprivation or loss of power; inability indicates rather inherent want of power. [Century Dictionary]

Middle English yong, from Old English geong "being in the early stage of life, not old; youthful, being in the early stages of adulthood; recent, new, fresh, vernal;" from Proto-Germanic *junga-, reconstructed to be from a suffixed form of PIE root *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor."

Cognates include Sanskrit yuvan- "young; young man;" Avestan yuuanem, yunam "youth," yoista- "youngest;" Latin juvenis "young," iunior "younger, more young;" Lithuanian jaunas, Old Church Slavonic junu, Russian junyj "young," Old Irish oac, Welsh ieuanc "young." Germanic cognates include Old Saxon and Old Frisian jung, Old Norse ungr, Middle Dutch jonc, Dutch jong, Old High German and German jung, Gothic juggs.

As "characteristic of or appropriate to the young," late 12c. Generally, of things, concrete or abstract, "being in the first or early stage of existence," c. 1400. Related: Younger; youngest.

Young France, Young Italy, Poland, Ireland, etc., were loosely applied c. 1830-1850 to "republican agitators" in various monarchies. Young England was the name of a mid-19c. political faction led by young Tory aristocrats; Young America were used generally for "typical young person of the nation." For Young Turk, see Turk.

Middle English yonge, from Old English geong, "young people;" late 15c. as "young animals collectively, offspring;" from young (adj.). Also in Middle English "youth, condition of being young; early period of life."

mid-14c., "tool to indicate a horizontal line," from Old French livel "a level" (13c.), ultimately from Latin libella "a balance, level" (also a monetary unit), diminutive of libra "balance, scale, unit of weight" (see Libra). Spanish nivel, Modern French niveau are from the same source but altered by dissimilation.

Meaning "position as marked by a horizontal line" (as in sea-level) is from 1530s; meaning "flat surface" is from 1630s; meaning "level tract of land" is from 1620s. Figurative meaning in reference to social, moral, or intellectual condition is from c. 1600. Figurative phrase on the level "fair, honest" is from 1872; earlier it meant "moderate, without great ambition" (1790).

early 15c., "having an even surface," from level (n.). Meanings "lying on or constituting a horizontal surface" and "lying in the same horizontal plane" (as something else) are from 1550s. To do one's level best is U.S. slang from 1851, from level in the sense "well-aimed, direct, straight." Level playing field as a figure of equality of opportunity is from 1981. Related: Levelly.

mid-15c., "to make level" (transitive), from level (n.). From c. 1600 as "to bring to a level." Intransitive sense "cease increasing" is from 1958. Meaning "to aim (a gun)" is late 15c. Slang sense of "tell the truth, be honest" is from 1920. To level up "to rise" is attested by 1863.

A word here as to the misconception labored under by our English neighbor; he evidently does not understand the American manner of doing things. We never level down in this country; we are always at work on the up grade. "Level up! Level up!" is the motto of the American people. [James E. Garretson, "Professional Education," in "The Dental Cosmos," Philadelphia, 1865]

Modern use is mostly from computer gaming (2001). To level off "cease rising or falling" is from 1920, originally in aviation. Related: Leveled; leveling.

c. 1300, "foundation" (of a building, etc.); "pedestal" (of a statue), in general, "bottom of anything considered as its support," from Old French bas "depth" (12c.), from Latin basis "foundation," from Greek basis "a stepping, a step, that on which one steps or stands, pedestal," from bainein "to go, walk, step" (from PIE root *gwa- "to go, come").

The military sense of "secure ground from which operations proceed" is attested from 1860. The chemical sense of "compound substance which unites with an acid to form a salt" (1810) was introduced in French 1754 by French chemist Guillaume-François Rouelle (1703-1770). Earlier in alchemy it was "an alloy of base metals" (late 15c.).

