Vocabulary
vulnerable
(adj.)
c. 1600, from Late
Latin vulnerabilis "wounding," from Latin vulnerare "to wound,
hurt, injure, maim," from vulnus (genitive vulneris) "wound,"
perhaps related to vellere "pluck, to tear" (see svelte), or from PIE
*wele-nes-, from *wele- (2) "to strike, wound" (see Valhalla).
bedlam
(n.)
"scene of mad
confusion," 1660s, from colloquial pronunciation of "Hospital of Saint
Mary of Bethlehem" in London, founded 1247 as a priory, mentioned as a
hospital 1330 and as a lunatic hospital 1402; converted to a state lunatic
asylum on dissolution of the monasteries in 1547. It was spelled Bedlem in a
will from 1418, and Betleem is recorded as a spelling of Bethlehem in Judea
from 971.
cacophony
(n.)
1650s, from Greek
kakophonia, from kakophonos "harsh sounding," from kakos "bad,
evil" (see caco-) + phone "voice, sound," from PIE root *bha-
(2) "to speak, tell, say" (see fame (n.)). Related: Cacophonous.
exploit
(n.)
late 14c.,
"outcome of an action," from Old French esploit "a carrying out;
achievement, result; gain, advantage" (12c., Modern French exploit), a
very common word, used in senses of "action, deed, profit, achievement,"
from Latin explicitum "a thing settled, ended, or displayed," noun
use of neuter of explicitus, past participle of explicare "unfold, unroll,
disentangle" (see explicit).
Meaning "feat,
achievement" is c. 1400. Sense evolution is from "unfolding" to
"bringing out" to "having advantage" to
"achievement." Related: Exploits.
(v.)
c. 1400, espleiten,
esploiten "to accomplish, achieve, fulfill," from Old French
esploitier, espleiter "carry out, perform, accomplish," from esploit
(see exploit (n.)). The sense of "use selfishly" first recorded 1838,
from a sense development in French perhaps from use of the word with reference
to mines, etc. (compare exploitation). Related: Exploited; exploiting.
propinquity
(n.)
late 14c.,
"nearness in relation, kinship," later also "physical
nearness" (early 15c.), from Old French propinquite (13c.) and directly
from Latin propinquitatem (nominative propinquitas) "nearness, vicinity;
relationship, affinity," from propinquus "near, neighboring,"
from prope "near" (enlarged from PIE *pro "before;" see
pro-) + suffix -inquus.
Nothing propinks
like propinquity [Ian Fleming, chapter heading, "Diamonds are
Forever," 1956; phrase popularized 1960s by U.S. diplomat George Ball]
disgruntled
(adj.)
past participle
adjective from disgruntle.
infallible
(adj.)
"exempt from
error in judgment, knowledge, or opinion," early 15c., from Medieval Latin
infallibilis, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Late Latin
fallibilis (see fallible). In reference to Popes, attested from 1870, hence
infallibilism, the doctrine of this; infallibilist. Related: Infallibly.
panacea
(n.)
"universal
remedy," 1540s, from Latin panacea, a herb (variously identified) that
would heal all illnesses, from Greek panakeia "cure-all," from
panakes "all-healing," from pan- "all" (see pan-) + akos
"cure," from iasthai "to heal" (see -iatric). Earlier in
English as panace (1510s).
eradicate
(v.)
early 15c.,
"destroy utterly," literally "pull up by the roots," from
Latin eradicatus, past participle of eradicare "to root out,
annihilate" (see eradication). Related: Eradicated; eradicating;
eradicable.
impede
(v.)
c. 1600,
back-formation from impediment, or else from Latin impedire "impede, be in
the way, hinder, detain," literally "to shackle the feet."
Related: Impeded; impedes; impeding; impedient.
sedate
(adj.)
"calm,
quiet," 1660s, from Latin sedatus "composed, moderate, quiet,
tranquil," past participle of sedare "to settle, calm,"
causative of sedere "to sit" (see sedentary). Related: Sedately
(v.)
"treat with
sedatives," 1945, a back-formation from the noun derivative of sedative
(adj.). The word also existed 17c. in a sense "make calm or quiet."
Related: Sedated; sedating.
equanimity
(n.)
c. 1600,
"fairness, impartiality," from French équanimité, from Latin
aequanimitatem (nominative aequanimitas) "evenness of mind, calmness;
good-will, kindness," from aequanimis "mild, kind," literally
"even-minded," from aequus "even, level" (see equal (adj.))
+ animus "mind, spirit" (see animus). Meaning "evenness of temper"
in English is from 1610
compatible
(adj.)
mid-15c., from
Middle French compatible (15c.), from Medieval Latin compatibilis, from Late
Latin compati (see compassion). Related: Compatibility.
serenity
(n.)
