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

comet --- 1154, from O.Fr. comete, from L. cometa, from Gk. (aster) kometes, lit. "long-haired (star)," from kome "hair of the head" (koman "let the hair grow long"), so called from resemblance of the comet's tail to streaming hair.

comeuppance --- 1859, presumably rooted in come up "present oneself for judgment before a tribunal."

comfit --- 1334, "sugarplum," from O.Fr. confite, from L. confectum, from confectionem (see confection).

comfort (v.) --- c.1280, from O.Fr. conforter "to comfort, help, strengthen," from L.L. confortare "to strengthen much" (used in Vulgate), from L. com- intens. prefix + fortis "strong." The n. (c.1225) replaced O.E. frofor. Comfortable is from c.1340. Comforter "quilted coverlet" is from 1832. Comforts (as opposed to necessities and luxuries) is from 1659; comfy first recorded 1829.

comic (adj.) --- 1387, "of comedy in the dramatic sense," from L. comicus, from Gk. komikos "of or pertaining to comedy," from komos (see comedy). Meaning "intentionally funny" first recorded 1791, and comedic (1639) has since picked up the classical sense of the word. "Speaking of the masters of the comedic spirit (if I call it, as he does, the Comic Spirit, this darkened generation will suppose me to refer to the animal spirits of tomfools and merryandrews) ...." G.B. Shaw, 1897 Something that is comic has comedy as its aim or origin; something is comical (c.1432) if the effect is comedy, whether intended or not. Noun meaning "a comedian" is from 1619; that of "comic book or strip" is from 1889. Comic strip first attested 1920; comic book is from 1941.

comma --- 1586, "short phrase," from L. comma, from Gk. komma "clause in a sentence," lit. "piece which is cut off," from koptein "to cut off," from PIE base *(s)kep- "to cut, split." Like colon, period, a Gk. rhetorical term for part of a sentence which has been transferred to the punctuation mark that identifies it. Used as such in Eng. as a L. word from 1530; nativized by 1599.

command --- c.1300, from O.Fr. comander "to order, enjoin," from V.L. *commandare, from L. commendare "to recommend" (see commend), alt. by influence of L. mandare "to commit, entrust" (see mandate). Replaced O.E. bebeodan. The noun is attested from 1552. Commandant is 1687, from Fr. Commandment is c.1280; pronounced as four syllables until 17c. "Of þe x commandements ... þe first comondement is þis, O God we ssul honuri" (c.1280).

commandeer --- 1881, from Du. (esp. Afrikaans) kommandeeren "to command" (for military service), from Fr. commander (see command).

commando --- Afrikaans, "a troop under a commander," from Port., lit. "party commanded," in use c.1809 during the Peninsula campaign, then from 1834, in a S.African sense, of military expeditions of the Boers against the natives; modern sense is from 1940, first attested in Winston Churchill's writings (originally shock troops to repel threatened Ger. invasion of England), who may have picked it up during the Boer War. Phrase going commando "not wearing underwear" attested by 1996, U.S. slang.

comme il faut --- 1756, from Fr., lit. "as it should be."

commedia dell'arte --- 1877, from It., lit. "comedy of art."

commemoration --- c.1384, from O.Fr. commemoration, from L. commemorationem, from commemorare "to call to mind," from com- intens. prefix + memorare "to remind," from memor "mindful of." Commemorate first attested 1599.

commence --- 1314, from O.Fr. comencier, from V.L. *cominitiare, orig. "to initiate as priest, consecrate," from L. com- "together" + initiare "to initiate." The academic sense of commencement "action of taking a full degree," is in M.E.

commend --- c.1325, from L. commendare "to entrust to, praise," from com- intens. prefix + mandare "to commit to one's charge" (see mandate). In some senses, a shortening of recommend.

commensurate --- c.1400, from L.L. commensuratus, from L. com- "with" + L.L. mensuratus, pp. of mensurare "to measure," from mensura (see measure).

comment (n.) --- c.1400, L. commentum in L.L. "comment, interpretation," lit. "invention," neut. pp. of comminisci "to contrive, devise," from com- intens. prefix + base of meminisse "to remember," related to mens (gen. mentis) "mind." Original L. meaning was "something invented;" taken by Isidore and other Christian theologians for "interpretation, annotation." The verb is from c.1450. Commentator in the sports announcer sense is from 1928. No comment as a stock refusal to answer a journalist's question is first recorded 1950, from Truman's White House press secretary, Charles Ross.

commentary --- 1531, from L. commentarius "notebook, annotation," from commentum (see comment). Originally in Eng. as an adj.

