Kleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, tampons, and diapers. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, the name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Kleenex products are manufactured in 30 countries and sold in more than 170 countries. Such Kleenex brands include VIVA, Cottonelle and Huggies.
Tampon
A tampon is a mass of absorbent material, primarily used as a feminine hygiene product. Historically, the word "tampon" originated from the medieval French word "tampion", meaning a piece of cloth to stop a hole, a stamp, plug, or stopper. At present, tampons are designed to be easily inserted into the vagina during menstruation and absorb the menstrual flow. However, using tampons may be difficult or impossible for those with untreated vaginismus or an untreated imperforate hymen. Several countries regulate tampons as medical devices. In the United States, they are considered to be a Class II medical device by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are sometimes used forhemostasis in surgery.
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American global corporation that sells business services and document technology products.Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (moved from Stamford, Connecticut in October 2007), though its largest population of employees is based around Rochester, New York, the area in which the company was founded. The company purchased Affiliated Computer Services for $6.4 billion in early 2010.As a large developed company, it is consistently placed in the list of Fortune 500 companies.
Tuberculosis (TB)
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections do not have symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. About 10% of latent infections progress to active disease which, if left untreated, kills about half of those infected. The classic symptoms of active TB are a chronic cough with blood-containing sputum, fever, night sweats, and weight loss.The historical term "consumption" came about due to the weight loss.Infection of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Tuberculosis is spread through the air when people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, or sneeze.People with latent TB do not spread the disease. Active infection occurs more often in people with HIV/AIDS and in those whosmoke.Diagnosis of active TB is based on chest X-rays, as well as microscopic examination and culture of body fluids. Diagnosis of latent TB relies on the tuberculin skin test (TST) or blood tests.
Chest X-ray of a person with advanced tuberculosis: Infection in both lungs is marked by white arrow-heads, and the formation of a cavity is marked by black arrows.
Thermometer
A Thermometer is a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient. A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. the bulb of a mercury-in-glass thermometer) in which some physical change occurs with temperature, and (2) some means of converting this physical change into a numerical value (e.g. the visible scale that is marked on a mercury-in-glass thermometer). Thermometers are widely used in industry to control and regulate processes, in the study of weather, in medicine, and in scientific research.
Hydrant
A hydrant is an outlet from a fluid main often consisting of an upright pipe with a valve attached from which fluid (e.g. water or fuel) can be tapped.
Hydrometer
A hydrometer is usually made of glass, and consists of a cylindrical stem and a bulb weighted with mercury or lead shot to make it float upright. The liquid to test is poured into a tall container, often a graduated cylinder, and the hydrometer is gently lowered into the liquid until it floats freely. The point at which the surface of the liquid touches the stem of the hydrometer correlates to specific gravity. Hydrometers usually contain a scale inside the stem, so that the person using it can read specific gravity. A variety of scales exist for different contexts.
Schematic drawing of a hydrometer. The lower the density of the fluid, the deeper the weighted float B sinks. The depth is read off the scale
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is the fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. Xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity.Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an "uncritical exaltation of another culture" in which a culture is ascribed "an unreal, stereotyped and exotic quality".
The terms xenophobia and racism are sometimes confused and used interchangeably because people who share a national origin may also belong to the same race. Due to this, xenophobia is usually distinguished by opposition to foreign culture.Xenophobia is a political term and not a recognized medical phobia.
United States political cartoon:Uncle Sam kicks out the Chinaman, referring to the Chinese Exclusion Act. Image published in 19th century.
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voracious
voracious (adj.)
1630s, formed as an adjectival form of voracity. Related: Voraciously; voraciousness.
indiscriminate
indiscriminate (adj.)
"not carefully discriminating, done without making distinctions," 1640s, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + discriminate (adj.).
indiscriminately (adv.)