1530s, of weather,
1590s, of persons, from Middle French sérénité, from Latin serenitatem
(nominative serenitas) "clearness, serenity," from serenus (see
serene). Earliest use (mid-15c.) was as a title of honor for kings, probably
from the similar use of Latin serenitas, applied to Roman emperors, later
popes.
revere
(v.)
1660s, from French
révérer, from Latin revereri "revere, fear" (see reverence (n.),
which also was the earlier form of the verb). Related: Revered; revering.
irrational (adj.)
Look up irrational at Dictionary.com
late 15c., "not
endowed with reason" (of beasts, etc.), from Latin
irrationalis/inrationalis "without reason, not rational," from
assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + rationalis
"of or belonging to reason, reasonable" (see rational
(adj.)).
Meaning "illogical,
absurd" is attested from 1640s. Related: Irrationally. The mathematical
sense "inexpressible in ordinary numbers" is from late 14c. in
English, from use of the Latin word as a translation of Greek alogon in Euclid.
avarice
(n.)
c. 1300, from Old
French avarice "greed, covetousness" (12c.), from Latin avaritia
"greed," from avarus "greedy," adjectival form of avere
"crave, long for."
insatiable
(adj.)
early 15c.,
insaciable, from Old French insaciable "ravenous" (15c., Modern
French insatiable), or directly from Latin insatiabilis "not to be
satisfied," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) +
satiabilis, from satiare (see satiate). Related: Insatiably; insatiableness.
nadir
(n.)
late 14c., in
astronomical sense, from Medieval Latin nadir, from Arabic nazir "opposite
to," in nazir as-samt, literally "opposite direction," from
nazir "opposite" + as-samt "road, path" (see zenith
moribund
(adj.)
1721, "about to
die," from Middle French moribund (16c.), from Latin moribundus
"dying, at the point of death," from mori "to die" (see
mortal (adj.)). Figurati
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lithe
(adj.)
Old English liðe
"soft, mild, gentle, calm, meek," also, of persons, "gracious,
kind, agreeable," from Proto-Germanic *linthja- (source also of Old Saxon
lithi "soft, mild, gentle," Old High German lindi, German lind, Old
Norse linr "soft to the touch, gentle, mild, agreeable," with
characteristic loss of "n" before "th" in English), from
PIE root *lento- "flexible" (source also of Latin lentus
"flexible, pliant, slow," Sanskrit lithi).
In Middle English,
used of the weather. Current sense of "easily flexible" is from c.
1300. Related: Litheness. Old and Middle English had the related verb lin
"to cease doing (something)," also used of the wind dying down.
obese
(adj.)
1650s,
back-formation from obesity and in part from Latin obesus "fat, stout,
plump," past participle of obedere "that has eaten itself fat"
(see obesity). According to OED, "Rare before 19th c." Related:
Obeseness. Latin obesus was translated in Old English as oferfæt
"overfat."
adherent
(adj.)
late 14c.,
"sticking, clinging to, adhesive," from Old French adherent or
directly from Latin adhaerentem (nominative adhaerens), present participle of adhaerere
"stick to," from ad- "to" (see ad-) + haerere "to
stick" (past participle haesus; see hesitation).
(n.)
early 15c.,
"follower, supporter, one who upholds (a leader, cause, etc.)," from
Old French adherent or directly from Latin adhaerentem (nominative adhaerens),
present participle of adhaerere "stick to," from ad "to"
(see ad-) + haerere "to stick" (see hesitation). Meaning
"adhesive substance" is from 1912.
bliss
(n.)
Old English blis,
also bliðs "bliss, merriment, happiness, grace, favor," from
Proto-Germanic *blithsjo (source also of Old Saxon blidsea, blizza), from
*blithiz "gentle, kind" + *-tjo noun suffix. Originally mostly of
earthly happiness; influenced by association with bless and blithe.
(v.)
often with out, by
1973, U.S. colloquial, from bliss (n.).
pathetic
(adj.)
1590s,
"affecting the emotions, exciting the passions," from Middle French
pathétique "moving, stirring, affecting" (16c.), from Late Latin
patheticus, from Greek pathetikos "subject to feeling, sensitive, capable
of emotion," from pathetos "liable to suffer," verbal adjective
of pathein "to suffer" (see pathos). Meaning "arousing pity,
pitiful" is first recorded 1737. Colloquial sense of "so miserable as
to be ridiculous" is attested from 1937. Related: Pathetical (1570s);
pathetically. Pathetic fallacy (1856, first used by Ruskin) is the attribution
of human qualities to inanimate objects.
exhort
(v.)
c. 1400, "to
exhort, encourage," from Old French exhorer (13c.) and directly from Latin
exhortari "to exhort, encourage, stimulate" (see exhortation).