commerce --- 1537, from M.Fr. commerce, from L. commercium "trade, trafficking," from com- "together" + merx (gen. mercis) "merchandise" (see market). Commercial is 1687 as an adj.; as a noun meaning "advertising broadcast on radio or TV" it is first recorded 1935.

commiseration --- 1585, from L. commiserationem "act or fact of pitying," from commiserari "to pity," from com- intens. prefix + miserari "bewail, lament," from miser "wretched."

commissar --- 1918, from Rus. komissar, from Ger. Kommissar "commissioner," ult. from M.L. commissarius (see commissary).

commissary --- 1362, "one to whom special duty is entrusted by a higher power," from M.L. commissarius, from L. commissus "entrusted," pp. of committere (see commit). Originally ecclesiastical, the military sense of "official in charge of supply of food, stores, transport" dates to 1489.

commission --- 1344, from L. commissionem (nom. commissio) "delegation of business," from commissus, pp. of committere (see commit).

commit --- c.1390, from L. committere "to bring together," from com- "together" + mittere "to put, send" (see mission). Evolution into modern range of meanings is not entirely clear. Sense of "perpetrating" was ancient in L. Intransitive use (in place of commit oneself) first recorded 1982, probably influenced by existentialism use (1948) of commitment to translate Sartre's engagement "to emotionally and morally engage."

committee --- 1621, revival of Anglo-Fr. commite, pp. of commettre "to commit," from L. committere (see commit). Orig. "person to whom something is committed" (1495), broadened 17c. to mean a body of such people.

commode --- 1786, "chest of drawers," earlier (1688) a fashionable ladies' headdress, from Fr., noun use of adj. commode "convenient, suitable," from L. commodus "suitable," from com- intens. prefix + modus "measure, manner." Meaning of "chair housing a chamber pot" first attested 1851 from notion of convenience.

commodious --- 1423, "beneficial, convenient," from M.L. commodiosus "convenient, useful," from L. commodus (see commode). Meaning "roomy, spacious" first attested 1533.

commodity --- 1410, from M.Fr. commodité "benefit, profit," from L. commoditatem (nom. commoditas) "fitness, adaptation," from commodus (see commode). Commodification first attested 1975, in reference to art theory.

commodore --- 1694, probably from Du. kommandeur, from Fr. commandeur, from O.Fr. comandeor (see command). Above a captain, below a rear-admiral.

common --- 1297, from O.Fr. comun, from L. communis "in common, public, general, shared by all or many," from PIE *ko-moin-i- "held in common," compound adjective formed from *ko- "together" + *moi-n-, suffixed form of base *mei- "change, exchange" (see mutable), hence lit. "shared by all." Second element of the compound also is the source of L. munia "duties, public duties, functions," those related to munia "office." Perhaps reinforced in O.Fr. by Frank. descendant of P.Gmc. *gamainiz (cf. O.E. gemæne "common, public, general, universal"), from the P.Gmc. form of PIE *ko-moin-i- (see mean (adj.)). Used disparagingly of women and criminals since c.1300. Commons "the third estate of the English people as represented in Parliament" is from 1377. Common sense is 14c., originally the power of uniting mentally the impressions conveyed by the five physical senses, thus "ordinary understanding, without which one is foolish or insane" (L. sensus communis, Gk. koine aisthesis); meaning "good sense" is from 1726. Common pleas is 13c., from Anglo-Fr. communs plets, hearing civil actions by one subject against another as opposed to pleas of the crown. Common prayer is contrasted with private prayer.

commonplace (n.) --- 1549, "a statement generally accepted," lit. translation of L. locus communis, from Gk. koinos topos "general topic." The adj. sense of "having nothing original" dates from 1609.

commonwealth --- 1470, "public welfare, general good" (from common + wealth); meaning "the state" is attested from 1513; applied specifically to the government of England in the period 1649-1660.

commotion --- c.1390, from M.Fr. commocion "violent motion, agitation," from L. commotionem (nom. commotio), from commotus, pp. of commovere "to move, disturb," from com- "together" + movere "to move" (see move).

commune (n.) --- 1792, from Fr., "small territorial divisions set up after the Revolution," from M.Fr. commune "free city, group of citizens," from M.L. communia, orig. neut. pl. of L. communis, lit. "that which is common," from communis (see common). The Commune of Paris usurped the government during the Reign of Terror. The word was later applied to a government on communalistic principles set up in Paris in 1871. Adherents of the 1871 government were Communards.

commune (v.) --- 1297, from O.Fr. comuner "to make common, share," from comun (see common).