The sporting sense of "starting point" is from 1690s, also "destination of a runner" (1812). As a "safe" spot in a tag-like or ball game, it is suggested from mid-15c. (as the name of the game later called prisoner's base). Hence baseball, base-runner (1867), base-hit (1874), etc. The meaning "resources on which something draws for operation" (as in power-base, data-base, etc.) is by 1959.

late 14c., "low, of little height," from Old French bas "low, lowly, mean," from Late Latin bassus "thick, stumpy, low" (used only as a cognomen in classical Latin, humilis being there the usual word for "low in stature or position"), which is of uncertain origin, possibly from Oscan, or Celtic, or related to Greek basson, comparative of bathys "deep."

The meaning "low on the social scale" is from late 15c.; that of "low in the moral scale" is attested by 1530s in English. The meaning "befitting an inferior person or thing, unworthy" is from 1590s. Base metals (c. 1600) were worthless in contrast to noble or precious metals. Related: Basely.

1580s, transitive, "make or serve as a foundation for;" by 1841, of arguments, etc., "place (on or upon) a foundation," from base (n.). Related: Based; basing.

1590s, "indifferent, not heeding or looking," from regard (n.) + -less. As elliptical for "regardless of consequences, expenses, etc.," from 1872. Regardful is attested from 1580s. Related: Regardlessly; regardlessness.

"the Holy Grail," mid-15c., from Old French Saint Graal, literally "Holy Grail" (see saint (n.) + grail).

Middle English eten, from Old English etan (class V strong verb; past tense æt, past participle eten) "consume food; devour, consume," from Proto-Germanic *etan (source also of Old Frisian ita, Old Saxon etan, Middle Dutch eten, Dutch eten, Old High German ezzan, German essen, Old Norse eta, Gothic itan), from PIE root *ed- "to eat."

The transferred sense of "corrode, wear away, consume, waste" is from 1550s. The meaning "to preoccupy, engross" (as in what's eating you?) is recorded by 1893. The slang sexual sense of "do cunnilingus on" is recorded by 1927.

Slang phrase eat one's words "retract, take back what one has uttered" is from 1570s; to eat one's heart out is from 1590s; for eat one's hat, see hat. Eat-in (adj.) in reference to kitchens is from 1955, from the verbal phrase. To eat out "dine away from home" is from 1930.

late 13c., contraction of Whitsunday.

"desecrate, treat (holy things) with irreverence," late 14c., prophanen, from Old French profaner, prophaner (13c.) and directly from Latin profanare (in Medieval Latin often prophanare) "to desecrate, render unholy, violate," from profanus "unholy, not consecrated" (see profane (adj.)). Related: Profaned; profaning.

mid-15c., prophane, "un-ecclesiastical, secular, not devoted to sacred purposes, unhallowed," from Old French prophane, profane (12c.) and directly from Latin profanus (in Medieval Latin often prophanus) "unholy, not sacred, not consecrated;" of persons "not initiated" (whence, in Late Latin, "ignorant, unlearned"), also "wicked, impious."

According to Lewis & Short, de Vaan, etc., this is from the phrase pro fano, literally "out in front of the temple" (here perhaps with a sense of "not admitted into the temple (with the initiates)," from pro "before" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before") + fano, ablative of fanum "temple" (from PIE root *dhes-, forming words for religious concepts). The sense of "irreverent toward God or holy things" is from 1550s. Related: Profanely.

Latin, "horrible to say, dreadful to relate," from neuter of horribilis (see horrible) + ablative supine of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly").

"large triangular sail," 1866, described as "a topmast-squaresail, ... as the sail is termed in Southampton waters" [Isle of Wight Observer, July 14]; of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is a derivative of spin (v.) in the sense of "go rapidly" or based on a corrupt pronunciation of Sphinx, which was the name of a racing yacht of those years, if it was first to carry this type of sail but contemporary accounts in English publications do not suggest that.

"to brown with heat," late 14c., tosten, from Old French toster "to toast, to grill, roast, burn" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *tostare (source of Italian tostare, Spanish tostar), frequentative of Latin torrere (past participle tostus) "to parch" (from PIE root *ters- "to dry"). Related: Toasted; toasting.