Related: Exhorted; exhorting.
apathy
(n.)
c. 1600,
"freedom from suffering," from French apathie (16c.), from Latin
apathia, from Greek apatheia "freedom from suffering, impassability, want
of sensation," from apathes "without feeling, without suffering or
having suffered," from a- "without" (see a- (3)) + pathos
"emotion, feeling, suffering" (see pathos). Originally a positive
quality; sense of "indolence of mind, indifference to what should excite"
is from c. 1733.
fracas
(n.)
1727, from French
fracas "crash, sudden noise; tumult, bustle, fuss" (15c.), from
Italian fracasso "uproar, crash," back-formation from fracassare
"to smash, crash, break in pieces," from fra-, a shortening of Latin
infra "below" (see infra-) + Italian cassare "to break,"
from Latin quassare "to shake" (see quash).
inebriated
(adj.)
"drunken,"
c. 1600, past participle adjective from inebriate. The earlier adjective was
inebriate (late 15c.).
adversary
(n.)
"unfriendly
opponent, enemy" (originally especially of Satan as the enemy of mankind),
mid-14c., aduersere, from Anglo-French adverser (13c.), Old French adversarie
(12c., Modern French adversaire) "hostile opponent, enemy," or directly
from Latin adversarius "an opponent, rival, enemy," noun use of
adjective meaning "opposite, hostile, contrary," literally
"turned toward one," from adversus "turned against, turned
toward, fronting, facing," figuratively "hostile, adverse,
unfavorable," past participle of advertere "to turn toward,"
from ad "to" (see ad-) + vertere "to turn, turn back, be turned;
convert, transform, translate; be changed" (see versus). The Latin word is
glossed in Old English by wiðerbroca.
indolent
(adj.)
1660s, "causing
no pain, painless," from French indolent (16c.) or directly from Late
Latin indolentem (see indolence). Sense of "living easily, slothful,"
is 1710, a sense perhaps developed in French. Related: Indolently.
gusto
(n.)
1620s, "very
common from the beginning of the 19th c." [OED], from Italian gusto
"taste," from Latin gustus "a tasting," related to gustare
"to taste, take a little of," from PIE *gus-tu-, suffixed form of
root *geus- "to taste, choose" (source also of Sanskrit jus- "enjoy,
be pleased," Avestan zaosa- "pleasure," Old Persian dauš-
"enjoy"). The root forms words for "taste" in Greek and
Latin, but its descendants in Germanic and Celtic mostly mean "try"
or "choose" (such as Old English cosan, cesan, Modern English choose;
Gothic kausjan "to test, to taste of," Old High German koston
"try," German kosten "taste of"). The semantic development
could have been in either direction. English first borrowed the French form,
guste "organ of taste; sense of taste" (mid-15c.), but this became obsolete.
garrulous
(adj.)
1610s, from Latin
garrulus "talkative, chattering," from garrire "to
chatter," from PIE root *gar- "to call, cry," of imitative
origin (compare Greek gerys "voice, sound," Ossetic zar
"song," Welsh garm, Old Irish gairm "noise, cry"). Related:
Garrulously; garrulousness.
banal
(adj.)
"trite,
commonplace," 1840, from French banal, "belonging to a manor, common,
hackneyed, commonplace," from Old French banel "communal"
(13c.), from ban "decree; legal control; announcement; authorization;
payment for use of a communal oven, mill, etc." (see ban (v.)). The modern
sense evolved from the word's use in designating things like ovens or mills
that belonged to feudal serfs, or else compulsory military service; in either
case it was generalized in French through "open to everyone" to
"commonplace, ordinary," to "trite, petty."
platitude
(n.)
1812,
"dullness," from French platitude "flatness, vapidness"
(late 17c.), from Old French plat "flat" (see plateau (n.)); formed
on analogy of latitude, etc. Meaning "a flat, dull, or commonplace
remark" is recorded from 1815. Related: Platitudinous. Hence
platitudinarian (n.), 1855; platitudinize (1867).
pique
(n.)
1530s, "fit of
ill feeling," from Middle French pique "a prick, sting,
irritation," noun of action from piquer (see pike (n.2)).
(v.)
"to excite to
anger," 1670s, from French piquer "to prick, sting" (see pike
(n.2)). Softened meaning "to stimulate, excite" is from 1690s.
Related: Piqued; piquing.
dilettante
(n.)
1733, borrowing of
Italian dilettante "lover of music or painting," from dilettare
"to delight," from Latin delectare (see delight (n.)). Originally
without negative connotation, "devoted amateur," the pejorative sense
emerged late 18c. by contrast with professional.
atypical
(adj.)
1847, from a- (2)
"not" + typical. Related: Atypica
nondescript
(adj.)
1680s, "not
hitherto described," in scientific usage, coined from non- + Latin
descriptus, past participle of describere (see describe). General sense of
"not easily described or classified" is from 1806.
wane
(v.)