communication --- c.1384, from O.Fr. communicacion, from L. communicationem (nom. communicatio), from communicare "to impart, share," lit. "to make common," from communis (see common).

communion --- 1382, from O.Fr. communion, from L. communionem (nom. communio) "a sharing," used in L.L. ecclesiastical language for "participation in the sacrament," from communis (see common). Used by Augustine, in belief that the word was derived from com- + unus "oneness, union."

communiqué --- 1852, from Fr., originally pp. of communiquer "to communicate," from L. communicare (see communication). Originally the heading of official statements from the Fr. government.

communism --- 1843, from Fr. communisme (c.1840) from commun (O.Fr. comun; see common) + -isme. Originally a theory of society; as name of a political system, 1850, a translation of Ger. Kommunismus, in Marx and Engels' "Manifesto of the German Communist Party." The first use of communist (n.) is by Goodwyn Barmby, who founded the London Communist Propaganda Society in 1841. Shortened form Commie attested from 1940.

community --- 1375, from O.Fr. communité, from L. communitatem (nom. communitas) "community, fellowship," from communis "common, public, general, shared by all or many," (see common). L. communitatem "was merely a noun of quality ... meaning 'fellowship, community of relations or feelings,' but in med.L. it was, like universitas, used concretely in the sense of 'a body of fellows or fellow-townsmen' " [OED]. An O.E. word for "community" was gemænscipe "community, fellowship, union, common ownership," probably composed from the same PIE roots as communis.

commute --- c.1450, from L. commutare "to often change, to change altogether," from com- intensive prefix + mutare "to change" (see mutable). Sense of "make less severe" is 1633. Sense of "go back and forth to work" is 1889, from commutation ticket "season pass" (on a railroad, streetcar line, etc.), from commute in its sense of "to change one kind of payment into another" (1795), especially "to combine a number of payments into a single one;" commuter is from 1865; the noun commute is from 1960.

compact (adj.) --- 1398, from L. compactus "concentrated," pp. of compingere "to fasten together," from com- "with, together" + pangere "to fix, fasten." The noun meaning "make-up case" first recorded 1921, based on its containing compacted face powder; compact car is 1960. Compact disc is from 1979.

compact (n.) --- agreement, 1591, from L. compactum, pp. of compacisci "come to agreement," from com- "together" + pacisci "to covenant, contract" (see pact).

companion --- 1297, from O.Fr. compaignon "fellow, mate," from L.L. companionem (nom. companio), lit. "bread fellow, messmate," from L. com- "with" + panis "bread." Found first in 6c. Frankish Lex Salica, and probably a translation of a Gmc. word (cf. Gothic gahlaiba "messmate," from hlaib "loaf of bread"). Replaced O.E. gefera "traveling companion," from faran "go, fare."

company --- 1150, from O.Fr. compaignie "body of soldiers," from L.L. companio (see companion). Meaning "subdivision of an infantry regiment" is from 1590. Sense of "business association" first recorded 1553, having earlier been used in reference to trade guilds (1303). Abbreviation co. dates from 1759.

comparison --- 1340, from O.Fr. comparaison, from L. comparationem, from pp. stem of comparare "make equal with, liken," from com- "with" + parare "to make equal."

compartment --- 1564, from M.Fr. compartiment "part partitioned off," through It. compartimento, from L.L. compartiri "to divide," from com- intensive prefix + partis, gen. of pars "part" (see part).

compass --- c.1300, "space, area, extent," from O.Fr. compas, from compasser "to go around, measure, divide equally," from V.L. *compassare "to pace out," from L. com- "together" + passus "a step." The mathematical instrument so called from 1387. The mariners' directional tool (so called since early 15c.) took the name, perhaps, because it's round and has a point like the mathematical instrument. The word is in most European languages, with a mathematical sense in Romance, a nautical sense in Gmc., and both in Eng.

compassion --- 1340, from O.Fr. compassion, from L.L. compassionem (nom. compassio) "sympathy," from compassus, pp. of compati "to feel pity," from com- "together" + pati "to suffer" (see passion). Loan-translation of Gk. sympatheia. Phrase compassion conservatism in American political language first recorded by 1992, popularized, if not coined, by Marvin Olasky, University of Texas at Austin instructor.

compatible --- 1459, from M.Fr. compatible, from M.L. compatibilis, from L.L. compati (see compassion).

compel --- c.1350, from O.Fr. compellir, from L. compellere "to drive together," from com- "together" + pellere "to drive."

compendium --- 1589, from L. compendium "a shortening, saving," lit. "that which is weighed together," from L. compendere "to weigh together," from com- "together" + pendere "to weigh" (see pendant).

