A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

wish (v.) --- O.E. wyscan "to wish," from P.Gmc. *wunskijanan (cf. O.N. æskja, Dan. ønske, Swed. önska, M.Du. wonscen, Du. wensen, O.H.G. wunsken, Ger. wunschen "to wish"), from PIE *wun-/*wen-/*won- "to strive after, wish, desire, be satisfied" (cf. Skt. vanati "he desires, loves, wins," L. venus "love, sexual desire, loveliness," venerari "to worship;" see Venus). The noun is attested from c.1300. Wishful first recorded 1523. Wishful thinking is recorded from 1932; wish fulfillment (1901) translates Ger. wunscherfüllung (Freud, "Die Traumdeutung," 1900).

wishbone --- 1860, from wish + bone, so called from the custom of making a wish while pulling the bone in two with another person. The wishbone breaking custom dates to the early 17c., when the bone was a merrythought.

wishy-washy --- 1693, "feeble or poor in quality," reduplication of washy "thin, watery" (see wash). Meaning "vacillating" first recorded 1873.

wisp --- c.1300, "handful or bundle of hay, grass, etc.," used for burning or cleaning or as a cushion; perhaps from an unrecorded O.E. word, cognate with Norw. and Swed. visp "wisp," of unknown origin; sometimes said to be connected with whisk or with M.L.G. and M.Du. wispel "a measure of grain." Meaning "thin, filmy portion" first attested 1836.

wist (v.) --- to know (archaic), 1508, from O.E. p.t. of witan "to know" (cf. Ger. wusste, p.t. of wissen "to know"); see wit.

wisteria --- 1819, formed by botanist Thomas Nuttall, Eng. botanist, in allusion to Amer. anatomist Caspar Wistar (1761-1818) of Philadelphia. The -e- apparently is a misprint.

wistful --- 1613, "closely attentive," from obsolete wist "intent" (c.1500), of uncertain origin. Perhaps formed on the model of wishful. The meaning of "yearningly eager" is first recorded 1714.

wit (n.) --- mental capacity, O.E. wit, more commonly gewit, from P.Gmc. *witjan (cf. O.S. wit, O.N. vit, Dan. vid, Swed. vett, O.Fris. wit, O.H.G. wizzi "knowledge, understanding, intelligence, mind," Ger. Witz "wit, witticism, joke," Goth. unwiti "ignorance"), from PIE *woid-/*weid-/*wid- "to see," metaphorically "to know" (see vision). Related to O.E. witan "to know" (source of wit (v.)). Meaning "ability to make clever remarks in an amusing way" is first recorded 1542; that of "person of wit or learning" is from c.1470. Witticism coined 1677, by Dryden. For nuances of usage, see humor.

wit (v.) --- know, O.E. witan "to know," from P.Gmc. *witanan "to have seen," hence "to know" (cf. O.S. witan, O.N. vita, O.Fris. wita, M.Du., Du. weten, O.H.G. wizzan, Ger. wissen, Goth. witan "to know"); see wit (n.). The phrase to wit, almost the only surviving use of the verb, is first recorded 1577, from earlier that is to wit (1340), probably a loan-translation of Anglo-Fr. cestasavoir, used to render L. videlicet (see viz.).

witch --- O.E. wicce "female magician, sorceress," in later use esp. "a woman supposed to have dealings with the devil or evil spirits and to be able by their cooperation to perform supernatural acts," fem. of O.E. wicca "sorcerer, wizard, man who practices witchcraft or magic," from verb wiccian "to practice witchcraft" (cf. Low Ger. wikken, wicken "to use witchcraft," wikker, wicker "soothsayer"). OED says of uncertain origin. Klein suggests connection with O.E. wigle "divination," and wig, wih "idol." Watkins says the nouns represent a P.Gmc. *wikkjaz "necromancer" (one who wakes the dead), from PIE *weg-yo-, from *weg- "to be strong, be lively." That wicce once had a more specific sense than the later general one of "female magician, sorceress" perhaps is suggested by the presence of other words in O.E. describing more specific kinds of magical craft. In the Laws of Ælfred (c.890), witchcraft was specifically singled out as a woman's craft, whose practitioners were not to be suffered to live among the W. Saxons:

witch hazel --- 1541, probably from O.E. wice "wych-elm" (from wican "to bend") + hæsel, used for any bush of the pine family. The North American bush, from which a soothing lotion is made, was so called from 1671.