Old English wanian
"make or become smaller gradually, diminish, decline, fade," from
Proto-Germanic *wanen (source also of Old Saxon wanon, Old Norse vana, Old
Frisian wania, Middle Dutch waenen, Old High German wanon "to wane, to
grow less"), from *wano- "lacking," from PIE *we-no-, from root
*eue- "to leave, abandon, give out" (see vain). Related: Waned;
waning; wanes.
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extinct
(adj.)
early 15c.,
"extinguished, quenched," from Latin extinctus/exstinctus, past
participle of extinguere/exstinguere "to put out, quench; go out, die out;
kill, destroy" (see extinguish). Originally of fires; in reference to the
condition of a family or a hereditary title that has "died out," from
1580s; of species by 1690s. Shakespeare uses it as a verb. Compare extinction.
idyllic
(adj.)
"full of
natural, simple charm," 1831, literally "suitable for an idyll"
from French idyllique or else from idyll + -ic. In late 18c. it meant
"pertaining to an idyll."
galvanize
(v.)
1801,
"stimulate by galvanic electricity," from French galvaniser, from
galvanisme (see galvanism). Figurative sense of "excite, stimulate (as if
by electricity)" first recorded 1853 (galvanic was in figurative use in
1807). Meaning "to coat with metal by means of galvanic electricity"
(especially to plate iron with tin, but now typically to plate it with zinc) is
from 1839.
He'll swear that in
her dancing she cuts all others out,
Though like a Gal
that's galvanized, she throws her legs about.
[Thomas Hood,
"Love has not Eyes," 1845]
Related: Galvanized;
galvanizing.
encumbrance
(n.)
c. 1300,
"trouble, difficulty; ensnarement, temptation," from Old French
encombrance "encumbrance, obstruction; calamity, trouble," from
encombrer (see encumber). Meaning "that which encumbers, impediment,
obstacle" is from late 14c. in English.
gaudy
(adj.)
"showy,
tastelessly rich," c. 1600; earlier "joyfully festive" (1580s),
probably a re-adjectivizing of gaudy (n.) "large, ornamental bead in a
rosary" (early 14c.) via the noun gaud + -y (2.). In early Modern English
it also could mean "full of trickery" (1520s).
Or possibly the
adjective is from or influenced by Middle English noun gaudegrene (early 14c.),
name of a yellowish-green color or pigment, originally of dye obtained from the
weld plant (see weld (n.1)). This Germanic plant-name became gaude in Old
French, and thus the Middle English word. Under this theory, the sense shifted
from "weld-dye" to "bright ornamentation."
As a noun,
"feast, festival" 1650s, from gaudy day "day of rejoicing"
(1560s).
condescend
(adj.)
mid-14c., "to
yield deferentially," from Old French condescendere (14c.) "to agree,
consent, give in, yield," from Late Latin condescendere "to let
oneself down," from Latin com "with, together" (see com-) +
descendere "descend" (see descend). Sense of "to sink willingly
to equal terms with inferiors" is from mid-15c.
candor
(n.)
"openness of
mind, impartiality, frankness," c. 1600, from Latin candor "purity,
openness," originally "whiteness," from candere "to shine,
to be white" (see candle). Borrowed earlier in English (c. 1500) with the
Latin literal sense "extreme whiteness."
mortify
(v.)
late 14c., "to
kill," from Old French mortefiier "destroy, overwhelm, punish,"
from Late Latin mortificare "cause death, kill, put to death,"
literally "make dead," from mortificus "producing death,"
from Latin mors (genitive mortis) "death" (see mortal (adj.)) + root
of facere "to make" (see factitious). Religious sense of "to
subdue the flesh by abstinence and discipline" first attested early 15c.
Sense of "humiliate" first recorded 1690s (compare mortification).
Related: Mortified; mortifying.
jocose
(adj.)
"given to jokes
and jesting," 1670s, from Latin iocosus "full of jesting, fond of
jokes, funny," from iocus "pastime, sport; a jest, joke" (see
joke (n.)). Often it implies ponderous humor (compare jocund). Related:
Jocosely; jocoseness.
malign
(adj.)
early 14c., from Old
French maligne "having an evil nature," from Latin malignus
"wicked, bad-natured," from male "badly" (see mal-) + -gnus
"born," from gignere "to bear, beget," from PIE root *gn-
"to bear" (see genus).
(v.)
"to
slander," mid-15c., from earlier more literal sense of "to plot, to
contrive" (early 15c.), from Old French malignier "to plot, deceive,
pervert," from Late Latin malignare "to do maliciously," from
malignus "mean, unkind" (see malign (adj.)). Related: Maligned;
maligning.
omnipotent
(adj.)
early 14c., from Old
French omnipotent "almighty, all-powerful" (11c.) or directly from
Latin omnipotentem (nominative omnipotens) "all-powerful, almighty,"
from omnis "all" (see omni-) + potens (genitive potentis) "powerful"
(see potent). Strictly only of God or a deity; general sense of "having
absolute power or authority" is attested from 1590s.
zenith
(n.)