1650s, from indiscriminate + -ly (2).
eminent
eminent (adj.)
early 15c., from Old French éminent "prominent" (13c.) or directly from Latin eminentem (nominative eminens) "standing out, projecting, prominent, high," figuratively "distinguished, distinctive," present participle of eminere "stand out, project; be prominent, be conspicuous," from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + -minere, which is related to mons "hill" (see mount (n.1)). Related: Eminently. Legal eminent domain recorded from 1738.
pre-eminent (adj.)
also preeminent, mid-15c., from Medieval Latin preeminentem, from Latin praeeminentem (nominative praeeminens), present participle of praeeminare "to transcend, excel," literally "to project forward, rise above" (see pre-eminence). Related: Pre-eminently; preeminently.
eminence (n.)
c. 1400, "projection, protuberance;" early 15c., "high or exalted position," from Old French eminence or directly from Latin eminentia "a distinctive feature, conspicuous part," from eminentem (nominative eminens) "standing out, projecting," figuratively, "prominent, distinctive" (see eminent).
As a title of honor (now only of cardinals) it is attested from 1650s. The original Éminence grise (French, literally "gray eminence") was François Leclerc du Trembley (1577-1638), confidential agent of Richelieu.
pre-eminence (n.)
also pre-eminence, c. 1200, from Late Latin praeeminentia "distinction, superiority," from Latin praeeminentem (nominative praeeminens), present participle of praeeminere "transcend, excel," literally "project forward, rise above," from prae "before" (see pre-) + eminere "stand out, project" (see eminent).
steeped
steep (v.)
"to soak in a liquid," early 14c., of uncertain origin, originally in reference to barley or malt, probably cognate with Old Norse steypa "to pour out, throw" (perhaps from an unrecorded Old English cognate), from Proto-Germanic *staupijanan. Related: Steeped; steeping.replete
replete (adj.)
late 14c., from Old French replet "filled up" (14c.), from Latin repletus "filled, full," past participle of replere "to fill; fill again, re-fill," from re- (see re-) + plere "to fill" (see pleio-).
repletion (n.)
late 14c., from Old French repletion, replection (early 14c.) or directly from Late Latin repletionem (nominative repletio), noun of action from past participle stem of replere "to fill" (see replete).
abound
abound (v.)
"be in great plenty," early 14c., from Old French abonder "to abound, be abundant, come together in great numbers" (12c.), from Latin abundare "overflow, run over," from Latin ab "off, away from" (see ab-) + undare "rise in a wave," from unda "a wave," from PIE *unda-, nasalized form of root *wed- (1) "water, wet" (see water (n.1)). Related: Abounded; abounding; abounder "one who has plenty or is wealthy" (1755).
technology
technology (n.)
1610s, "a discourse or treatise on an art or the arts," from Greek tekhnologia "systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique," originally referring to grammar, from tekhno- (see techno-) + -logy. The meaning "study of mechanical and industrial arts" (Century Dictionary, 1902, gives examples of "spinning, metal-working, or brewing") is first recorded 1859. High technology attested from 1964; short form high-tech is from 1972.
biotechnology (n.)
also bio-technology, 1947, "use of machinery in relation to human needs;" 1972 in sense of "use of biological processes in industrial production," from bio- + technology.
prognosticate
prognosticate (v.)
early 15c., a back-formation from prognostication and also from Medieval Latin prognosticatus, past participle of prognosticare (see prognostication). Related: Prognosticated; prognosticating.
prognosticator (n.)
1550s, agent noun in Latin form from prognosticate.
automaton
automaton (n.)
1610s, from Latin automaton (Suetonius), from Greek automaton, neuter of automatos "self-acting," from autos "self" (see auto-) + matos "thinking, animated, willing," from PIE *mn-to-, from root *men- (1) "to think, remember" (see mind (n.)).
automatize (v.)
1837, "to make into an automaton;" see automaton + -ize. Meaning "to make automatic" attested by 1952. Related: Automatized; automatizing.
matron
matron (n.)
late 14c., "married woman" (usually one of rank), from Old French matrone "married woman; elderly lady; patroness; midwife," and directly from Latin matrona "married woman, wife, matron," from mater (genitive matris) "mother" (see mother (n.1)). Sense of "female manager of a school, hospital, etc." first recorded 1550s.paradox
paradox (n.)