compensate --- 1646, from L. compensatus, pp. of compensare "to weigh one thing (against another)," thus, "to counterbalance," from com- "with" + pensare freq. of pendere "to weigh" (see pendant). Compensation "salary or wages" first recorded 1787; meaning "amends for loss or damages" is from 1804.

compete --- 1620, from Fr. compéter "be in rivalry with," from L.L. competere "strive in common," in L., "to come together, agree, to be qualified," later, "strive together," from com- "together" + petere "to strive, seek" (see petition). Rare 17c., and regarded early 19c. as a Scottish or Amer.Eng. word.

competent --- c.1400, from O.Fr. competent, from L. competentem (nom. competens), prp. of competere "coincide, agree" (see compete). Legal sense is from 1483.

compile --- early 14c., from O.Fr. compiler, from L. compilare "to snatch together, plunder, heap," from com- "together" + pilare "to compress, ram down."

complacence --- 1436, from M.L. complacentia "satisfaction, pleasure," from L. complacentem (nom. complacens), prp. of complacere "to be very pleasing," from com- intensive prefix + placere "to please." Sense of "pleased with oneself" is 18c.

complain --- c.1370, from stem of O.Fr. complaindre "to lament," from V.L. *complangere, orig. "to beat the breast," from L. com- intensive prefix + plangere "to strike, beat the breast," from PIE base *plag- "to strike." Older sense of "lament" died out 17c.

complaisant --- 1647, from Fr. complaisant (16c.), from M.Fr., "pleasing," prp. of complaire "acquiesce to please," from L. complacere "be very pleasing" (see complacent, with which it overlapped till mid-19c.).

complement --- 1419, "that which completes," from O.Fr. complement, from L. complementum "that which fills up or completes," from complere "fill up" (see complete). Originally also having senses which were taken up c.1655-1725 by compliment (q.v.).

complete --- c.1384, from O.Fr. complet "full," from L. completus, pp. of complere "to fill up," from com- intensive prefix + plere "to fill" (see plenary).

complex --- c.1652, "composed of parts," from Fr. complexe, from L. complexus "surrounding, encompassing," pp. of complecti "to encircle, embrace," from com- "with" + plectere "to weave, braid, twine." The adj. meaning "not easily analyzed" is first recorded 1715. Psychological sense of "connected group of repressed ideas" was established by C.G. Jung, 1907.

complexion --- 1340, from O.Fr. complexion, "combination of humors," hence "temperament," from L. complexionem (nom. complexio) "combination," from complexus (see complex). Meaning "appearance of the skin of the face" is first recorded c.1450. In medieval physiology, the color of the face indicated temperament.

complication --- 1611, from M.Fr. complication, from L. complicationem, from complicare "to fold together," from com- "together" + plicare "to fold, weave" see ply (v.)). Meaning "something that complicates" first recorded 1903. Complicated "difficult to unravel" is from 1656.

complicity --- 1656, from Fr. complicité, from M.Fr., from O.Fr. complice "accomplice," from L.L. complicem, acc. of complex "partner, confederate," from L. complicare "to fold together" (see complicate).

compliment --- 1578, via Fr., from It. complimento "expression of respect and civility," from V.L. *complire, for L. complere "to complete," via notion of "complete the obligations of politeness." Same word as complement but by a different etymological route; differentiated by spelling after 1650. Complimentary (1716) was originally complementary "ceremonious" (1628), and properly belongs to complement.

comply --- early 14c., from O.Fr. compli, pp. of complir, from L. complere "to fill up" (see complete). Meaning infl. by ply. Originally "to fulfill, carry out," sense of "consent" began c.1600 and may have been a reintroduction from It., where complire had come to mean "satisfy by 'filling up' the forms of courtesy.

component --- 1645, from L. componentem (nom. componens), prp. of componere "to put together" (see composite).

comport --- c.1385, from M.Fr. comporter "endure, behave," from L. comportare "to bring together," from com- "together" + portare "to carry" (see port (1)). Meaning "to agree with, suit" (with with) is from 1589.

compose --- 1475, from O.Fr. composer "put together, arrange" (12c.), from com- "with" + poser "to place," from L.L. pausare "to cease, lay down," ult. from L. ponere "to put, place" (see position). Meaning infl. in O.Fr. by componere (see composite). Musical sense is from 1597. Composed "calm" is from 1621; composure first recorded 1667.

composite (adj.) --- 1563, from O.Fr. composite, from L. compositus, pp. of componere "to put together," from com- "together" + ponere "to place" (see position). The noun is attested from 1656.