"point of the
heavens directly overhead at any place," late 14c., from Old French cenith
(Modern French zénith), from Medieval Latin cenit, senit, bungled scribal
transliterations of Arabic samt "road, path," abbreviation of samt
ar-ras, literally "the way over the head." Letter -m- misread as
-ni-.
The Medieval Latin
word could as well be influenced by the rough agreement of the Arabic term with
classical Latin semita "sidetrack, side path" (notion of "thing
going off to the side"), from se- "apart" + *mi-ta-, suffixed
zero-grade form of PIE root *mei- (1) "to change" (see mutable).
Figurative sense of "highest point or state" is from c. 1600.
fledgling
also fledgeling,
1830, "untried" (adj.), in Tennyson; 1846 as a noun meaning
"young bird" (one newly fledged); from fledge + diminutive suffix
-ling. Of persons, from 1856.
peremptory
(adj.)
"decisive,"
mid-15c., legal term, from Anglo-French peremptorie, from Middle French
peremtoire, from Latin peremptorius "destructive, decisive, final,"
from peremptor "destroyer," from perimpere "destroy, cut
off," from per "away entirely, to destruction" (see per) + emere
"to take" (see exempt (adj.)). Of persons or their words,
"certain, assured, brooking no debate," 1580s. Related: Peremptorily.
precedent
(n.)
early 15c.,
"case which may be taken as a rule in similar cases," from Middle
French precedent, noun use of an adjective, from Latin praecedentum (nominative
praecedens), present participle of praecedere "go before" (see
precede). Meaning "thing or person that goes before another" is
attested from mid-15c. As an adjective in English from c. 1400. As a verb
meaning "to furnish with a precedent" from 1610s, now only in past
participle precedented.
wheedle
(v.)
"to influence
by flattery," 1660s, of uncertain origin, perhaps connected with Old
English wædlian "to beg," from wædl "poverty" [OED], or
borrowed by English soldiers in the Thirty Years' War from German wedeln
"wag the tail," hence "fawn, flatter" (compare adulation).
Related: Wheedled; wheedling.
rustic
(adj.)
mid-15c., from Latin
rusticus "of the country, rural; country-like, plain, simple, rough,
coarse, awkward," from rus (genitive ruris) "open land, country"
(see rural). Noun meaning "a country person, peasant" is from 1550s
(also in classical Latin). Related: Rustical (early 15c.).
jubilant
(adj.)
1660s (Milton), from
Latin iubilantem (nominative iubilans), present participle of iubilare "to
let out whoops," in Christian writers, "to shout for joy,"
related to iubilum "wild shout," from Proto-Italic *iu, an
exclamation of joy that probably was in Proto-Indo-European (cognates: Greek
iu, an interjection of amazement, iuge "crying;" Middle High German
ju, juch, an exclamation of joy; Dutch juichen, Old Norse yla, English yowl).
With ending as in sibilant. Related: Jubilantly.
decorum
(n.)
1560s, from Latin
decorum "that which is seemly," noun use of neuter of adjective
decorus "fit, proper," from decor (see dec
charlatan
(n.)
1610s, from French
charlatan "mountebank, babbler" (16c.), from Italian ciarlatano
"a quack," from ciarlare "to prate, babble," from ciarla
"chat, prattle," perhaps imitative of ducks' quacking. Related:
Charlatanism; charlatanical; charlatanry.
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heresy
(n.)
"doctrine or
opinion at variance with established standards" (or, as Johnson defines
it, "an opinion of private men different from that of the catholick and
orthodox church"), c. 1200, from Old French heresie, eresie
"heresy," and by extension "sodomy, immorality" (12c.),
from Latin hæresis, "school of thought, philosophical sect." The
Latin word is from Greek hairesis "a taking or choosing for oneself, a
choice, a means of taking; a deliberate plan, purpose; philosophical sect,
school," from haireisthai "take, seize," middle voice of hairein
"to choose," a word of unknown origin, perhaps from PIE *ser- (5)
"to seize" (source of Hittite šaru "booty," Welsh herw "booty").
The Greek word was
used by Church writers in reference to various sects, schools, etc. in the New
Testament: the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and even the Christians, as sects of
Judaism. Hence the meaning "unorthodox religious sect or doctrine" in
the Latin word as used by Christian writers in Late Latin. But in English
bibles it usually is translated sect. Transferred (non-religious) use in
English is from late 14c.
prudent
(adj.)
late 14c., from Old
French prudent "with knowledge, deliberate" (c. 1300), from Latin
prudentem (nominative prudens) "knowing, skilled, sagacious,
circumspect;" rarely in literal sense "foreseeing;" contraction
of providens, present participle of providere "to foresee" (see
provide). Re
ostensible
(adj.)
