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

aleatory --- of uncertain outcome, lit. "depending on the throw of a die," 1693, from L. aleatorius, from aleator "a dice player," from alea "a die, the dice."

alectryomancy --- divination by means of a cock and grains of corn, 1652, from Gk. alektryon "cock" + manteia "oracle." The first element is lit. "warder-off, fighter," related to alexein "to ward off, drive or keep off" (see Alexander).

Alemanni --- name of a Suebic tribe or confederation that settled in Alsace and part of Switzerland (and source of the Fr. Allemand "German"), from P.Gmc. *Alamanniz, probably meaning "all-man" and denoting a wide alliance of tribes, but perhaps meaning "foreign men" (cf. Allobroges, name of a Celtic tribe in what is now Savoy, in L. lit. "the aliens," in reference to their having driven out the original inhabitants), in which case the al- is cognate with the first element in L. alius "the other" and Eng. else.

alembic --- c.1374, from M.Fr. alambic, via O.Sp., from Arabic al-anbiq "distilling flask," from Gk. ambix "cup," of unknown, possibly Sem., origin.

alert --- 1598, from Fr. alerte "vigilant," from phrase à l'erte "on the watch," from It. all'erta "to the height," from erta "lookout, high tower," orig. fem. of erto, pp. of ergere "raise up," from L. erigere "raise." The adv. is the oldest form in Eng.; the adj. is from 1712, the noun from 1803, and the verb from 1868.

Alethea --- fem. proper name, from Gk. aletheia "truth," from alethus "true," lit. "not concealing," from priv. prefix a- "not" + lethe "forgetfulness, oblivion."

Aleut --- native of the Aleutian Islands, 1780, of unknown origin, probably from a native word. First applied by Russian explorers c.1750, perhaps from Alut, name of a coastal village in Kamchatka [Bright]. Their name for themselves is unangax.

Alexander --- masc. proper name, from L., from Gk. Alexandros "defender of men," from alexein "to ward off, keep off, turn (something) away, defend, protect" + aner (gen. andros) "man." The first element is related to Gk. alke "protection, help, strength, power, courage," alkimos "strong;" cf. also Skt. raksati "protects," O.E. ealgian "to defend." As a kind of cocktail, it is attested from 1930.

Alexandrine --- verse line, 1589, is said to be from O.Fr. Roman d'Alexandre, a poem about Alexander the Great that was popular in the Middle Ages, which used a 12-syllable line of 6 feet (the Fr. heroic verse); it was used in Eng. to vary the heroic verse of 5 feet. The name also sometimes is said to be from Alexandre Paris, medieval Fr. poet, who used such a line (and who also wrote one of the popular Alexander the Great poems).

Alexis --- masc. proper name, from Gk. alexis, from alexein "to ward off, keep, protect" (see Alexander).

alfalfa --- 1845, from Sp. alfalfa, earlier alfalfez, from Arabic al-fisfisa "fresh fodder."

Alfred --- masc. proper name, O.E. Ælfræd, lit. "elf-counsel," from ælf (see elf) + ræd "counsel."

algae --- (plural), 1794, from alga (sing.), 1551, from L. alga "seaweed," of uncertain origin, perhaps from a PIE base meaning "to putrefy, rot."

algebra --- 1551, from M.L. from Arabic al jebr "reunion of broken parts" as in computation, used 9c. by Baghdad mathematician Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi as the title of his famous treatise on equations ("Kitab al-Jabr w'al-Muqabala" "Rules of Reintegration and Reduction"), which also introduced Arabic numerals to the West. The accent shifted 17c. from second syllable to first. The word was used in Eng. 15c.-16c. to mean "bone-setting," probably from the Arabs in Spain.

Algernon --- masc. proper name, lit. "with mustaches," from O.Fr. als gernons, from a les "to the, with the" + gernon, var. of grenon "mustache," from V.L. *granonem, from a Gmc. source (cf. granu "mustache").

-algia --- suffix denoting "pain," from Gk. algos "pain," algein "to feel pain," of unknown origin. Related to alegein "to care about," originally "to feel pain."