1530s, "statement contrary to common belief or expectation," from Middle French paradoxe (14c.) and directly from Latin paradoxum "paradox, statement seemingly absurd yet really true," from Greek paradoxon, noun use of neuter of adjective paradoxos "contrary to expectation, incredible," from para- "contrary to" (see para- (1)) + doxa "opinion," from dokein "to appear, seem, think" (see decent). Meaning "statement that is seemingly self-contradictory yet not illogical or obviously untrue" is from 1560s.
realm
realm (n.)
late 13c., "kingdom," from Old French reaume, probably from roiaume "kingdom," altered (by influence of Latin regalis "regal") from Gallo-Roman *regiminem, accusative form of Latin regimen "system of government, rule" (see regimen). Transferred sense "sphere of activity" is from late 14c.
annals
annals (n.)
1560s, from Latin annales libri "chronicles," literally "yearlies, yearly books," noun use of plural of annalis "pertaining to a year," from annus "year" (see annual (adj.)).
annal (n.)
rare singular of annals (q.v.).compound
compound (adj.)
late 14c., originally compouned, past participle of compounen (see compound (v.)). Compound eye is attested from 1836; compound sentence is from 1772.
compound (n.2)
"a compound thing," mid-15c., from compound (adj.).
compound (n.1)
1670s, via Dutch (kampoeng) or Portuguese, from Malay kampong "village, group of buildings." Spelling influenced by compound (v.). Originally, "the enclosure for a factory or settlement of Europeans in the East," later used of South African diamond miners' camps (1893), then of large fenced-in spaces generally (1946).
compound (v.)
"to put together," late 14c., compounen "to mix, combine," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," from Latin componere "to put together" (see composite). The -d appeared 1500s in English on model of expound, etc. Related: Compounded; compounding.
tinge
tinge (v.)
late 15c., "to dye, color slightly," from Latin tingere "to dye, color" (see tincture). Related: Tinged. The noun is first recorded 1752.
badger
badger (v.)
1790, from badger (n.), based on the behavior of the dogs in the medieval sport of badger-baiting, still practiced in 18c. England. Related: Badgered; badgering.
badger (n.)
1520s, perhaps from bage "badge" (see badge) + -ard "one who carries some action or possesses some quality," suffix related to Middle High German -hart "bold" (see -ard). If so, the central notion is the badge-like white blaze on the animal's forehead (as in French blaireau "badger," from Old French blarel, from bler "marked with a white spot;" also obsolete Middle English bauson "badger," from Old French bauzan, literally "black-and-white spotted"). But blaze (n.2) was the usual word for this.
An Old English name for the creature was the Celtic borrowing
brock; also
græg (Middle English
grei,
grey). In American English, the nickname of inhabitants or natives of Wisconsin (1833).
implore
implore (v.)
c. 1500, from Middle French implorer and directly from Latin implorare "call on for help, beseech, beg earnestly," with a literal sense probably of "plead tearfully, invoke with weeping," from assimilated form of in- "on, upon" (see in- (2)) + plorare "to weep, cry out," a word of unknown origin. Related: Implored; imploring; imploringly; imploration.
drudgery
drudgery (n.)
1540s, from drudge + -ery.
interminable
interminable (adj.)
late 14c., from Old French interminable (14c.) or directly from Late Latin interminabilis "endless," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + terminabilis, from terminare "to limit, set bounds, end"(see terminus (adj.)). Related: Interminably.
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laconic
laconic (adj.)
"concise, abrupt," 1580s, literally "of or pertaining to the region around ancient Sparta in Greece, probably via Latin Laconicus "of Laconia," from Greek Lakonikos "Laconian, of Laconia," adjective from Lakon "person from Lakonia," the district around Sparta in southern Greece in ancient times, whose inhabitants famously cultivated the skill of saying much in few words. When Philip of Macedon threatened them with, "If I enter Laconia, I will raze Sparta to the ground," the Spartans' reply was, "If." An earlier form was laconical (1570s). Related: Laconically.
throng
throng (v.)