witch hunt --- 1640 in the literal sense; the extended sense is attested from 1932 (in witch-hunting), popularized in Cold War anti-Communist hysteria.

witchcraft --- O.E. wiccecræft, from wicce (see witch) + cræft "power, skill" (see craft). Witchcraft was first declared a crime in Eng. law in 1542; trials there peaked in 1580s and 1640s but fell sharply after 1660. The last, in 1717, ended in acquittal. The Witchcraft Act was repealed 1736.

with --- O.E. wið "against, opposite, toward," a shortened form related to wiðer, from P.Gmc. *withro- "against" (cf. O.S. withar "against," O.N. viðr "against, with, toward, at," M.Du., Du. weder, Du. weer "again," Goth. wiþra "against, opposite"), from PIE *wi-tero-, lit. "more apart," from base *wi- "separation" (cf. Skt. vi, Avestan vi- "asunder," Skt. vitaram "further, farther," O.C.S. vutoru "other, second"). In M.E., sense shifted to denote association, combination, and union, partly by influence of O.N. vidh, and also perhaps by L. cum "with" (as in pugnare cum "fight with"). In this sense, it replaced O.E. mid "with," which survives only as a prefix (e.g. midwife). Original sense of "against, in opposition" is retained in compounds such as withhold, withdraw, withstand. Often treated as a conjunction by ungrammatical writers and used where and would be correct. First record of with child "pregnant" is recorded from c.1200. With it "cool" is black slang, recorded by 1931.

withal --- in addition, 1393, from M.E. with alle (c.1200), superseding O.E. mid ealle "wholly" (see with).

withdraw --- c.1225, "to take back," from with "away" + drawen "to draw," possibly a loan-translation of L. retrahere "to retract." Sense of "to remove oneself" is recorded from c.1300. Withdrawal is first attested 1824. Reference to addictive drugs is first found in 1897, not common until 1920s.

withe --- O.E. wiððe "twisted cord, willow twig" (see withy).

wither --- 1535, alteration of M.E. wydderen "dry up, shrivel" (c.1300), apparently a differentiated and special use of wederen "to expose to weather" (see weather). Cf. Ger. verwittern "to become weather-beaten," from Witter "weather."

withers --- 1580, probably from a dialectal survival of O.E. wiðer "against, contrary, opposite" (see with) + plural suffix. Possibly so called because the withers are the parts of the animal that oppose the load. Cf. Ger. Widerrist "withers," from wider "against" + Rist "wrist."

withhold --- c.1200, from with- "back, away" (see with) + holden "to hold" (see hold (v.)); probably a loan-translation of L. retinere "to withhold." Past participle form withholden was still used 19c.

within --- O.E. wiðinnan, lit. "against the inside," see with + in.

without --- O.E. wiðutan, lit. "against the outside" (opposite of within), see with + out. As a word expressing lack or want of something (opposite of with), attested from c.1200. In use by 1393 as a conjunction, short for without that.

withstand --- O.E. wiðstandan, from wið "against" (see with) + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)); perhaps a loan-translation of L. resistere "to resist" (see resist). Cf. O.N. viðstanda, O.Fris. withstonda, O.H.G. widarstan. In 14c. and early 15c., withsit was in use with the same meaning.

withy --- O.E. wiðig "willow, willow twig," from P.Gmc. *withjon- "willow" (cf. O.N. viðir, Dan. vidje, O.H.G. wida, Ger. Weide "willow"), from PIE *wei-ti-, suffixed form of base *wei- "to bend, twist" (cf. Avestan vaeiti- "osier," Gk. itea "willow," L. vitis "vine," Lith. vytis "willow twig," Pol. witwa, Welsh gwden "willow," Rus. vitvina "branch, bough").

witness --- O.E. witnes "attestation of fact, event, etc., from personal knowledge;" also "one who so testifies;" originally "knowledge, wit," formed from wit (n.) + -ness. The verb is c.1300, from the noun. Christian use (1382) is as a lit. translation of Gk. martys (see martyr). Witness stand is recorded from 1853.

witting --- aware, c.1340 (wittingly), from wit (v.).

witty --- O.E. wittig "clever, wise," from wit (n.) "intellect." Meaning "possessing sparkling wit" is recorded from 1588.

wive (v.) --- to marry (a woman), O.E. wifian, from wif "woman" (see wife). Cf. M.Du. wiven.