Algol --- variable star in the constellation Perseus, 1390, lit. "the Demon," from Arabic al-ghul "the demon." It corresponds, in modern representations, to the gorgon's head Perseus is holding, but it probably was so called for its periodic visible dimming, which sets it apart from other bright stars. The computer language (1959) is a contraction of algo(rithmic) l(anguage) (see algorithm).

Algonquin --- one of an Indian people living near the Ottawa River in Canada, 1625, from Fr. Algonquin, perhaps a contraction of Algoumequin, from Micmac algoomeaking "at the place of spearing fish and eels." But Bright suggests Maliseet (Algonquian) elægomogwik "they are our relatives or allies." Algonquian (1885) was the name taken by ethnologists to describe a large group of N.Amer. Indian peoples, including this tribe.

algorithm --- 1699, from Fr. algorithme refashioned (under mistaken connection with Gk. arithmos "number") from O.Fr. algorisme "the Arabic numeral system," from M.L. algorismus, a mangled transliteration of Arabic al-Khwarizmi "native of Khwarazm," surname of the mathematician whose works introduced sophisticated mathematics to the West (see algebra). The earlier form in M.E. was algorism (c.1230), from O.Fr. Modern use of algorithmic to describe symbolic rules or language is from 1881.

Alhambra --- palace of the Moorish kings in Granada, Sp., from Arabic (al kal'at) al hamra "the red (castle)," from fem. of ahmuru "red." So called for the sun-dried bricks of which its outer walls were built.

alias --- c.1432, "otherwise called," from L. form of alius "at another time, in another way," from alius "(an)other," from PIE *al- "beyond" (cf. Skt. anya "other, different," Avestan anya-, Armenian ail, Gk. allos "another," Goth. aljis "other," O.E. elles "otherwise, else"). The noun meaning "assumed name" is first recorded 1605.

alibi --- 1743, "the plea of having been elsewhere when an action took place," from L. alibi "elsewhere," locative of alius "(an)other" (see alias). The weakened sense of "excuse" is attested since 1912, but technically any proof of innocence that doesn't involve being "elsewhere" is an excuse, not an alibi.

Alice --- fem. proper name, from O.Fr. Aliz, from O.H.G. Adalhaid, lit. "nobility, of noble kind" (see Adelaide). Allison is a dim. form.

alien (adj.) --- 1340, "strange, foreign," from O.Fr. alien, from L. alienus "of or belonging to another," adj. form of alius "(an)other" (see alias). Meaning "of another planet" first recorded 1944 in science fiction writing; the noun in this sense is from 1953. The noun sense of "foreigner" is first attested 1330. An alien priory (1502) is one owing obedience to a mother abbey in a foreign country.

alienate --- 1548, "make estranged" (in feelings or affections), from L. alienatus, pp. of alienare "to make another's, estrange," from alienus "of or belonging to another person or place," from alius "(an)other" (see alias). Alienation in the sense of "transfer of ownership" is from 1388; it also meant "loss or derangement of mental faculties, insanity" (1482), hence alienist (1864, from Fr. aliéniste) "one who treats mental diseases." Alienation of affection as a U.S. legal term in divorce cases for "falling in love with someone else" is from 1861.

alight (adj.) --- on fire, c.1420, apparently from pp. of M.E. alihton (O.E. on-lihtan) "to light up," also "to shine upon."

alight (v.) --- dismount, O.E. alihtan, from a- "down, aside" (see a- (1)) + lihtan "get off, make light" (see light (v.)).

align --- c.1410, from M.Fr. aligner, from O.Fr. alignier, from à "to" + lignier "to line," from L. lineare, from linea (see line). Alignment first attested 1790.

alike --- O.E. gelic and/or onlice "similar," from P.Gmc. *galikam "associated form" (cf. O.Fris. gelik, Ger. gleich, Goth. galeiks, O.N. glikr; see like).

alimentary --- 1615, from M.L. ailimentarius "pertaining to food," from alimentum "nourishment," from alere "to nourish, rear, support, maintain," from PIE base *al- "to grow, nourish" (see old). Aliment "nourishment" was in Eng. from 1477.

alimony --- 1655, from L. alimonia "food, support, nourishment, sustenance," from alere "to nourish" (see old) + -monia suffix signifying action, state, condition. Derived form palimony coined 1979.