"go in a crowd," 1530s, from throng (n.). Earlier it meant "to press, crush" (c. 1400). Related: Thronged; thronging.
throng (n.)
c. 1300, probably shortened from Old English geþrang "crowd, tumult" (related to verb þringan "to push, crowd, press"), from Proto-Germanic *thrangan (source also of Old Norse þröng, Dutch drang, German Drang "crowd, throng").
intrepid
intrepid (adj.)
"unmoved by danger, undaunted," 1690s, from French intrépide (16c.) and directly from Latin intrepidus "unshaken, undaunted, not alarmed," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + trepidus "alarmed," from PIE *trep-(1) "to tremble" (see trepidation). Related: Intrepidly; intrepidness (1620s).
intrepidity (n.)
1640s, from intrepid (adj.) + -ity.
accost
accost (v.)
1570s, "come side-by-side or face-to-face with," for any reason, from Middle French accoster "move up to, come alongside" (Old French acoster), from Late Latin accostare "come up to the side," from Latin ad "to" (see ad-) + costa "a rib, side" (see coast (n.)). Now usually in the sense "approach and speak to" (1610s). Also picked up in newspaper articles as the verb for a prostitute's solicitation of a customer (1887). Related: Accosted; accosting.
reticent
reticent (adj.)
1834, from Latin reticentem (nominative reticens), present participle of reticere "be silent" (see reticence).
felon
felon (n.)
c. 1300, "one who deceives or commits treason; one who is wicked or evil; evil-doer," used of Lucifer and Herod, from Old French felon "evil-doer, scoundrel, traitor, rebel, oath-breaker, the Devil" (9c.), from Medieval Latin fellonem (nominative fello) "evil-doer," which is of uncertain origin, perhaps from Frankish *fillo, *filljo "person who whips or beats, scourger" (source of Old High German fillen "to whip"); or from Latin fel "gall, poison," on the notion of "one full of bitterness." Celtic origins also have been proposed.
Another theory (advanced by Professor R. Atkinson of Dublin) traces it to Latin
fellare "to suck" (see
fecund), which had an obscene secondary meaning in classical Latin (well-known to readers of Martial and Catullus), which would make a
felon etymologically a "cock-sucker." OED inclines toward the "gall" explanation, but finds Atkinson's "most plausible" of the others.
Also by c. 1300 in English in a general legal sense "criminal; one who has committed a felony," however that was defined. Century Dictionary notes, "the term is not applicable after legal punishment has been completed." In Middle English it also was an adjective, "traitorous, wicked, malignant." Australian official James Mudie (1837), coined felonry "as the appellative of an order or class of persons in New South Wales,--an order which happily exists in no other country in the world."
plethora
plethora (n.)
1540s, a medical word for "excess of body fluid," from Late Latin plethora, from Greek plethore "fullness," from plethein "be full" (see pleio-). Figurative meaning "too-muchness, overfullness in any respect" is first recorded 1700. Related: Plethoric.
hapless
hapless (adj.)
"unfortunate, luckless," c. 1400, from hap (n.) in the sense "good luck" + -less. Related: Haplessly; haplessness.
irate
irate (adj.)
1838, from Latin iratus "angry, enraged, violent, furious," past participle of irasci "grow angry," from ira "anger" (see ire).
pretext
pretext (n.)
1510s, from French prétexte, from Latin praetextum "a pretext, outward display," noun use of neuter past participle of praetexere "to disguise, cover," literally "weave in front" (for sense, compare pull the wool over (someone's) eyes); from prae- "in front" (see pre-) + texere "to weave," from PIE root *teks- "to weave, to make" (see texture (n.)).
fabricate
fabricate (v.)
mid-15c., "to fashion, make, build," from Latin fabricatus, past participle of fabricare "to make, construct, fashion, build," from fabrica (see fabric). In bad sense of "tell a lie (etc.)," it is recorded by 1779. Related: Fabricated; fabricating.
adroit
adroit (adj.)