wizard --- c.1440, "philosopher, sage," from M.E. wys "wise" (see wise (adj.)) + -ard. Cf. Lith. zynyste "magic," zynys "sorcerer," zyne "witch," all from zinoti "to know." The ground sense is perhaps "to know the future." The meaning "one with magical power" did not emerge distinctly until c.1550, the distinction between philosophy and magic being blurred in the Middle Ages. As a slang word meaning "excellent" it is recorded from 1922.

wizen --- O.E. wisnian, weosnian "to wither," cognate with O.N. visna, O.H.G. wesanen "to dry up, shrivel, wither;" Ger. verwesen "to decay, rot."

woad --- O.E. wad, from P.Gmc. *waido- (cf. Dan. vaid, O.Fris. wed, M.Du. wede, Du. wede, O.H.G. weit, Ger. Waid "woad"), probably cognate with L. vitrium "glass" (see vitreous). Old type of blue dye processed from plant leaves, since superseded by indigo. Fr. guède, It. guado are Gmc. loan-words.

wobbegong --- type of Australian shark, 1852, an Aboriginal word.

wobble (v.) --- 1657, probably from Low Ger. wabbeln "to wobble;" cognate with O.N. vafla "hover about, totter," related to vafra "move unsteadily," from P.Gmc. *wab- "to move back and forth" (see waver). The noun is attested from 1699.

Wobbly --- 1914, member of Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.). Probably some sort of elaboration of the W aspect of the acronym.

Woden --- Anglo-Saxon god, O.E., see Odin.

woe --- O.E. wa, a common exclamation of lament in many languages (cf. L. væ, Gk. oa, Ger. weh, Lettish wai, O.Ir. fe, Welsh gwae, Armenian vay). The noun is attested from c.1175, from the interjection.

woebegone --- c.1300, in me is wo bigone "woe has beset me," from begon "to beset, surround."

wog --- c.1920, "a lower-class babu shipping clerk" [Partridge]; later World War II British armed forces slang for "native of India" (especially as a servant or laborer), possibly shortened from golliwog. Many acronym origins have been proposed, none found satisfactory.

wok --- 1952, from Cantonese.

wold --- O.E. wald (Anglian), weald (W.Saxon) "forest, wooded upland," from P.Gmc. *walthuz (cf. O.S., O.Fris. wald, M.Du. wold, Du. woud, O.H.G. wald, Ger. Wald "forest," Swed. vall "pasture," O.N. völlr "soil, field, meadow"); perhaps connected to wild. The sense development from "forested upland" to "rolling open country" (c.1205) perhaps is from Scand. infl., or a testimony to the historical deforestation of Britain. Not current since mid-16c.; survives mainly in place names (cf. Cotswold).

wolf --- O.E. wulf, from P.Gmc. *wulfaz (cf. O.S. wulf, O.N. ulfr, O.Fris., Du., O.H.G., Ger. wolf, Goth. wulfs), from PIE *wlqwos/*lukwos, from base *wlp-/*lup- (cf. Skt. vrkas, Avestan vehrka-; Albanian ulk; O.C.S. vluku; Rus. volcica; Lith. vilkas "wolf;" O.Pers. Varkana- "Hyrcania," district southeast of the Caspian Sea, lit. "wolf-land;" probably also Gk. lykos, L. lupus). The verb meaning "eat like a wolf" is attested from 1862. Wolves as a symbol of lust are ancient, e.g. Roman slang lupa "whore," lit. "she-wolf" (preserved in Sp. loba, It. lupa, Fr. louve). The equation of "wolf" and "prostitute, sexually voracious female" persisted into 12c., but by Elizabethan times wolves had become primarily symbolic of male lust. The specific use of wolf for "sexually aggressive male" first recorded 1847; wolf-whistle first attested 1952. The image of a wolf in sheep's skin is attested from c.1400. See here for a discussion of "wolf" in I.E. history.

wolfram --- 1757, from Ger. Wolfram, wolform "iron tungstate" (1562), of obscure etymology. It looks like "wolf-cream" (from rahm "cream"), but the second element might be M.H.G. ram (Ger. Rahm) "dirty mark, soot;" if so, perhaps "so called in sign of contempt because it was regarded of lesser value than tin and caused a considerable loss of tin during the smelting process in the furnace" [Klein]. Or perhaps the word is originally a personal name, "wolf-raven."