Aline --- fem. proper name, from Fr., short for Adeline (q.v.).

A-line --- descriptive of a dress or skirt flared in shape of a letter "A," 1955, in ref. to Christian Dior.

Alison --- fem. proper name, from Fr., a dim. of Alice (q.v.).

alive --- c.1200, from O.E. on life "in living." The fuller form on live was still current 17c. Alive and kicking "alert, vigorous," attested from 1859.

alkahest --- universal solvent sought by alchemists, 1641, from Fr. alcahest, from M.L. alcahest, a pseudo-Arabic word coined by Paracelsus (see alchemy).

alkali --- c.1386, "soda ash," from M.L. alkali, from Arabic al-qaliy "the ashes" (of saltwort, a plant growing in alkaline soils), from qalay "to roast in a pan." The modern chemistry sense is from 1813. Alkaline is attested from 1677.

all --- O.E. eall "all, every, entire," from P.Gmc. *alnaz (cf. O.Fris., O.H.G. al, O.N. allr, Goth. alls), with no certain connection outside Gmc. All-fired (1837) is U.S. slang euphemism for hell-fired. First record of all out "to one's full powers" is 1880. At all (c.1350) was formerly only in the affirmative, recently usually negative except in literary attempts at Irish dialect. All-star (adj.) is from 1889; all-American is from 1888, with ref. to baseball teams composed of the best players from the U.S. All-terrain vehicle first recorded 1970. All clear as a signal of "no danger" is recorded from 1902. All right, indicative of approval, is attested from 1953.

Allah --- 1702, Arabic name for the Supreme Being, from Arabic Allahu, contr. of al-Ilahu, from al "the" + Ilah "God," rel. to Heb. Elohim.

allay --- O.E. alecgan "to put down, remit, give up," a Gmc. compound (cf. Goth. uslagjan, O.H.G. irleccan, Ger. erlegen), from a- "down, aside" + lecgan "to lay" (see lay). Pronunciations of early M.E. -y- and -g- were not always distinct, and the word was confused in M.E. with various senses of Romanic-derived alloy and allege, especially the latter in an obs. sense of "to lighten," from L. ad- "to" + levis. "Amid the overlapping of meanings that thus arose, there was developed a perplexing network of uses of allay and allege, that belong entirely to no one of the original vbs., but combine the senses of two or more of them." [OED] The double -l- is 17c., a mistaken Latinism.

allege --- c.1300, it has the form of one O.Fr. verb and the meaning of another. The form is Anglo-Fr. aleger, from O.Fr. eslegier "to clear at law," from L. ex- "out of" and litigare "bring suit" (see litigate), but eslegier meant "acquit, clear of charges in a lawsuit." It somehow acquired the meaning of Fr. alléguer, from L. allegare "send for, to bring forth, name, produce in evidence," from ad- "to" + legare "to depute, send" (see allay).

allegiance --- 1399, from Anglo-Fr. legaunce "loyalty of a liege-man to his lord," from O.Fr. legeance, from liege (see liege); erroneously associated with L. ligare "to bind;" corrupted in spelling by confusion with the now-obsolete legal term allegeance "alleviation." General fig. sense of "recognition of claims to respect or duty" is attested from 1732.

allegory --- 1382, from O.Fr. allegorie, from L. allegoria, from Gk. allegoria "description of one thing under the image of another," from allos "another, different" (see alias) + agoreuein "speak openly, speak in the assembly," from agora "assembly."

allegro --- 1683 as a musical term, from It. allegro "cheerful, gay," from L. alacer (fem. alacris) "lively, cheerful, brisk" (see alacrity).

alleluia --- 1382, from L. alleluja, from Gk. allelouia, from Heb. hallelu-yah "praise Jehovah" (see hallelujah).

allemande --- Ger. dance, 1775, from Fr. fem. of allemand "German" (see Alemanni).

