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

monastic --- c.1449, from M.Fr. monastique, from L.L. monasticus, from Late Gk. monastikos "solitary, pertaining to a monk," from Gk. monazein "to live alone."

Monday --- O.E. monandæg "day of the moon," from mona (gen. monan) + dæg (see day). Common Gmc. (cf. O.N. manandagr, O.Fris. monendei, Ger. Montag) loan-translation of L.L. Lunæ dies, source of the day name in Romance languages (cf. Fr. lundi, It. lunedi, Sp. lunes), itself a loan-translation of Gk. selenes hemera. The name for this day in Slavic tongues generally means "day after Sunday." Phrase Monday morning quarterback is attested from 1932, Monday being the first day back at work after the weekend, when school and college football games were played. Black Monday (1359) is the Monday after Easter day, though how it got its reputation for bad luck is a mystery. Saint Monday (1753) was "used with reference to the practice among workmen of being idle Monday, as a consequence of drunkenness on the Sunday" before [OED]. Clergymen, meanwhile, when indisposed complained of feeling Mondayish (1804) in ref. to effects of Sunday's labors.

mondo --- very much, extreme, 1979, from It. mondo "world," from "Mondo cane," 1961 film, lit. "world for a dog" (Eng. title "A Dog's Life"), depicting eccentric human behavior; the word was abstracted from the original title and taken as an intensifier.

monetary --- of or pertaining to money, 1802, from L.L. monetarius "pertaining to money," originally "of a mint," from L. moneta "mint, coinage" (see money).

money --- c.1290, "coinage, metal currency," from O.Fr. moneie, from L. moneta "mint, coinage," from Moneta, a title of the Roman goddess Juno, in or near whose temple money was coined; perhaps from monere "advise, warn" (see monitor), with the sense of "admonishing goddess," which is sensible, but the etymology is difficult. Extended early 19c. to include paper money. To make money "earn pay" is first attested 1457. Highwayman's threat your money or your life first attested 1841. Phrase in the money (1902) originally meant "one who finishes among the prize-winners" (in a horse race, etc.). The challenge to put (one's) money where (one's) mouth is is first recorded 1942. Moneybags "rich person" is from 1818; money-grub "one who is sordidly intent on amassing money" is from 1768.

monger --- O.E. mangere, from P.Gmc. mangojan (cf. O.S. mangon, O.N. manga), from L. mango (gen. mangonis) "dealer, trader," from a noun derivative of Gk. manganon "contrivance, means of enchantment," from PIE base *mang- "to embellish, dress, trim." Used in comb. form in Eng. since at least 12c.; since 16c. chiefly with overtones of petty and disreputable. The modern verb is first recorded 1928, from the noun (but there was a verb form in O.E.).

Mongol --- 1738, native name, said to be from mong "brave." Mongolian as a classification for "the Asiatic race" is from 1868; mongoloid is 1899 for the genetic defect causing mental retardation (see Down's Syndrome), from Mongol + Gk. -oeides "like, resembling." Such people were called Mongolian from 1866.

mongoose --- snake-killing ichneumon of India, 1698, perhaps via Port., from an Indic language (cf. Mahrathi mangus "mongoose"), probably ult. from Dravidian (cf. Telugu mangisu, Kanarese mungisi). The form of the Eng. word altered by folk-etymology.

mongrel --- 1486, "mixed breed dog," from obs. mong "mixture," from O.E. gemong "mingling" (base of among), from P.Gmc. *mong- "mix." With pejorative suffix (cf. wastrel). Meaning "person not of pure race" is from 1542.

moniker --- 1849, said to be originally a hobo term (but attested in London underclass from 1851), of uncertain origin; perhaps from monk (monks and nuns take new names with their vows, and early 19c. British tramps referred to themselves as "in the monkery").

monism --- the philosophical doctrine that there is only one principle, 1862, from Mod.L. monismus, from Gk. monos "alone." First used in Ger. by Ger. philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff (1679-1754).

monition --- warning, c.1375, from O.Fr. monition, from L. monitionem (nom. monitio) "warning, reminding," noun of action from monere "to warn" (see monitor).

monitor --- 1546, "senior pupil at a school charged with keeping order, etc.," from L. monitor "one who reminds, admonishes, or checks," from monere "to admonish, warn, advise," related to memini "I remember, I am mindful of," and to mens "mind," from PIE base *men- "to think" (see mind (n.)). The lizard so called because it is supposed to give warning of crocodiles (1826). Meaning "squat, slow-moving type of ironclad warship" (1862) so called from name of the first vessel of this design, chosen by Capt. Ericsson because it was meant to "admonish" the Confederate leaders in the U.S. Civil War. Broadcasting sense of "a device to continuously check on the technical quality of a transmission" (1931) led to special sense of "a TV screen displaying the picture from a particular camera." The verb is attested from 1924.