wolfsbane --- aconite (especially Aconitum lycoctonum), 1548, from wolf + bane; a translation of L. lycoctonum, from Gk. lykotonon, from lykos "wolf" + base of kteinein "to kill."

wolverine --- carnivorous mammal, 1619, alteration of wolvering (1574), of uncertain origin, possibly from wolv-, inflectional stem of wolf, or perhaps from wolver "one who behaves like a wolf" (1593).

woman --- late O.E. wimman (pl. wimmen), lit. "woman-man," alteration of wifman (pl. wifmen), a compound of wif "woman" (see wife) + man "human being" (in O.E. used in ref. to both sexes; see man). Cf. Du. vrouwmens "wife," lit. "woman-man." The formation is peculiar to Eng. and Du. Replaced older O.E. wif, quean as the word for "female human being." The pronunciation of the singular altered in M.E. by the rounding influence of -w-; the plural retains the original vowel. Meaning "wife," now largely restricted to U.S. dial. use, is attested from c.1450. Women's liberation is attested from 1966; women's rights is from 1840, with an isolated example in 1632. Verb womanize originally (1593) meant "to make effeminate;" sense of "to chase women, to go wenching" is attested from 1893.

womb --- O.E. wamb, womb "belly, uterus," from P.Gmc. *wambo (cf. O.N. vomb, O.Fris. wambe, M.Du. wamme, Du. wam, O.H.G. wamba, Ger. Wamme "belly, paunch," Goth. wamba "belly, womb," O.E. umbor "child"), of unknown origin.

wombat --- marsupial mammal of Australia, 1798, from aboriginal Australian womback, wombar.

won --- p.t. and pp. of win, from O.E. gewinnen, pp. of winnan.

wonder (n.) --- O.E. wundor "marvelous thing, marvel, the object of astonishment," from P.Gmc. *wundran (cf. O.S. wundar, M.Du., Du. wonder, O.H.G. wuntar, Ger. wunder, O.N. undr), of unknown origin. In M.E. it also came to mean the emotion associated with such a sight (c.1290). The verb is from O.E. wundrian. Used colloquially in Pennsylvania Ger. areas in some transitive senses (It wonders me that ... for "I wonder why ..."); this was common in M.E. and as late as Tindale (1533), and I am told by a correspondent that the usage also yet survives in Yorkshire/Lincolnshire. Wonderful is recorded from c.1100. Wonderland "imaginary realm" is from 1790; wonder-worker (1599) translates Gk. thaumatourgos.

wondrous --- c.1500, from M.E. wonders (adj.), c.1300, originally gen. of wonder (n.), with suffix altered by influence of marvelous, etc.

wonk --- overly studious person, 1954, Amer.Eng. student slang, popularized 1993 during Clinton administration in U.S.; perhaps a shortening of Brit. slang wonky "shaky, unreliable" (1919), which perhaps is from Ger. wankel- or from from surviving dialectal words based on O.E. wancol "shaky, tottering" (see wench). Or perhaps a variant of Brit. slang wanker "masturbator." It was earlier British naval slang for "midshipman" (1929).

wont --- accustomed, O.E. wunod, pp. of wunian "to dwell, be accustomed," from P.Gmc. *wun- "to be content, to rejoice" (cf. O.S. wunon, O.Fris. wonia "to dwell, remain, be used to," O.H.G. wonen, Ger. wohnen "to dwell;" related to O.E. winnan, gewinnan "to win" (see win) and to wean. The noun meaning "habitual usage, custom" is attested from c.1300. Wonted is first attested 1408, an unconscious double pp.

won't --- contraction of will not, first recorded mid-15c. as wynnot, later wonnot (1584) before the modern form emerged 1667. See will.

woo (v.) --- O.E. wogian, of uncertain origin and with no known cognates; perhaps related to woh, wog- "bent, inclined," as with affection.

wood (adj.) --- violently insane (now obsolete), from O.E. wod "mad, frenzied," from P.Gmc. *woth- (cf. Goth. woþs "possessed, mad," O.H.G. wuot "mad, madness," Ger. wut "rage, fury"), from PIE *wat-, source of L. vates "seer, poet," O.Ir. faith "poet;" "with a common element of mental excitement." [Buck] Cf. O.E. woþ "sound, melody, song," and O.N. oðr "poetry," and the god-name Odin.