"piece of bread browned by fire or dry heat," early 15c., tost, from toast (v.1); originally as something added to wine, ale, etc. It is attested from 17c. as something eaten on its own with a spread. Tostie is attested from late 14c. as "toasted piece of bread, dish made with toast."

The slang meaning "a goner, person or thing already doomed or destroyed" is recorded by 1987, perhaps from the notion of computer circuits being "fried," and with unconscious echoes of earlier figurative phrase be had on toast (1881) "be swindled," on the notion of "be served up for eating." To have (someone) on toast was to have the person at one's mercy (1889). Earlier was served up on toast (1842). Other sources trace the extended sense and popularity to its use in the 1984 film "Ghostbusters."

"a call to drink to someone's health," 1690s (but said by Steele, 1709, to date to the reign of Charles II), originally referring to the beautiful or popular woman whose health is proposed and drunk to. The custom apparently grew from the use of spiced toast (n.1) to flavor drink; the lady being regarded as figuratively adding piquancy to the wine which was drunk to her health. 

The custom itself is much older than this word for it, and the expectation of a bit of toast in a mug of ale at a tavern is well attested in many 17c. drinking songs, though none of them seems to give a reason for it. 

Steele's story ["Tatler," No. 24] is that an (unnamed) beauty of the day was taking the cold waters at Bath, when a gentleman dipped his cup in the water and drank it to her health; another in his company wittily (or drunkenly) replied that, while he did not care for the drink, he would gladly enjoy the toast. The meaning "one whose health is proposed and drunk to" is from 1746.

Toast-master, appointed to propose or announce toasts at a public dinner, is attested from 1749.

"to propose or drink a toast," 1700, from toast (n.2). This probably is the source of the Jamaican and African-American vernacular word meaning "extemporaneous narrative poem or rap" (1962). Related: Toasted; toasting.

late 14c., generalite, generalte, "universality, universal application;" c. 1400 "whole body of persons," from Old French generalité, generaute "sort, type; totality, entirety," from Late Latin generalitatem (nominative generalitas) "generality," from Latin generalis "relating to all" (see general (adj.)). Related: Generalities. Form generalty is attested from late 14c.

1560s, "want of seriousness, frivolity," from French levite, from Latin levitatem (nominative levitas) "lightness," literal and figurative; "light-mindedness, frivolity," from levis "light" in weight, from PIE root *legwh- "not heavy, having little weight." In old science (16c.-17c.), the name of a force or property of physical bodies, the opposite of gravity, causing them to tend to rise.

"lower surface or side," 1680s, from under (adj.) + side (n.). Similar formation in Dutch onderzijde, Danish underside, German unterseite.

1660s, "disposed to live in flocks" (of animals), from Latin gregarius "pertaining to a flock; of the herd, of the common sort, common," from grex (genitive gregis) "flock, herd" (from reduplicated form of PIE root *ger- "to gather"). Of persons, "sociable," 1789. Related: Gregariously; gregariousness.

[hindmost part of an animal] Old English tægl, tægel "posterior extremity," from Proto-Germanic *tagla- (source also of Old High German zagal, German Zagel "tail," dialectal German Zagel "penis," Old Norse tagl "horse's tail," Gothic tagl "hair"), according to Watkins from PIE *doklos, from suffixed form of root *dek- (2) "something long and thin" (referring to such things as fringe, lock of hair, horsetail; source also of Old Irish dual "lock of hair," Sanskrit dasah "fringe, wick").

 According to OED (2nd ed., 1989), the primary sense, at least in Germanic, seems to have been "hairy tail," or just "tuft of hair," but already in Old English the word was applied to the hairless "tails" of worms, bees, etc. But Buck writes that the common notion is of "long, slender shape."

 Extended to many things resembling a tail in shape or position; by late 14c. as "hinder, bottom, or concluding part" in space or time of a text, a storm, etc. As an adjective from 1670s.

 The meaning "reverse side of a coin" (opposite the side with the head) is from 1680s. Of descending strokes of letters, from 1590s. Tails "coat with tails" is from 1857, short for tail-coat.