monk --- O.E. munuc, from P.Gmc. *muniko- (cf. O.Fris. munek, M.Du. monic, O.H.G. munih, Ger. Mönch), an early borrowing from V.L. *monicus (cf. Fr. moine, Sp. monje, It. monaco), from L.L. monachus "monk," originally "religious hermit," from Late Gk. monakhos "monk," noun use of a classical Gk. adj. meaning "solitary," from monos "alone" (see mono-).

monkey --- 1530, likely from an unrecorded M.L.G. *moneke or M.Du. *monnekijn, a colloquial word for "monkey," originally a dim. of some Romanic word, cf. Fr. monne (16c.), O.It. monna, Sp. mona. In a 1498 Low Ger. version of the popular medieval beast story "Roman de Renart" ("Reynard the Fox"), Moneke is the name given to the son of Martin the Ape. The O.Fr. form of the name is Monequin (recorded as Monnekin in a 14c. version from Hainault), which could be a dim. of some personal name, or it could be from the general Romanic word, which may be ult. from Arabic maimun "monkey," lit. "auspicious," a euphemistic usage because the sight of apes was held by the Arabs to be unlucky. The word would have been influenced in It. by folk-etymology from monna "woman," a contraction of ma donna "my lady." Monkey has been used affectionately for "child" since 1605. As a type of modern popular dance, it is attested from 1964. Monkeyshines is first recorded 1832, Amer.Eng.; monkey business attested from 1883. Monkey suit "fancy uniform" is from 1886. Monkey wrench is attested from 1858; its fig. sense of "Something that obstructs operations" is from the notion of one getting jammed in the gears of machinery (cf. spanner in the works). To make a monkey of someone is attested from 1900. To have a monkey on one's back "be addicted" is 1930s narcotics slang, though the same phrase in the 1860s meant "to be angry." There is a story in the Sinbad cycle about a tormenting ape-like creature that mounts a man's shoulders and won't get off, which may be the root of the term. In 1890s British slang, to have a monkey up the chimney meant "to have a mortgage on one's house." The three wise monkeys ("see no evil," etc.) are attested from 1926.

mono- --- from Gk. mono-, comb. form of monos "single, alone," from PIE base *men- "small, isolated," also represented by Gk. manos "rare, sparse," and perhaps by Eng. minnow.

monoceros --- c.1300, "the unicorn," from O.Fr., from L., from Gk. monokeros, from mono- "single" (see mono-) + keras "horn."

monochrome --- 1662, "painting or drawing done in different tints of a single color," from Gk. monochromos "of a single color," from monos "single, alone" + khroma (gen. khromatos) "color, complexion, skin." Photographic sense is recorded from 1940.

monocle --- 1886, "single eyeglass," from Fr. monocle, from L.L. monoculus "one-eyed," from Gk. monos "single, alone" + L. oculus "eye."

monoculture --- cultivation of a single crop when others are possible, 1915, from mono- "single" + culture (q.v.).

monogamy --- 1612, from Fr. monogamie, from L.L. monogamia, from Gk. monogamia, from monogamos "marrying only once," from monos "single, alone" + gamos "marriage." Monogamous first recorded 1770.

monogram --- 1696, from Fr. monogramme, from L.L. monogramma (5c.), from Late Gk. monogrammon, "a character formed of several letters in one design," especially in ref. to the signature of the Byzantine emperors, from neut. of monogrammos (adj.) "consisting of a single letter," lit. "drawn with single lines," from Gk. monos "single, alone" + gramma "letter, line." Earlier it meant "sketch or picture drawn in lines only, without shading or color," a sense also found in L. and probably in Gk.

monograph --- 1821, "treatise on a single subject," from mono- + graph "something written."

monokini --- 1964, from mono- (q.v.) + bikini, on mistaken notion that the bi- element was the Gk. prefix meaning "two."

monolith --- 1848, "column consisting of a single large block of stone," from Fr. monolithe, from L. monolithus (adj.) "consisting of a single stone," from Gk. monotlithos, from monos "single, alone" + lithos "stone." Monolithic is first attested 1825. The transf. and fig. use of the noun is from 1934, of the adj. from 1920.

monologue --- 1668, "long speech by one person," from Late Gk. monologos "speaking alone," from Gk. monos "single, alone" + logos "speech, word," from legein "to speak" (see lecture).

monomania --- 1823, from Mod.L., from Gk. monos "single, alone" + mania. Probably on model of earlier Fr. monomanie. Form of insanity in which the patient is mad on one subject only.

mononucleosis --- 1920, coined from mononuclear (1886) + L. -osis "abnormal condition."

monophonic --- of recordings, broadcasts, etc., "having only one output signal," 1958, coined to be an opposite of stereophonic (q.v.).