Allen --- wrench, key, screw, etc. with hexagonal socket or head, 1930, from the Allen Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

allergy --- 1911, from Ger. Allergie, coined 1906 by Clemens E. von Pirquet (1874-1929), Austrian pediatrician, from Gk. allos "other, different, strange" (from PIE *al- "beyond;" see alias) + ergon "activity" (see urge (v.)).

alleviate --- 1528, from L.L. alleviatus, pp. of alleviare "to lighten," from L. ad- "to" + levis "light" in weight (see lever).

alley --- 1360, "passage in a house, covered way, walk in a garden," from O.Fr. alée, from alé, fem. pp. of aler "to go," which ultimately may be a contraction of L. ambulare "to walk," or a back-formation from L. allatus "having been brought to." Applied c.1400 to "long narrow enclosure for playing at bowls, skittles, etc." The meaning "passage between buildings" is from c.1510; the word also is applied in Amer.Eng. to what in London is called a mews (q.v.). To be up someone's alley "in someone's neighborhood" (lit. or fig.) is from 1931; alley-cat first attested 1904.

alliance --- 1297, from O.Fr. aliance, from alier "combine, unite" (see ally). Originally of union by marriage.

allied --- 1297, see ally. Originally of kindred; in ref. to league or formal treaty, it is first recorded 1393.

alligator --- 1568, lagarto, modern form attested from 1623, a corruption of Sp. el lagarto (de Indias) "the lizard (of the Indies)," from L. lacertus (see lizard). Alligarter was an early variant. The slang meaning "non-playing devotee of swing music" is attested from 1936; the phrase see you later, alligator is from a 1957 song title.

alliteration --- 1656, "to begin with the same letter," from Mod.L. alliterationem (nom. alliteratio) from alliteratus, pp. of alliterare, from L. ad- "to" + littera (also litera) "letter, script" (see letter). Formed on model of obliteration, etc.

allocate (v.) --- 1640, from adj. (1438), from M.L. allocate (the common first word of writs authorizing payment), imperative pl. of allocare "allocate," from L. ad- "to" + locare "to place."

allopathy --- 1842, "treatment of disease by remedies that produce effects opposite to the symptoms," from Ger. Allopathie (Hahnemann), from Gk. allos "other" (see alias) + -patheia "effect," from pathos "suffering" (see pathos). The term applied by homeopathists to traditional medicine. Allopathic is attested from 1830.

allot --- 1474, from O.Fr. aloter "to divide by lots, to divide into lots," from à "to" + loter "lot," a word of Gmc. origin (cf. Goth. hlauts, O.H.G. hloz, O.E. hlot; see lot).

allow --- c.1300, from O.Fr. alouer "approve," from L. allaudare, compound of ad- "to" + laudare "to praise," confused and merged in O.Fr. with alouer "assign," from L. allocare (see allocate). From the first word came the sense "permission based on approval," from the second the meaning preserved in allowance "a limited portion or sum (usually of money or food)," first recorded 1440.

alloy --- 1596, from Anglo-Fr. alai, from O.Fr. aleier "mix with a baser metal," from L. alligare, compound of ad- "to" + ligare "to bind" (see ligament); hence "bind one thing to another."

allspice --- spice made from the berry of the Jamaican pimento, 1621, from all + spice, "so called because supposed to combine the flavour of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves." [Weekley]

allude --- 1533, from M.Fr. alluder, from L. alludere "to joke, jest," from ad- "to" and ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Originally "mock," later, "make a fanciful reference to."

allure (v.) --- 1402, from Anglo-Fr. alurer, from O.Fr. aleurer "to attract, captivate," from à "to" + loirre "falconer's lure," from a Frank. word (see lure), perhaps infl. by Fr. allure "gait, way of walking." The noun is first attested 1548, properly it is allurement.

allusion --- 1548, from L. allusionem (nom. allusio) "a playing with, a reference to," from allus-, stem of alludere (see allude). An allusion is never an outright or explicit mention of the person or thing the speaker seems to have in mind.

alluvium --- matter deposited by flowing water, 1665, from M.L. alluvium, neut. of alluvius "washed against," from L. alluere "wash against," from ad- "to, against" + -luere, comb. form of lavere "to wash" (see lave). Alluvial first attested 1802.

ally (v.) --- 1297, from O.Fr. alier "combine, unite," from a differentiated stem of aleier (source of alloy), from L. alligare "bind to" (see alloy). The noun is 1598 in the sense of "united with another by treaty or league," from the verb.