To turn tail "wheel about, take flight" (1580s) seems to have been originally a term in falconry. The image of the tail wagging the dog is attested by 1866, American English, perhaps inspired by a much-reprinted 1863 newspaper joke:

Why does a dog wag his tail?

Because the dog is stronger than the tail; otherwise the tail would wag the dog.

[Woodcock, Illinois, Sentinel, Sept. 2, 1863]

Another Old English word for "tail" was steort (see stark). The slang sense of "pudenda" is from mid-14c.; that of "woman as sex object" is from 1933, earlier "act of copulation" with a prostitute (1846).

"limitation or setting of ownership," a legal term, early 14c. in Anglo-French; late 13c. in Anglo-Latin, in most cases a shortened form of entail. Also compare Old French taille "a cut, a cutting, division," also in the legal senses (12c.), from the verb tailler, taillier. 

This French verb also was in Middle English from c. 1300, as taillen "cut, carve, cut up," and by early 14c. as "restrict an inheritance." The notion is perhaps "cut in shape," hence "determine the form of."

c. 1500, tailen, "follow at the tail of, straggle after," from tail (n.1). It is attested from 1520s in the sense of "attach to the tail;" by 1781 as "move or extend in a way suggestive of a tail."

It can mean both "furnish with a tail" (1817) and "remove the tail or end of" (1794). The meaning "follow secretly" is U.S. colloquial, 1907; earlier it meant "follow or drive" sheep or cattle. To tail off "diminish" is attested from 1854; as a noun by 1975. Related: Tailed (attested from c. 1300 as "having a tail or tail-like appendage"); tailing.

gold coin of the Venetian republic, 1570s, from Italian (Venetian); see sequin.

"act, process, or result of arranging in a group," 1748, verbal noun from group (v.).

past tense and past participle of deal (v.).

c. 1300, hoblen "to rock back and forth, toss up and down," probably from or cognate with dialectal German hoppeln, Dutch hobbelen "toss, ride on a hobby-horse; stutter, stammer" (which, however, is not recorded before late 15c.). Or perhaps a variant frequentative of hop (v.).

Meaning "to walk lamely" is from c. 1400. Transitive sense of "tie the legs (of an animal)" to impede or prevent free motion first recorded 1831, probably an alteration of 16c. hopple, cognate with Flemish hoppelen "to rock, jump," which also is related to Dutch hobbelen. Sense of "hamper, hinder" is c. 1870. Related: Hobbled; hobbling.

1727, "a hobbling gait," from hobble (v.). From 1775 as "something that hobbles."

"writer of film scripts," 1921, from screen (n.) in the cinema sense + writer.

"act of flowing in or into; that which flows in, influx," 1839, from in (adj.) + flow (n.).

university in New Haven, Connecticut, founded 1701 as Collegiate School, renamed 1718 in honor of a gift from British merchant-philanthropist Elihu Yale (1649-1721). The surname is from Welsh ial, and means "dweller at the fertile upland." Related: Yalie.

As a kind of lock, 1854, invented by U.S. mechanic Linus Yale Jr. (1821-1868); both men were descendants of the same Welsh immigrant.

1790, "cut short" (adj.), from cut (v.). Also used as a noun of a variety of things: a short spoon, a short tobacco pipe, a pop-gun, also a dismissive term for a naughty or wanton woman or girl. Also used of a wren or a hare.

fabulous animal with magical abilities, a fierce disposition, and a single horn; early 13c., from Old French unicorne, from Late Latin unicornus (Vulgate), from noun use of Latin unicornis (adj.) "having one horn," from uni- "one" (from PIE root *oi-no- "one, unique") + cornus "horn" (from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn; head").

"Commonly described as a native of India, but in terms not certainly applicable to any known animal" [Century Dictionary]. According to Pliny, a creature with a horse's body, deer's head, elephant's feet, lion's tail, and one black horn two cubits long projecting from its forehead. The Late Latin word translates Greek monoceros, itself rendering Hebrew re'em (Deuteronomy xxxiii.17 and elsewhere), which probably was a kind of wild ox.