wood (n.) --- O.E. wudu, earlier widu "tree, trees collectively, the substance of which trees are made," from P.Gmc. *widuz (cf. O.N. viðr, Dan., Swed. ved "tree, wood," O.H.G. witu "wood"), perhaps from PIE *widhu- "tree, wood" (cf. Welsh gwydd "trees," Gael. fiodh- "wood, timber," O.Ir. fid "tree, wood"). Wooden in the fig. sense of "expressionless and dull" is from 1566. Woodcut first recorded 1662; woodlouse is from 1611, so called from being found in old wood. Woodsy is from 1860; woodwind is first recorded 1876. Woodshed is attested from 1844. Woodwork "article made of wood" is first recorded 1650. Out of the woods "safe" is from 1792.

woodbine --- O.E. wudubinde, a climbing plant, from wudu "wood" (see wood (n.)) + binde "wreath," related to bind (v.). Used of various climbing plants on three continents.

woodchuck --- 1674, alteration (influenced by wood (n.)) of Cree (Algonquian) otchek or Ojibwa otchig, "marten," the name subsequently transferred to the groundhog.

woodcock --- O.E. wuducoc, from wudu "wood" (n.) + coc "cock."

woodpecker --- 1530, from wood (n.) + pecker (see peck (v.)).

woof (1) --- weft, texture, fabric, O.E. owef, from o- "on" + wefan "to weave." With excrescent -w- by influence of warp or weft.

woof (2) --- dog bark noise, first recorded 1804, echoic. Woofer "loudspeaker for bass notes" first attested 1935.

wool --- O.E. wull, from P.Gmc. *wulno (cf. O.N. ull, O.Fris. wolle, M.Du. wolle, Du. wol, O.H.G. wolla, Ger. wolle, Goth. wulla), from PIE *wlna (cf. Skt. urna; Avestan varena; Gk. lenos "wool;" L. lana "wool," vellus "fleece;" O.C.S. vluna, Rus. vulna, Lith. vilna "wool;" M.Ir. olann, Welsh gwlan "wool"). Woolen (British woollen) is O.E. wullen. Fig. expression pull the wool over (someone's) eyes is recorded from 1839, Amer.Eng.

woolgathering --- 1553, "indulging in wandering fancies and purposeless thinking," from the lit. meaning "gathering fragments of wool torn from sheep by bushes, etc."

wooly --- 1578, "resembling or made of wool," from wool (q.v.). Meaning "barbarous, rude" is recorded 1891, from wild and wooly (1884) applied to the U.S. western frontier, perhaps in reference to range steers or to unkempt cowboys.

woozy --- 1897, "muddled or dazed, as with drink," Amer.Eng. colloq., variant of oozy "muddy," or an alteration of boozy (1719), from booze.

wop --- derogatory for "Italian," 1912, Amer.Eng. slang, apparently from southern It. dialect guappo "dandy, dude, stud," a greeting among male Neapolitans, said to be from Sp. guapo "bold, dandy," which is from L. vappa "sour wine," also "worthless fellow;" related to vapidus (see vapid).

Worcester --- Wireceastre (1086), O.E. Wigranceastre (717), Weogorna civitas (691), from Weogora, a tribal name. Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrin's) is attested from 1843.

word --- O.E. word "speech, talk, utterance, word," from P.Gmc. *wurdan (cf. O.S., O.Fris. word, Du. woord, O.H.G., Ger. wort, O.N. orð, Goth. waurd), from PIE *were- "speak, say" (see verb). The meaning "promise" was in O.E., as was the theological sense. In the plural, the meaning "verbal altercation" (as in to have words with someone) dates from 1462. Wordy is O.E. wordig "verbose." Wording "choice of words" apparently was coined by Milton (in "Eikonoklastes," 1649). Word processor first recorded 1970. A word to the wise is from L. phrase verbum sapienti satis est "a word to the wise is enough." Word of mouth is recorded from c.1553.

work (n.) --- O.E. weorc, worc "something done, deed, action, proceeding, business, military fortification," from P.Gmc. *werkan (cf. O.S., O.Fris., Du. werk, O.N. verk, M.Du. warc, O.H.G. werah, Ger. Werk, Goth. gawaurki), from PIE base *werg- "to work" (see urge (v.)).

work (v.) --- a fusion of O.E. wyrcan (past tense worhte, pp. geworht), from P.Gmc. *wurkijanan; and O.E. wircan (Mercian) "to work, operate, function," formed relatively late from P.Gmc. noun *werkan (see work (n.)). Worker as a type of bee is recorded from 1747. Work out "do strenuous physical exercise" first recorded 1909, originally in boxing jargon. Working-class first attested 1789 (n.), 1839 (adj.). Workmanlike "efficient, no-nonsense" is recorded from 1739.