1762, "capable
of being shown, presentable," from French ostensible, from Latin ostens-,
past participle stem of ostendere "to show, expose to view; to stretch
out, spread before; exhibit, display," from ob "in front of" (see
ob-) + tendere "to stretch" (see tenet). Meaning "apparent,
professed" is from 1771.
fervid
(adj.)
1590s,
"burning, glowing, hot," from Latin fervidus "glowing, burning;
vehement, fervid," from fervere "to boil, glow" (see brew (v.)).
Figurative sense of "impassioned" is from 1650s. Related: Fervidly;
fervidness.
spurious
(adj.)
1590s, "born
out of wedlock," from Latin spurius "illegitimate, false"
(source also of Italian spurio, Spanish espurio), from spurius (n.)
"illegitimate child," probably from Etruscan spural
"public." Sense of "having an irregular origin, not properly
constituted" is from c. 1600; that of "false, sham" is from
1610s; of writing, etc., "not proceeding from the source pretended, 1620s.
Related: Spuriously; spuriousness.
propagate
(v.)
1560s, "to
cause to multiply," from Latin propagatus, past participle of propagare
"to set forward, extend, procreate" (see propagation). Intransitive
sense "reproduce one's kind" is from c. 1600. Related: Propagated;
propagating.
anomaly
(n.)
1570s, from Latin
anomalia, from Greek anomalia "inequality," noun of quality from
anomalos "uneven, irregular," from an-, privative prefix,
"not" (see an- (1)) + homalos "even," from homos
"same" (see same).
innocuous
(adj.)
1590s, from Latin
innocuus "harmless; innocent; inoffensive," from in- "not"
(see in- (1)) + nocuus "hurtful," from root of nocere "to
injure, harm," from *nok-s-, suffixed form of PIE root *nek- (1)
"death" (see necro-). Related: Innocuously; innocuousness.
surfeit (n.) early
14c., "excess quantity;" late 14c., "overindulgence," from
Old French sorfet "excess; arrogance" (Modern French surfait), noun
use of past participle of surfaire "overdo," from sur-
"over" (see sur- (1)) + faire "do," from Latin facere
"to make, do" (see factitious).
(v.)
late 14c.,
intransitive, "indulge or feed to excess," from surfeit (n.).
Related: Surfeited; surfeiting. Transitive sense from 1590s.
milieu (n.)
"surroundings," 1877, from French milieu, "middle, medium,
mean," literally "middle place" (12c.), from mi
"middle" (from Latin medius; see medial (adj.)) + lieu
"place" (see lieu).
strident
(adj.)
1650s, from French
strident (16c.) and directly from Latin stridentem (nominative stridens),
present participle of stridere "utter an inarticulate sound, grate,
screech," from PIE *(s)trei-, possibly of imitative origin (source also of
Greek trismos "a grinding, scream"). Related: Stridently; stridence;
stridency.
concomitant
(adj.)
c. 1600, from French
concomitant, from Late Latin concomitantem (nominative concomitans), present
participle of concomitari "accompany, attend," from com "with,
together" (see com-) + comitari "join as a companion," from
comes (genitive comitis) "companion" (see coun
lassitude
(n.)
early 15c., from
Latin lassitudinem (nominative lassitudo) "faintness, weariness,"
from lassus "faint, tired, weary," from PIE *led-to-, suffixed form
of *led- "slow, weary" (source also of Old English læt
"sluggish, slow;" see late (adj.)), from root *le- (2) "to let
go, slacken" (see lenient).
deleterious
(adj.)
1640s, from Medieval
Latin deleterius, from Greek deleterios "noxious," from deleter
"destroyer," from deleisthai "to hurt, injure." Related:
Deleteriously; deleteriousness.
efficacy
(n.)
1520s, from Latin
efficacia "efficacy, efficiency," from efficax (genitive efficacis)
"powerful, effectual, efficient," from stem of efficere "work
out, accomplish" (see effect (n.)). Earlier in same sense was efficace (c.
1200), from Old French eficace (14c.), from Latin efficacia; also efficacite
(early 15c.), from Latin efficacitatem.
dissent
(v.)
early 15c., from
Latin dissentire "differ in sentiments, disagree, be at odds, contradict,
quarrel," from dis- "differently" (see dis-) + sentire "to
feel, think" (see sense (n.)). Related: Dissented; dissenting. The noun is
1580s, from the verb.
Has there ever been
a society which has died of dissent? Several have died of conformity in our
lifetime. [Jacob Bronowski "Science and Human Values," 1956]
ferment
(v.)
late 14c.