Compare German Einhorn, Welsh ungorn, Breton uncorn, Old Church Slavonic ino-rogu. Old English used anhorn as a loan-translation of Latin unicornis.

"delivery of a child by cutting through the abdomen of the mother," 1923, shortening of Caesarian section (1610s); caesar as "baby delivered by caesarian section is from 1530s. Section (n.) here has the literal Latin sense of "act or action of cutting," which is attested from 1550s in English but is rare outside of medicine.

Supposedly from Caius Julius Caesar, who was said to have been delivered surgically. Thus also legend traces his cognomen to Latin caesus, past participle of caedere "to cut" (see -cide). But if this is the etymology of the name, it was likely an ancestor who was so born (Caesar's mother lived to see his triumphs and such operations would have been fatal to the woman in ancient times). Rather, caesar here may come directly from caesus.

The operation was prescribed in Rome for cases of dead mothers; the first recorded instance of it being performed on a living woman is c. 1500, but as late as the early 19c., before antiseptics and blood transfusions, it had a 50% mortality rate.

Old English gyltig "offending, delinquent, criminal," from gylt (see guilt (n.)). In law, "that has committed some specified offense," late 13c. Of conscience, feelings, etc., 1590s. Meaning "person who is guilty" is from 1540s. To plead not guilty is from 15c.; to plead guilty is 19c., though, as OED notes, "Guilty is technically not a plea, but a confession." Related: Guiltily; guiltiness.

1680s, from French inguinal (16c.) or directly from Latin inguinalis "of the groin," from inguen (genitive inguinis) "groin," from PIE *engw- "groin; internal organ" (which is perhaps also the source of Greek adēn "gland"). Related: Inguinally.

chiefly British English spelling of kilometer; also see -re.

"representative of animals," 1845, from zoo- "animal" + -morphic "of or pertaining to form," from Greek morphē "shape," a word of uncertain etymology.

Originally in paleography, of letters in old manuscripts formed of strangely contorted figures of animals, and correlated with anthropomorphic. Later especially "representative of a god in the form of an animal." Related: Zoomorphism "attribution of animal form to a deity" (1822, by 1796 in German); zoomorphy.

c. 1300, "unite (something to something else), ally" (a sense now obsolete); late 14c. as "be contiguous with, be adjacent to," from Old French ajoin- stem of ajoindre "join together, unite," from Latin adiungere "fasten on, harness, join to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + iungere "to bind together" (from a nasalized form of PIE root *yeug- "to join"). The meaning "be contiguous with, be in contact with" is from late 14c. The French word was Latinized 16c. to Modern French adjoindre. Related: Adjoined; adjoining.

"Pentecost," late Old English Hwita Sunnandæg "white Sunday" (see white (adj.)); possibly so called from the white baptismal robes worn by the newly baptized on this day. Related: Whitsuntide.

"cobweb-like," especially of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord, 1789, from Modern Latin arachnoides, from Greek arakhnoeides "cobweb-like," from arakhnē "cobweb" (see arachnid) + -oeidēs (see -oid).

also school-marm, "female school teacher," 1834, American English colloquial, in the popular countrified humor writing of "Major Jack Downing" of Maine (Seba Smith); a variant of school-ma'am (1828), from school (n.1) + ma'am. See R. Used figuratively from 1887 in reference to patronizing and priggish instruction.

School-mistress "woman who teaches in a school" is attested from c. 1500 (mid-14c. as a surname, scole-maistres). School-dame (1650s) was generally "an old woman who keeps a school for small children."

"growing or proceeding from within," especially with reference to a class of plants including cereals, palms, plantains, etc., 1822, from endo- "within" + -genous "producing."

"9 times ten; the number which is one more than eighty-nine or 10 less than one hundred; a symbol representing this number;" Middle English nīntī (late 13c.), from Old English nigontig, from nine + -tig "group of ten" (see -ty (1)). Cognate with Old Frisian niontich, Middle Dutch negentich, Dutch negentig, German neunzig, Old Norse nintigir.

also often bandana, 1752, from Hindi bandhnu, a method of dyeing, from Sanskrit badhnati "binds" (because the cloth is tied in different places like modern tie-dye), from PIE root *bhendh- "to bind." Perhaps to English via Portuguese. The colors and spots are what makes it a bandanna.