Alma --- fem. proper name, from L. Alma "nourishing," fem. of almus, from alere "to nourish" (see old).

Alma Mater --- 1398, from L., lit. "bountiful mother," title Romans gave to goddesses, especially Ceres and Cybele, from alma, fem. of almus "nourishing," from alere "to nourish" (see old) + mater "mother." First used 1710 in sense of "one's university or school" in ref. to British universities.

almagest --- c.1386, treatise on astronomy by Claudius Ptolemy of Alexandria, extended in M.E. to other works on astrology or astronomy, from O.Fr. almageste, from Arabic al majisti, from al "the" + Gk. megiste "the greatest (composition)," from fem. of megistos, superl. of megas "great" (see mickle). Originally titled in Gk. Megale syntaxis tes astronomios "Great Work on Astronomy;" Arab translators in their admiration altered this.

almah --- Egyptian dancing-girl, belly-dancer, 1814, perhaps from Arabic almah (fem. adj.), "learned, knowing," from alama "to know." Or perhaps from a Sem. root meaning "girl" (cf. Heb. alma "a young girl, a damsel").

almanac --- c.1391, attested in Anglo-L. from 1267, via O.Fr. almanach or M.L. almanachus from Spanish-Arabic al-manakh "calendar, almanac" (occurring nowhere else in Arabic), possibly ult. from Late Gk. almenichiakon "calendar," probably of Coptic origin. This word has been the subject of much speculation; its central syllable may be from or influenced by the PIE root of Mod.E. moon and month.

almighty --- O.E. ælmihtig, compound of æl "all" + mihtig "mighty," common Gmc. (cf. O.S. alomahtig, O.H.G. alamahtic), perhaps an early P.Gmc. loan-translation of L. omnipotens (see omnipotent). "The almighty dollar, that great object of universal devotion throughout our land." [Washington Irving, 1836]

Almohades --- 12c. Muslim religious power that ruled Spain and North Africa, founded by Mohammed ibn Abdullah, the name is lit. "the Unitarians," short for Arabic al-muwahhidun "they who profess the unity (of God)," so called for their absolutist monotheism.

almond --- c.1300, from O.Fr. almande, from V.L. *amendla, from L. amygdala, from Gk. amygdale, of unknown origin, perhaps a Sem. word. Altered in M.L. by infl. of amandus "loveable," and acquiring in Fr. an excrescent -l- perhaps from Sp. almendra "almond," via confusion with the Ar. definite article al-, which formed the beginnings of many Sp. words. Applied to eyes shaped like almonds, esp. of certain Asiatic peoples, from 1870.

almoner --- official distributor of alms on behalf of another, c.1300, from O.Fr. almosnier (12c.), from V.L. *almosinarius, from L.L. elemosinarius (adj.) "connected with alms," from eleemosyna "alms" (see alms).

Almoravides --- Muslim Berber horde from the Sahara which founded a dynasty in Morocco (11c.) and conquered much of Spain and Portugal. The name is Sp., from Arabic al-Murabitun, lit. "the monks living in a fortified convent."

almost --- O.E. eallmæst, compound of eal, al "all" + mæst "most."

alms --- O.E. ælmesse, from P.Gmc. *alemosna, an early borrowing of V.L. *alemosyna, from Church L. eleemosyna (Tertullian, 3c.), from Gk. eleemosyne "pity, mercy," in Ecclesiastical Gk. "charity, alms," from eleemon "compassionate," from eleos "pity, mercy," of unknown origin, perhaps imitative of cries for alms.