workaday --- c.1200, werkedei, from O.N. virkr dagr "working day;" see work (n.) + day. Older than workday (c.1430). It passed into an adj. 16c.

workaholic --- 1968, coined from work (n.) with second element abstracted absurdly from alcoholic, setting up the Rodney Dangerfield joke, "My old man was a workaholic: every time he thought about work, he got drunk."

world --- O.E. woruld, worold "human existence, the affairs of life," also "the human race, mankind," a word peculiar to Gmc. languages (cf. O.S. werold, O.Fris. warld, Du. wereld, O.N. verold, O.H.G. weralt, Ger. Welt), with a literal sense of "age of man," from P.Gmc. *wer "man" (O.E. wer, still in werewolf; see virile) + *ald "age" (see old). Originally "life on earth, this world (as opposed to the afterlife)," sense extended to "the known world" (e.g. "Greatest Show on Earth"), then to "the physical world in the broadest sense, the universe" (c.1200). In O.E. gospels, the commonest word for "the physical world," was Middangeard (O.N. Midgard), lit. "the middle enclosure" (cf. yard), which is rooted in Gmc. cosmology. Gk. kosmos in its ecclesiastical sense of "world of people" sometimes was rendered in Goth. as manaseþs, lit. "seed of man." The usual O.N. word was heimr, lit. "abode" (see home). Words for "world" in some other I.E. languages derive from the root for "bottom, foundation" (cf. Ir. domun, O.C.S. duno, related to Eng. deep); the Lith. word is pasaulis, from pa- "under" + saule "sun." Original sense in world without end, translating L. sæcula sæculorum, and in worldly. L. sæculum can mean both "age" and "world," as can Gk. aion. Worldwide is from 1632. World power in the geopolitical sense first recorded 1900. World-class is attested from 1950, originally of Olympic athletes.

world war --- first attested 1909 as a speculation, probably a translation of Ger. Weltkrieg. Applied to the first one soon after it began in 1914. World War I coined 1939, replacing Great War as the most common name for it; First World War first attested 1947. World War II so-called since 1939; Second World War is from 1942.

worldly --- O.E. woruldlic, from the roots of world and like (adj.). A common Gmc. compound (cf. O.Fris. wraldlik, O.S. weroldlik, M.Du. wereldlik, Ger. weltlich, O.N. veraldligr). Worldly-wise is recorded from c.1400.

worldview --- 1858, from world + view, translating Ger. weltanschauung.

worm --- O.E. wurm, variant of wyrm "serpent, dragon," also in later O.E. "earthworm," from P.Gmc. *wurmiz (cf. O.S., O.H.G., Ger. wurm, O.Fris., Du. worm, O.N. ormr, Goth. waurms "serpent, worm"), from PIE *wrmi-/*wrmo- "worm" (cf. Gk. rhomos, L. vermis "worm," O.Rus. vermie "insects," Lith. varmas "insect, gnat"), possibly from base *wer- "turn" (see versus). The ancient category of these was much more extensive than the modern, scientific, one and included serpents, scorpions, maggots, and the supposed causes of certain diseases. In Eng., the -o- was a scribal substitution to avoid confusion of -u- and -r- (as also in some, come, monk etc.). As an insult meaning "abject, miserable person" it dates from O.E. The verb meaning "to move like a worm" is recorded from 1610, in fig. senses (attested from 1627) suggesting patient, sinuous progress.

wormhole --- 1593, "hole made by a burrowing insect" (in fruit, etc.), from worm + hole. Astrophysics sense is attested from 1957.

wormwood --- c.1400, folk etymology of O.E. wermod "wormwood," related to vermouth, but the ultimate etymology is unknown. Cf. O.S. wermoda, Du. wermoet, O.H.G. werimuota, Ger. Wermut. Weekley suggests wer "man" + mod "courage," from its early use as an aphrodisiac. Figurative use, however, is usually in reference to its bitter aftertaste. Perhaps because of the folk etymology, it formerly was used to protect clothes and bedding from moths and fleas. "A medecyne for an hawke that hath mites. Take the Iuce of wormewode and put it ther thay be and thei shall dye." ["Book of St. Albans," 1486]