1650s, "dexterous," originally "rightly," from French adroit, which by Old French had senses "upright (physically and morally); able, clever, skillful; well-formed, handsome; on the right-hand side; veritable," from adverbial phrase à droit "according to right," from Old French à "to" (see ad-) + droit, dreit "right," from Late Latin directum "right, justice," accusative of Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + regere "to direct, to guide, keep straight" (see regal). It expresses prominently the idea of a trained hand. Related: Adroitly; adroitness.
gesticulate
gesticulate (v.)
c. 1600, from Latin gesticulatus, past participle of gesticulari "to gesture, mimic," from gesticulus "a mimicking gesture" (see gesticulation). Related: Gesticulated; gesticulating.
vigilant
vigilant (adj.)
late 15c., from Middle French vigilant or directly from Latin vigilantem (nominative vigilans) "watchful, anxious, careful," present participle of vigilare "to watch, keep awake, not to sleep, be watchful," from vigil "watchful, awake" (see vigil). Related: Vigilantly.
vigilante (n.)
"member of a vigilance committee," 1856, American English, from Spanish vigilante, literally "watchman," from Latin vigilantem (nominative vigilans) "watchful, anxious, careful," from vigil (see vigil). Vigilant man in same sense is attested from 1824 in a Missouri context. Vigilance committees kept informal rough order on the U.S. frontier or in other places where official authority was imperfect.
avid
avid (adj.)
1769, from French avide (15c.), from Latin avidus "longing eagerly, desirous, greedy," from avere "to desire eagerly." Also in part a back-formation from avidity. Related: Avidly.
cajole
cajole (v.)
1640s, from French cajoler "to cajole, wheedle, coax," perhaps a blend of Middle French cageoler "to chatter like a jay" (16c., from gajole, southern diminutive of geai "jay;" see jay (n.)), and Old French gaioler "to cage, entice into a cage" (see jail (n.)). Related: Cajoled; cajoling.
rudimentary
rudimentary (adj.)
1827; see rudiment + -ary. Earlier was rudimental (1590s).
enhance
enhance (v.)
late 13c., anhaunsen "to raise, make higher," from Anglo-French enhauncer, probably from Old French enhaucier "make greater, make higher or louder; fatten, foster; raise in esteem," from Vulgar Latin *inaltiare, from Late Latin inaltare "raise, exalt," from altare "make high," from altus "high," literally "grown tall," from PIE root *al- (3) "to grow, nourish" (see old). Meaning "raise in station, wealth, or fame" attested in English from c. 1300. Related: Enhanced; enhancing.
nuance
nuance (v.)
1886, from nuance (n.). Related: Nuanced.
nuance (n.)
1781, from French nuance "slight difference, shade of color" (17c.), from nuer "to shade," from nue "cloud," from Gallo-Roman *nuba, from Latin nubes "a cloud, mist, vapor," from PIE *sneudh- "fog" (source also of Avestan snaoda "clouds," Latin obnubere "to veil," Welsh nudd "fog," Greek nython, in Hesychius "dark, dusky"). According to Klein, a reference to "the different colors of the clouds."
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loathe
loathe (v.)
Old English laðian "be hateful or displeasing," from lað "hated; hateful" (see loath). Cognate with Old Saxon lethon "be evil or hateful," Old Norse leiða "disgust." Main modern sense of "to hate, be disgusted with" is attested by c. 1200. Impersonal use (it loathes me = "I am disgusted with it") persisted through 16c. Related: Loathed; loathing.
reprimand
reprimand (v.)
1680s, from reprimand (n.) or else from French réprimander (17c.), from réprimande. Related: Reprimanded; reprimanding.
reprimand (n.)