1952, trademark taken out by Haloid Co. of Rochester, N.Y., for a copying device, from xerography. The verb is attested by 1965, from the noun, despite strenuous objection from the Xerox copyright department. Related: Xeroxed; Xeroxing.

1914, member of Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.). Probably an elaboration of the W aspect of the acronym.

"inclined to wobble," 1849, wabbly (form with -o- is from 1851); see wobble (v.) + -ly (1). Related: Wobbliness.

c. 1300, deliveraunce, "action of setting free" in physical or spiritual senses, from Old French delivrance (12c., Modern French délivrance), from delivrer "to set free" (see deliver). Formerly also with senses now restricted to delivery: "childbirth; act of giving or transferring to another; utterance."

late 14c., "of or pertaining to a judge; pertaining to the administration of justice," from Latin iudicialis "of or belonging to a court of justice," from iudicium "judgment, decision of a court of justice," also the court itself, from iudex "a judge," a compound of ius "right, law" (see just (adj.)) + root of dicere "to say" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"). Related: Judicially.

"tend or go west, travel westward," late 14c., westren, of the sun, moon, and stars in the sky, from west (adv.), and compare westerly. Related: Westered; westering.

Verbal noun westering "setting of the sun, westward declination of a star" was in Middle English (early 15c.).

early 15c. (implied in congested), of body fluids, "to accumulate," from Latin congestus, past participle of congerere "to bring together, pile up," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + gerere "to carry, perform" (see gest). Sense of "overcrowd" is from 1859. Related: Congested; congesting.

c. 1200, purgatorie, "place or condition of temporal punishment for spiritual cleansing after death of souls dying penitent and destined ultimately for Heaven," from Old French purgatore, purgatoire and directly from Medieval Latin purgatorium (St. Bernard, early 12c.), in Latin, "means of cleansing," noun use of neuter of purgatorius (adj.) "purging, cleansing," from purgat-, past-participle stem of Latin purgare "to cleanse, purify" (see purge (v.)).

It is not considered as a place of probation ; for the ultimate salvation of those in purgatory is assured, and the impenitent are not received into purgatory. The souls in purgatory are supposed, however, to receive relief through the prayers of the faithful and through the sacrifice of the mass. The common belief in the Latin Church is that the purgatorial suffering is by fire ; the Greek Church, however, does not determine its nature. [Century Dictionary]

The figurative use for "state of mental or emotional suffering, expiation, etc." is from late 14c., originally especially when due to unrequited love, or, (seemingly paradoxically), marriage (e.g. Lydgate's wyfly purgatorye). In old New England it was used of narrow gorges and steep-sided ravines. Related: Purgatorial; purgatorian. 

proprietary name of a drink mix, 1906, probably based on Latin ovum "egg" (see ovary), because eggs are one of the ingredients.

"to roll or wind together," 1640s, from Latin convolvere (past participle convolutus) "to roll together," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + volvere "to roll," from PIE root *wel- (3) "to turn, revolve." Related: Convolvement; convolvent.

colorless imitation stone of paste or leaded glass, 1879, a loan-translation of French caillou du Rhin "Rhine pebble," so called because they were made near Strasburg, on the River Rhine, and invented there 1680s. Extensively worn later 18c. and popular thereafter.

Rhinestone jewelry, a reproduction of the ornaments of the Louis XV. period, is all the rage in Paris. The Rhinestones are as brilliant as diamonds, and being set in silver, will stand any amount of wear or of cleaning. [The American Stationer, March 20, 1879]

early 15c., "arranged in sequence, continuous" (a sense now obsolete); mid-15c., of persons, "expressing earnest purpose or thought, resolute," from Old French serios "grave, earnest" (14c., Modern French sérieux) and directly from Late Latin seriosus, from Latin serius "weighty, important, grave."