Monophysite --- 1698, from Church L. Monophysita, from Gk. monophysites, from monos "single, alone" + physis "nature" (see physics). Christian (regarded in the West as a heretic) who believes there is only one nature in the person of Jesus Christ. Now comprising Coptic, Armenian, Abyssinian and Jacobite churches.

monoplane --- 1907, coined from mono- + (aero)plane. In old planes the wings formed a single surface running across the fuselage.

monopoly --- exclusive control of a commodity or trade, 1534, from L. monopolium, from Gk. monopolion "right of exclusive sale," from mono- (q.v.) + polein "to sell," from PIE base *pel- "to sell, purchase, barter, gain" (cf. Skt. panate "barters, purchases," Lith. pelnas "gain," O.C.S. splenu, Rus. polon "prey, booty," O.N. falr, Du. veil, Ger. feil "for sale, venal"). The popular board game, invented by Charles Darrow, is from 1935. Monopoly money "unreal currency" is attested from 1972, in ref. to the game. Monopolize first recorded 1611; monopolistic is from 1883.

monorail --- 1897, coined from mono- + rail (n.1).

monosyllable --- 1533, from L. monosyllabus "of one syllable," from Gk. monosyllabos, from monos "single, alone" + syllabe "syllable." Monosyllabic, of persons, attested from 1870.

monotheism --- 1660, from Gk. mono-, comb. form of monos "single, alone" + theos "a god" (see Thea).

monotony --- 1706, originally in transf. sense of "wearisome, tiresome," from Fr. monotonie, from Gk. monotonia, from monotonos "monotonous, of one tone," from monos "single, alone" + tonos "tone" (see tenet). Literal sense of "sameness of tone or pitch" is from 1724. Monotone "an unvarying tone in music or speaking" is first attested 1644; monotonous is first recorded 1778; transf. sense of "lacking in variety, uninteresting" is from 1791.

Monroe Doctrine --- in ref. to principles outlined by U.S. President James Monroe in speech to Congress Dec. 2, 1823.

mons --- from L. mons (pl. montes) "mountain," used in various anatomical senses, esp. mons Veneris "mountains of Love," fleshy eminence atop the vaginal opening, 1693; often mons for short.

monseigneur --- 1610, from Fr., title of honor equivalent to "my lord," from mon "my" + seigneur "lord," from L. seniorem, acc. of senior "older." Plural messeigneurs.

monsieur --- 1512, from Fr., from mon sieur "my lord," from sieur "lord," shortened form of seigneur (see monseigneur) It was the historical title for the second son or next younger brother of the king of France.

monsignor --- title conferred on some prelates, 1641, from It. monsignore, formed on model of Fr. monseigneur from equivalent elements in It.

monsoon --- trade wind of the Indian Ocean, 1584, from Du. monssoen, from Port. monçao, from Ar. mawsim "appropriate season" (for a voyage, pilgrimage, etc.), from wasama "he marked." When it blows from the southwest (April through October) it brings heavy rain, hence "the rainy season" (1747).

monster --- c.1300, "malformed animal, creature afflicted with a birth defect," from O.Fr. monstre, from L. monstrum "monster, monstrosity, omen, portent, sign," from root of monere "warn" (see monitor). Abnormal or prodigious animals were regarded as signs or omens of impending evil. Extended c.1385 to imaginary animals composed of parts of creatures (centaur, griffin, etc.). Meaning "animal of vast size" is from 1530; sense of "person of inhuman cruelty or wickedness" is from 1556. In O.E., the monster Grendel was an aglæca, a word related to aglæc "calamity, terror, distress, oppression."

monstrous --- 1460, "unnatural, deviating from the natural order, hideous," from L. monstruosus "strange, unnatural," from monstrum (see monster). Meaning "enormous" is from 1500; that of "outrageously wrong" is from 1573. Monstrosity "abnormality of growth" is from 1555, from L.L. monstrositas "strangeness," from L. monstrosus, a collateral form of monstruosus (cf. Fr. monstruosité). Sense of "quality of being monstrous" is first recorded 1656. Noun meaning "a monster" is attested from 1643.

montage --- 1929, from Fr. montage "a mounting," from O.Fr. monter "to go up, mount" (see mount (v.)). Originally a term in cinematography.