(intransitive), from Old French fermenter (13c.) and directly from Latin
fermentare "to leaven, cause to rise or ferment," from fermentum
"substance causing fermentation, leaven, drink made of fermented
barley," perhaps contracted from *fervimentum, from root of fervere
"to boil, seethe" (see brew (v.)). Transitive use from 1670s.
Figurative use from 1650s. Related: Fermented; fermenting.
(n.)
early 15c., from
Middle French ferment (14c.), from Latin fermentum "leaven, yeast; drink
made of fermented barley;" figuratively "anger, passion" (see
ferment (v.)). Figurative sense of "anger, passion, commotion" in
English is from 1670s.
attenuated
(v.)
"to make thin,
to make less," 1520s, from Latin attenuatus "enfeebled, weak,"
past participle of attenuare "to make thin, lessen, diminish," from
ad "to" (see ad-) + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis
"thin" (see tenet). Related: Attenuated; attenuating. Earlier was
Middle English attenuen "to make thin (in consistency)," early 15c.
arbiter (n.) late
14c., from Old French arbitre or directly from Latin arbiter "one who goes
somewhere (as witness or judge)," in classical Latin used of spectators
and eye-witnesses, in law, "he who hears and decides a case, a judge,
umpire, mediator;" from ad- "to" (see ad-) + baetere "to
come, go." The specific sense of "one chosen by two disputing parties
to decide the matter" is from 1540s. The earliest form of the word
attested in English is the fem. noun arbitress (mid-14c.) "a woman who
settles disputes."
incumbent
(n.)
early 15c.,
"person holding a church position," from Medieval Latin incumbentem
(nominative incumbens) "holder of a church position," noun use of
present participle of incumbere "to obtain or possess," from Latin
incumbere "recline on," figuratively "apply oneself to,"
from in- "on" (see in- (2)) + -cumbere "lie down," related
to cubare "to lie" (see cubicle). Extended to holders of any office
from 1670s.
(adj.) Look up
incumbent at Dictionary.com
1560s, in relation
to duties or obligations, from Medieval Latin incumbentem (nominative
incumbens), present participle of incumbere (see incumbent (n.)). The literal,
physical sense "lying or resting on something" is rare in English and
first attested 1620s.
week32
profound
(adj.)
c. 1300,
"characterized by intellectual depth," from Old French profund (12c.,
Modern French profond), from Latin profundus "deep, bottomless,
vast," also "obscure; profound; immoderate," from pro
"forth" (see pro-) + fundus "bottom" (see fund (n.)). The
literal and figurative senses both were in Latin, but English, having already
deep, employed this word primarily in its figurative sense. Related:
Profoundly.
alleviate
(v.)
early 15c., "
to mitigate, relieve (sorrows, suffering, etc.)," from Late Latin
alleviatus, past participle of alleviare "lift up, raise,"
figuratively "to lighten (a burden), comfort, console," from Latin ad
"to" (see ad-) + levis "light" in weight (see lever). Related:
Alleviated; alleviating.
prodigious
(adj.)
1550s,
"ominous," from Middle French prodigieux and directly from Latin
prodigiosus "strange, wonderful, marvelous, unnatural," from
prodigium (see prodigy). Meaning "vast, enormous" is from c. 1600.
Related: Prodigiously; prodigiosity.
expedite
(v.)
c. 1500 (implied in
past participle expedit "accomplished"), from Latin expeditus, past
participle of expedire "extricate, disengage, liberate; procure, make
ready, put in order, make fit, prepare; explain, make clear," literally "free
the feet from fetters," hence to liberate from difficulties, from ex
"out" (see ex-) + *pedis "fetter, chain for the feet,"
related to pes (genitive pedis) "foot," from PIE root *ped- (1)
"a foot" (see foot (n.)). Compare Greek pede "fetter."
Related: Expedited; expediting.
celerity
(n.)
late 15c., from Old
French celeritee (14c., Modern French célérité), from Latin celeritatem
(nominative celeritas) "swiftness," from celer "swift,"
from possible PIE root *kel- (3) "to drive, set in swift motion"
(source also of Sanskrit carati "goes," Greek keles "fast horse
or ship," keleuthos "journey, road," Lithuanian sulys "a
gallop," Old High German scelo "stallion").
usurp
(v.)
early 14c., from Old
French usurper "to (wrongfully) appropriate" (14c.), from Latin
usurpare "make use of, seize for use," in later Latin "to assume
unlawfully, trespass on," from usus "a use" (see use (v.)) +
rapere "to seize" (see rapid (adj.)). Related: Usurped; usurping.
paltry
(adj.)
1560s, probably an
adjectival use of noun paltry "worthless thing" (1550s), associated
with dialectal palt, pelt "trash," cognate with Middle Low German and
East Frisian palte "rag," Middle Dutch palt "broken or torn
fragment." Similar formation in Low German paltrig "rubbishy,"
East Frisian palterig "ragged, torn."
condone
(v.)