This is probably from a PIE root *sehro- "slow, heavy" (source also of Lithuanian sveriu, sverti "to weigh, lift," svarus "heavy, weighty;" Old English swær "heavy," German schwer "difficult," Gothic swers "honored, esteemed," literally "weighty").

According to Middle English Compendium, two sets of Latin stems "seem to have fallen together" in Medieval Latin: ser- (as in series, serere) and sēr- (as in sērius, sēriōsus, etc.), perhaps through semantic overlap, which accounts for the earlier Middle English record of the word, which seems to belong to the first stem.

As "in earnest, not pretending or jesting," from 1712; in reference to of music, theater, etc., "dealing with grave matters" by 1762. The meaning "attended with danger, giving grounds for alarm" is from 1800. Serious-minded is attested by 1653.

"a duck," 1846, agent noun from quack (v.).

1896, "one who advocates Jewish colonization in Palestine," (also as an adjective); see Zionism + -ist.

"containing repetitions, characterized by or of the nature of repetition," 1805, from Latin repetit-, past-participle stem of repetere "do or say again" (see repeat (v.)) + -ive. Related: Repetitively; repetitiveness. Other adjectives, in addition to repetitious (1670s) included repetitionary (1720), repetitional (1720).

repetitional, repetitionary, repetitious, repetitive. With all these on record, repetition would seem to have a good stock of adjectives at need ; but few writers have the hardihood to use any of them. Repetitious is said to be 'common in recent American use' ; repetitive is perhaps the least avoided in England. [Fowler, 1926]

early 13c., hurlen, "to run against (each other), come into collision," later "throw forcibly" (c. 1300); "rush violently" (late 14c.); perhaps related to Low German hurreln "to throw, to dash," and East Frisian hurreln "to roar, to bluster." OED suggests all are from an imitative Germanic base *hurr expressing rapid motion; see also hurry (v.). For difference between hurl and hurtle (which apparently were confused since early Middle English) see hurtle (v.).

late 14c., "rushing water," from hurl (v.). Mid-15c. as "strife, quarrel;" sense of "act of throwing violently" is from 1520s.

Old English glædnes "joy; good nature;" see glad (adj.) + -ness.

indigenous people of the Great Basin of North America, 1826, a shortening of Utah, from Spanish yuta, name of the people, from a local language, perhaps Western Apache (Athabaskan) yudah "high" (in reference to living in the mountains). With combining form Uto-.

late 13c., wenche, "girl, young woman," especially if unmarried, also "female infant;" shortened from wenchel "child," also in early Middle English "girl, maiden," from Old English wencel, which is probably related to wancol "unsteady, fickle, weak," from Proto-Germanic *wankila- (source also of Old Norse vakr "child, weak person," Old High German wanchal "fickle"), from PIE *weng- "to bend, curve" (see wink (v.)).

The wenche is nat dead, but slepith. [Wycliffe, Matthew ix.24, c. 1380]

In Shakespeare's day a female flax-worker could be a flax-wench, flax-wife, or flax-woman. In Middle English occasionally with disparaging suggestion, indicated by context, "lewd or indiscrete woman," and a secondary sense of "concubine, strumpet" is attested by mid-14c. Also "serving-maid, bondwoman, young woman of a humble class" (late 14c.), a sense retained colloquially in the 19c. U.S. South in reference to slave women of any age.

"to associate with common women, consort with strumpets," 1590s, from wench (n.). Related: Wenched; wencher; wenching.

1970, from kilo- + byte.

oath of surprise or anger, c. 1600, altered from (by) God's wounds!, in reference to the wounds of Christ on the Cross. "One of the innumerable oaths having reference to Christ's passion" [Century Dictionary]. Compare gadzooks.

1640s, "public official residence; large private residence," from French hôtel "a mansion, palace, large house," from Old French ostel, hostel "a lodging" (see hostel). The sense of "an inn of the better sort" is recorded from 1765. The same word as hospital.