1630s, from French réprimande (16c.), from Middle French reprimende "reproof," from Latin reprimenda "that is to be repressed" (as in reprimenda culpa "fault to be checked"), fem. singular of reprimendus, gerundive of reprimere "reprove" (see repress). Spelling influenced in French by mander "to summon."
lackluster
lackluster (adj.)
also lack-luster, c. 1600, "dull, wanting brightness" (originally of eyes), first attested in "As You Like It," from lack (v.) + luster (n.1). Such combinations with lack- were frequent once: Shakespeare alone also has lack-love, lack-beard, lack-brain, lack-linen. Outside Shakespeare there was lackland (1590s), of a landless man; lack-Latin (1530s), of an ignorant priest; lack-learning (1590s), lack-wit (Dryden), lack-thought (1829), lack-life (1889), and the comprehensive lack-all (1850).
caustic
caustic (adj.)
c. 1400, "burning, corrosive," from Latin causticus "burning, caustic," from Greek kaustikos "capable of burning; corrosive," from kaustos "combustible; burnt," verbal adjective from kaiein, the Greek word for "to burn" (transitive and intransitive) in all periods, which is of uncertain origin with no certain cognates outside Greek. Figurative sense of "sarcastic" is attested from 1771. As a noun, early 15c., from the adjective.
wrest
wrest (v.)
Old English wræstan "to twist, wrench," from Proto-Germanic *wraistjan (source of Old Norse reista "to bend, twist"), from PIE *wreik- "to turn" (see wry). Meaning "to pull, detach" (something) is recorded from c. 1300. Meaning "to take by force" (in reference to power, authority, etc.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Wrested; wresting.
infamous
infamous (adj.)
a 16c. merger of two Middle English words, with the form of infamous "not well-known" (early 15c.) and the sense of infamis (late 14c.), "of ill repute, famous for badness." Infamous is from Medieval Latin infamosus, from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + Latin famosus "celebrated" (see famous). Infamis is from Latin infamis "of ill fame" (see infamy).
Meaning "causing infamy" is from 1550s. As a legal term, "disqualified from certain rights of citizens because of conviction for certain crimes" (late 14c.). The neutral fameless (in the sense original to infamous) is recorded from 1590s. Related: Infamously.
unfamous (adj.)
late 14c., "not well known, obscure," from un- (1) "not" + famous (adj.). Also from late 14c. as "notably bad," a sense now in infamous.
jostle
jostle (v.)
1540s, justle, "to knock against" (transitive), formed from jousten (see joust (v.)) + frequentative suffix -le. According to OED, the usual spelling 17c.-18c. was justle. An earlier meaning of the word was "to have sex with" (c. 1400). Meaning "contend for the best position or place" is from 1610s. Related: Jostled; jostling. As a noun from c. 1600.
dupe
dupe (v.)
1704, from dupe (n.). Related: Duped; duping.
dupe (n.)
1680s, from French dupe "deceived person," from Middle French duppe (early 15c.), thieves' jargon, perhaps from phrase de huppe "of the hoopoe," an extravagantly crested and reputedly stupid bird.
incipient
incipient (adj.)
"beginning, commencing," 1660s, from Latin incipientem (nominative incipiens), present participle of incipere "begin, take up; have a beginning, originate," from in- "into, in, on, upon" (see in- (2)) + -cipere, comb. form of capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp" (see capable). Related: Incipiently.
inadvertent
inadvertent (adj.)
1650s, "not properly attentive" (of persons), a back-formation from inadvertence. Meaning "unconscious, unintentional" (of actions) is from 1724.
ominous
ominous (adj.)
1580s, from Latin ominosus "full of foreboding," from omen (genitive ominis) "foreboding" (see omen). Related: Ominousness.
tremulous
tremulous (adj.)
1610s, from Latin tremulus "shaking, quivering," from tremere "to shake, quake, quiver" (see tremble (v.)). Related: Tremulously; tremulousness.
repudiate
repudiate (v.)