compost --- 1388, from M.Fr. composte "mixture of leaves, etc., for fertilizing land," also "condiment," from V.L. *composita, from L. compositus (see composite).

compound (n.) --- 1679, from Du. (kampoeng) or Port., from Malay kampong "village, group of buildings." Spelling infl. bycompound (v.). Originally, "the enclosure for a factory or settlement of Europeans in the East," later used of S.African diamond miners' camps (1893), then of large fenced-in spaces generally (1946).

compound (v.) --- to put together, c.1380, from O.Fr. compon(d)re "arrange, direct," from L. componere "to put together" (see composite). The -d appeared 1500s on model of expound, etc. The adj. is c.1400; the noun meaning "a compound thing" is from 1530.

comprehend --- 1340, "to grasp with the mind," from L. comprehendere "to grasp, seize," from com- "completely" + prehendere "to catch hold of, seize" (see prehensile). Comprehensive "containing much" is from 1662.

compress --- c.1380, "to press (something) together," from O.Fr. compresser, from L. compressare "to press together," frequentative of comprimere "to squeeze," from com- "together" + premere "to press" (see press (v.1)). The noun, in the surgical sense, is from 1599.

comprise --- 1423, from O.Fr. compris, pp. of comprendre "to contain, comprise," from L. comprehendere (see comprehend).

compromise --- 1426, "a joint promise to abide by an arbiter's decision," from M.Fr. compromis, from L. compromissus, pp. of compromittere "to make a mutual promise" (to abide by an arbiter's decision), from com- "together" + promittere (see promise). The main modern sense is from extension to the settlement itself (1479).

comptroller --- c.1500, variant of controller, with bad spelling due to infl. of Fr. compte "an account."

compulsion --- 1462, from M.Fr. compulsion, from L. compulsionem (nom. compulsio), from compulsus, pp. of compellere "compel." Psychological sense is from 1909 in A.A. Brill's translation of Freud's "Selected Papers on Hysteria," where Ger. Zwangsneurose is rendered as compulsion neurosis.

compunction --- c.1340, from O.Fr. compunction (12c.), from L.L. compunctionem (nom. compunctio) "a pricking" (of conscience), from L. compunctus, pp. of compungere "to severely prick, sting," from com- intensive prefix + pungere "to prick." Used in fig. sense by early Church writers. Originally a much more intense feeling, similar to "remorse," or "contrition."

compute --- 1631, from Fr. computer, from L. computare "to count, sum up," from com- "with" + putare "to reckon," orig. "to prune." Computer used for person, 1646; mechanical calculating machine, 1897; and electronic machine, 1946 or 1941. In the modern meaning, "programmable digital electronic computer" is from 1945 (theoretical sense is from 1937, as Turing machine). ENIAC (1946) is usually considered the first. Computerese first recorded 1960.

comrade --- c.1591, from M.Fr. camarade, from Sp. camarada "chamber mate," originally "chamberful," from L. camera (see camera). In Sp., a collective noun referring to one's company. In 17c., sometimes jocularly misspelled comrogue.

Comstockery --- 1905, from Anthony Comstock (1844-1915), founder of New York Society for the Suppression of Vice (1873) and self-appointed crusader against immorality. Coined by George Bernard Shaw after Comstock objected to "Mrs. Warren's Profession." "Comstockery is the world's standing joke at the expense of the United States" [Shaw, "New York Times," Sept. 26, 1905]. The mining sense is from Comstock lode, silver vein in Nevada, discovered 1859 and first worked by U.S. prospector H.T.P. Comstock (1820-70).

con- --- see com-.

con (1) --- negation (mainly in pro and con), 1572, short for L. contra "against" (see contra).

con (2) --- study, from O.E. cunnan "to know, know how" (see can (v.)).

con (3) --- swindle, 1889, Amer.Eng., from confidence man (1849), from the many scams in which the victim is induced to hand over money as a token of confidence. Confidence with a sense of "assurance based on insufficient grounds" dates from 1594.

con (4) --- to guide ships, 1626, from Fr. conduire, from L. conducere (see conduce).

concatenation --- 1603, from L.L. concatenatus, pp. of concatenare "to link together," from com- "together" + catenare, from catena "a chain."

concave --- 1571, from L. concavus "hollow," from com- intensive prefix + cavus "hollow" (see cave (n.)).

conceal --- 1292, from O.Fr. conceler "to hide," from L. concelare "to hide," from com- "together" + celare "to hide," from PIE base *kel- "to hide" (see cell). Replaced O.E. deagan.