aloe --- O.E. aluwan (pl.) "fragrant resin of an E. Indian tree," a Biblical usage, from L. aloe, from Gk. aloe, translating Heb. ahalim (pl., perhaps ult. from a Dravidian language). The Gk. word probably was chosen for resemblance of sound to the Heb., since the Gk. and L. words originally referred to a genus of plants with bitter juice, used as a purgative drug, a sense which appeared in Eng. 1398. The word was then mis-applied to the American agave plant in 1682.

aloft --- c.1200, from O.N. a lopti "up above," lit. "up in the air," from a "in, on" + lopt "sky, loft" (cf. Goth. luftus, O.H.G. luft, O.E. lyft "air").

aloha --- 1798, Hawaiian aloha, Maori aroha, an expression used in greeting or valediction, lit. "love, affection, pity." Sometimes aloha 'oe, from 'oe "to you."

alone --- c.1300 contraction of O.E. all ana "all by oneself," from all "all, wholly" + an "one." Similar compounds found in Ger. (allein) and Du. (alleen).

along --- O.E. andlang "alongside of," from and- "opposite, against" (from P.Gmc. *andi-, *anda- from PIE *anti "against," locative singular of *ant- "front, forehead") + lang "long" (see long (adj.)). Sense extended to "through the whole length of." Alongside is from 1707.

aloof --- 1532, from a- (1) + M.E. loof "weather gage," also "windward direction," probably from Du. loef "the weather side of a ship." Originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other quarter, hence the fig. sense of "at a distance, apart" (1583).

aloud --- c.1374, from a- (1) + loud (q.v.).

Alp --- 1598, "any high, snow-capped mountain," from Alps, from Fr. Alpes, from L. Alpes "the Alps," perhaps from altus "high," or albus "white" or from a Celtic word (according to Servius), or a pre-I.E. root. Alpenstock (1829) "long iron-pointed staff used for hiking in mountains" is Ger., lit. "Alpine stick."

alpaca --- 1792, from Sp., probably from Aymara allpaca, related to Quechua p'ake "yellowish-red." The al- is perhaps from the Arabic definite article (see almond).

alphabet --- 1567 (implied in alphabetical), from L.L. alphabetum (Tertullian), from Gk. alphabetos, from alpha + beta, the first two letters of it, from Heb.-Phoen. aleph, pausal form of eleph "ox" + beth, lit. "house;" the letters so called because their shapes resembled or represented those objects. The Greeks added -a to the end of many Heb.-Phoenician letter names because Gk. words cannot end in most consonants. Alphabet soup first attested 1907.

Alphonso --- masc. proper name, from Sp. Alfonso, from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. Adalfuns, from adal "noble" + funs "ready").

already --- c.1300, compound of all + ready. Colloquial use in U.S. as a terminal emphatic (e.g. enough, already!) is attested from 1903, translating Yiddish shoyn, which is used in same sense. The pattern also is attested in Pennsylvania German and in S.African.

alright --- frequent spelling of all right, attested from 1893. "There are no such forms as all-right, or allright, or alright, though even the last, if seldom allowed by the compositors to appear in print, is often seen ... in MS." [Fowler]

Alsace --- region between France and Germany (disputed by them 18c.-19c.), M.L. Alsatia, from O.H.G. *Ali-sazzo "inhabitant of the other (bank of the Rhine)," from P.Gmc. *alja "other" + O.H.G. -sazzo "inhabitant," lit. "one who sits." Alsatian was adopted 1917 by the Kennel Club for "German Shepherd dog" to avoid the associations of German; the breed has no connection with Alsace.

also --- O.E. eallswa "exactly so," compound of all + so. The demonstrative sense of "similarly" weakened to "in addition to" in 12c., replacing eke. The compound has parallel forms in Ger. also, Du. alzoo. Also-ran is attested from 1896, originally in ref. to horse-races.

Altair --- bright star in the constellation Aquila, 16c., from Arabic Al Nasr al Tair "the Flying Eagle," from tair, part. of tara "it flew."

altar --- O.E., from L. altare (pl. altaria), probably originally meaning "burnt offerings," but infl. by L. altus "high."