Montanist --- 1449, millenarian and severely ascetic sect that believed in continual direct inspiration of the spirit and offered prominent church roles to women, from Montanus, Christian-inspired prophet in the wilds of Phrygia c.160 C.E. The heresy persisted into the 6c. and helped bring prophecy into disrepute in the established Church.

monte --- gambling card game, 1824, from Sp. monte "mountain," from L. montem (nom. mons), see mount (v.). So called from the heap of cards left after dealing. A favorite in California during the gold rush years. The three-card form (first attested 1877) is of Mexican origin.

Monte Carlo fallacy --- 1957, named for resort in Monaco famous for its gambling casinos. The fallacy of thinking that the probability of a particular outcome rises with the successive number of opposite outcomes. Contrary to the Monte Carlo fallacy, if the roulette wheel stops on black 99 times in a row, the chances that the 100th spin will be red are still just under 50-50.

Montenegro --- from Venetian It. (Tuscan monte nero), lit. "black mountain," a loan-transl. of the local Slavonic name, Crnagora.

Montessori --- 1912, system of education throuh free but guided play, devised 1907 by It. educationist Maria Montessori (1870-1952).

Montezuma's revenge --- severe intestinal infection, such as often suffered by non-natives in Mexico, 1962, in ref. to Montezuma II (1466-1520), Aztec ruler at the time fo the Sp. conquest of Mexico.

month --- O.E. monað, from P.Gmc. *mænoth- (O.N. manaðr, M.Du. manet, Du. maand, O.H.G. manod, Ger. Monat, Goth. menoþs "month"), related to *mænon- "moon" (see moon). Its cognates mean only "month" in the Romance languages, but in Gmc. generally continue to do double duty. Phrase a month of Sundays "a very long time" is from 1832 (roughly 7 and a half months, but never used literally).

monument --- c.1280, "a sepulchre," from L. monumentum "a monument, a memorial," lit. "something that reminds," from monere "to remind, warn" (see monitor). Sense of "structure or edifice to commemorate a notable person, action, or event" first attested 1602. Monumental in the loose sense of "vast, stupendous" is first recorded 1658.

moo --- to make the characteristic sound of a cow, 1549, of imitative origin.

mooch --- 1440, "pretend poverty," from O.Fr. muchier "to hide, sulk, conceal," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Celt. or Gmc. Or the word may be a variant of M.E. mucchen "to hoard, be stingy" (1303), probably originally "to keep coins in one's nightcap," from mucche "nightcap," from M.Du. muste "cap, nightcap," ult. from M.L. almucia, of unknown origin. Sense of "sponge off others" first recorded 1857.

mood (1) --- emotional condition, frame of mind, O.E. mod "heart, frame of mind, spirit, courage," from P.Gmc. *motha- (cf. O.Fris. mod "intellect, mind, courage," O.N. moðr "wrath, anger," M.Du. moet, Du. moed, O.H.G. muot, Ger. Mut "courage," Goth. moþs "courage, anger"), of unknown origin. A much more vigorous word in Anglo-Saxon than currently, and used widely in compounds (e.g. modcræftig "intelligent," modful "proud"). Moody is from O.E. modig "brave, proud, high-spirited;" meaning "subject to gloomy spells" is first recorded 1593 (via a M.E. sense of "angry"). To be in the mood "willing (to do something)" is from 1589. First record of mood swings is from 1942.

mood (2) --- grammatical form indicating the function of a verb, 1569, an alteration of mode (1), but the grammatical and musical (1597) usages of it influenced the meaning of mood (1) in phrases such as light-hearted mood.

Moog --- 1969, from R.A. Moog, U.S. engineer who invented it.

moolah --- money, c.1920, Amer.Eng. slang, of unknown origin.

moon (n.) --- O.E. mona, from P.Gmc. *mænon- (cf. O.S., O.H.G. mano, O.Fris. mona, O.N. mani, Du. maan, Ger. Mond, Goth. mena "moon"), from PIE *me(n)ses- "moon, month" (cf. Skt. masah "moon, month;" Avestan ma, Pers. mah, Arm. mis "month;" Gk. mene "moon," men "month;" L. mensis "month;" O.C.S. meseci, Lith. menesis "moon, month;" O.Ir. mi, Welsh mis, Bret. miz "month"), probably from base *me- "to measure," in ref. to the moon's phases as the measure of time. In Gk., Italic, Celtic, Armenian the cognate words now mean only "month." Gk. selene (Lesbian selanna) is from selas "light, brightness (of heavenly bodies)." Extended 1665 to satellites of other planets. To shoot the moon "leave without paying rent" is British slang from c.1823; card-playing sense perhaps infl. by gambler's shoot the works (1922) "go for broke" in shooting dice. The man in the moon is mentioned since c.1310; he carries a bundle of thorn-twigs and is accompanied by a dog. Some Japanese, however, see a rice-cake-making rabbit in the moon.