1540s, "to cast off by divorce," from Latin repudiatus, past participle of repudiare "to cast off, put away, divorce, reject, scorn, disdain," from repudium "divorce, rejection, a putting away, dissolution of marriage," from re- "back, away" (see re-) + pudium, which is probably related to pes/ped- "foot" [Barnhart]. If this is so, the original notion may be of kicking something away, but folk etymology commonly connects it with pudere "cause shame to." Of opinions, conduct, etc., "to refuse to acknowledge," attested from 1824. Earliest in English as an adjective meaning "divorced, rejected, condemned" (mid-15c.). Related: Repudiated; repudiating.
cessation
cessation (n.)
mid-15c., cessacyoun "interruption, abdication," from Latin cessationem (nominative cessatio) "a delaying, ceasing, tarrying," noun of action from past participle stem of cessare "delay" (see cease (n.)).
bristle
bristle (v.)
c. 1200 (implied in past participle adjective bristled) "set or covered with bristles," from bristle (n.). Meaning "become angry or excited" is 1540s, from the way animals show fight. Related: Bristling.
bristle (n.)
Old English byrst "bristle," with metathesis of -r-, from Proto-Germanic *bursti- (source also of Middle Dutch borstel, German borste), from PIE *bhrsti- from root *bhars- "point, bristle" (source also of Sanskrit bhrstih "point, spike"). With -el, diminutive suffix.
euphemism
euphemism (n.)
1650s, from Greek euphemismos "use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one, superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies," also of substitutions such as Eumenides for the Furies. This is from euphemizein "speak with fair words, use words of good omen," from eu- "good, well" (see eu-) + pheme "speech, voice, utterance, a speaking," from phanai "speak" (see fame (n.)).
All the ancients, but most of all the Athenians, were careful not to use ill-omened words; so they called the prison 'the chamber,' and the executioner 'the public man,' and the Furies (Erinyes) they called 'Eumenides' ('the kindly ones') or 'the Venerable Goddesses.' " [Helladius of Antinoopolis, 4 c. C.E., quoted by Photius]
Thus, in our dialect, a vicious man is a man of pleasure, a sharper is one that plays the whole game, a lady is said to have an affair, a gentleman to be a gallant, a rogue in business to be one that knows the world. By this means, we have no such things as sots, debauchees, whores, rogues, or the like, in the beau monde, who may enjoy their vices without incurring disagreeable appellations. [George Berkeley, "Alciphron or the Minute Philosopher," 1732]
See also
Euxine, and compare Greek Greek
aristeros "the better one," a euphemism for "the left (hand)." In English, a rhetorical term at first; broader sense of "choosing a less distasteful word or phrase than the one meant" is first attested 1793. Related:
Euphemistic;
euphemistically.
mundane
mundane (adj.)
mid-15c., "of this world," from Old French mondain "of this world, worldly, earthly, secular;" also "pure, clean; noble, generous" (12c.), from Late Latin mundanus "belonging to the world" (as distinct from the Church), in classical Latin "a citizen of the world, cosmopolite," from mundus "universe, world," literally "clean, elegant"; used as a translation of Greek kosmos (see cosmos) in its Pythagorean sense of "the physical universe" (the original sense of the Greek word was "orderly arrangement").
Latin mundus also was used of a woman's "ornaments, dress," and is related to the adjective mundus "clean, elegant" (used of women's dress, etc.). Extended sense of "dull, uninteresting" is by 1850. Related: Mundanely. The mundane era was the chronology that began with the supposed epoch of the Creation (famously reckoned as 4004 B.C.E.).
incongruous
incongruous (adj.)
1610s, from Latin incongruus "incongruous, inconsistent," from in- "not, opposite of, without" (see in- (1)) + congruus "fit, suitable" (see congruent). Related: Incongruously; incongruousness.
condolence
condolence (n.)
c. 1600, from Late Latin condolere "to suffer together" (see condole) + -ence. Often in form condoleance 1600-1800.
condolences (n.)
"formal declaration of sympathy," 1670s, plural of condolence. Reason for the plural is unclear; earliest references are to expressions from groups of persons; perhaps the habit stuck.
stipulate
stipulate (v.)
1620s, "bargain, make a contract" (intransitive), back-formation from stipulation, or else from Latin stipulatus, past participle of stipulari "exact (a promise), bargain for." Transitive sense of "demand as a condition" is from 1640s. Related: Stipulated; stipulating.