1857, from Latin
condonare "to give up, remit, permit," from com-, intensive prefix
(see com-), + donare "to give" (see donation). Originally a legal
term in the Matrimonial Causes Act, which made divorce a civil matter in
Britain. Related: Condoned; condoning.
trivial
(adj.)
"ordinary"
(1580s); "insignificant, trifling" (1590s), from Latin trivialis
"common, commonplace, vulgar," literally "of or belonging to the
crossroads," from trivium "place where three roads meet," in
transferred use, "an open place, a public place," from tri-
"three" (see three) + via "road" (see via). The sense
connection is "public," hence "common, commonplace."
The earliest use of
the word in English was early 15c., a separate borrowing in the academic sense
"of the trivium" (the first three liberal arts -- grammar, rhetoric,
and logic); from Medieval Latin use of trivialis in the sense "of the
first three liberal arts," from trivium, neuter of the Latin adjective
trivius "of three roads, of the crossroads." Related: Trivially. For
sense evolution to "pertaining to useless information," see trivia.
bizarre (adj.)
1640s, from French
bizarre "odd, fantastic" (16c.), from Italian bizarro
"irascible, tending to quick flashes of anger" (13c.), from bizza
"fit of anger, quick flash of anger" (13c.). The sense in Italian
evolved to "unpredictable, eccentric," then "strange,
weird," in which sense it was taken into French and then English. Older
derivation from Basque bizar "a beard" is no longer considered
tenable.
menial
(adj.)
late 14c.,
"pertaining to a household," from Anglo-French meignial, from Old
French mesnie "household," earlier mesnede, from Vulgar Latin
*mansionata, from Latin mansionem "dwelling" (see mansion). Sense of
"lowly, humble, suited to a servant" is recorded by 1670s.
(n.)
"domestic
servant," late 14c., meynyal; see menial (adj.).
venerable
(adj.)
early 15c.,
"worthy of respect," from Old French venerable and directly from
Latin venerabilis "worthy of reverence or respect," from venerari
"to worship, revere" (see veneration). As a title, used in reference
to ecclesiastics (in the Anglican church, specifically of archdeacons) or those
who had obtained the first degree of canonization. Related: Venerably;
venerability.
extraneous
(adj.)
1630s, from Latin
extraneus "external, strange," literally "that is without, from
without" (as a noun, "a stranger"), from extra "outside
of" (see extra-). A doublet of strange. Related: Extraneously.
ambiguous
(adj.)
1520s, from Latin
ambiguus "having double meaning, shifting, changeable, doubtful,"
adjective derived from ambigere "to dispute about, contend, debate,"
literally "to wander, go about, go around," figuratively
"hesitate, waver, be in doubt," from ambi- "about" (see
ambi-) + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act (n.)). First attested in
Sir Thomas More (1528); related ambiguity dates to c. 1400. Related: Ambiguously;
ambiguousness.
succinct
(adj.)
early 15c.,
"having one's belt fastened tightly," from Middle French succincte,
from Latin succinctus "prepared, ready; contracted, short," past
participle of succingere "tuck up (clothes for action), gird from
below," from assimilated form of sub "up from under" (see sub-)
+ cingere "to gird" (see cinch (n.)). Sense of "brief,
concise" first recorded 1530s. Related: Succinctness.
archaic
(adj.)
1810, from or by
influence of French archaique (1776), ultimately from Greek arkhaikos
"old-fashioned," from arkhaios "ancient," from arkhe
"beginning" (see archon). Archaical is attested from 1799.
emulate
(v.)
1580s,
back-formation from emulation, or else from Latin aemulatus, past participle of
aemulari "to rival." Related: Emulated; emulating; emulable;
emulative.
facetious
(adj.)
1590s, from French
facétieux (16c.), from facétie "a joke" (15c.), from Latin facetiae
"jests, witticisms" (singular facetia), from facetus "witty,
elegant, fine, courteous," which is of unknown origin, perhaps related to
facis "torch."
Formerly often in a
good sense, "witty, amusing," but later implying a desire to be
amusing that is often intrusive or ill-timed. Related: Facetiously;
facetiousness. "Facetiæ in booksellers' catalogues, is, like curious, a
euphemism for erotica."
rabid
(adj.)
1610s,
"furious, raving," from Latin rabidus "raging, furious, enraged;
inspired; ungoverned; rabid," from rabere "be mad, rave" (see
rage (v.)). Meaning "made mad by rabies" in English first recorded
1804. Related: Rabidly; rabidness.
salubrious
(adj.)
1540s, from Latin
salubris "promoting health, healthful," from salus (genitive salutis)
"welfare, health" (see salute (v.)). Related: Salubriously;
salubriousness.