moon (v.) --- 1601, "to expose to moonlight;" later "idle about" (1836), "move listlessly" (1848), probably on notion of being moon struck, which is attested from 1674; cf. Gk. selenobletos. The meaning "to flash the buttocks" is first recorded 1968, U.S. student slang, from moon (n.) "buttocks" (1756), "probably from the idea of pale circularity" [Ayto]. See moon (n.).

moon-calf --- abortive, shapeless, fleshy mass, 1565, attributed to the influence of the moon. Later 16c., "deformed creature, monster."

Moonie --- 1974, a member of the Unification Church, headed by Sun Myung Moon.

moonlight (v.) --- hold a second job, especially at night, 1957 (implied in moonlighting), from moonlighter (1954), from the notion of working by the light of the moon. Earlier the word had been used to mean "commit crimes at night" (1882). The noun meaning "light of the moon" is attested from c.1366. Moonlit (1830) is first attested in Tennyson.

moonraker --- a name traditionally given to Wiltshire people, attested from 1787, is from the stock joke about fools who mistook the reflection of the moon in a pond for a cheese and tried to rake it out. But as told in Wiltshire, the men were surprised trying to rake up kegs of smuggled brandy, and put off the revenuers by acting foolish.

moonshine --- illicit liquor, 1785; used also since 1468 with a meaning "unreality," probably connected in that sense with notion of "moonshine in water" (cf. moonraker).

Moor --- North African, Berber, 1390, from O.Fr. More, from M.L. Morus, from L. Maurus "inhabitant of Mauritania" (northwest Africa, a region now corresponding to northern Algeria and Morocco), from Gk. Mauros, perhaps a native name, or else cognate with mauros "black" (but this adj. only appears in late Gk. and may as well be from the people's name as the reverse). Being a dark people in relation to Europeans, their name in the Middle Ages was a synonym for "Negro;" later (16c.-17c.) used indiscriminately of Muslims (Persians, Arabs, etc.) but especially those in India.

moor (n.) --- waste ground, O.E. mor "swamp," from P.Gmc. *mora- (cf. O.S., M.Du. Du. moer "swamp," O.H.G. muor "swamp," also "sea," O.N. mörr "moorland," marr "sea"), perhaps related to mere (2), or from base *mer- "to die," hence "dead land."

moor (v.) --- to fasten (a vessel) by a cable, 1495 (implied in mooring), probably related to O.E. mærels "mooring rope," via unrecorded *mærian "to moor," or possibly borrowed from M.L.G. moren, from W.Gmc. *mairojan (cf. M.Du. maren, said to be originally Frisian, Du. meren "to moor a ship"). Hence mooring (n.), 1758, "place where a vessel can be moored."

mooreeffoc --- coffee-room, viewed from the inside through a glass door, as it was seen by Dickens on a dark London day; ... used by Chesterton to denote the queerness of things that have become trite, when they are seen suddenly from a new angle. [J.R.R. Tolkien]

moose --- 1613, from an Algonquian language, probably Narragansett moos (cf. Abenaki mus, Penobscot muns), said by early sources to be from moosu "he strips off," in reference to the animals' stripping bark for food.

moot --- 1154, from O.E. gemot "meeting" (especially of freemen, to discuss community affairs or mete justice), from P.Gmc. *ga-motan (cf. Old Low Frankish muot "encounter," M.Du. moet, M.H.G. muoz), from collective prefix *ga- + *motan (see meet (v.)). The adj. senses of "debatable" and "not worth considering" arose from moot case, earlier simply moot (n.) "discussion of a hypothetical law case" (1531), in law student jargon, in ref. to students gathering to test their skills in mock cases.

mop (n.) --- 1496, mappe "bundle of yarn, etc., fastened to the end of a stick for cleaning or spreading pitch on a ship's decks," from Walloon (Fr.) mappe "napkin," from L. mappa "napkin" (see map). The verb is first recorded 1709.

mope --- 1568, the sound of the word perhaps somehow suggestive of low feelings (cf. Low Ger. mopen "to sulk," Du. moppen "to grumble, to grouse," Dan. maabe "to mope").

moped --- 1956, from Swed. (c.1952), from (tramp-cykel med) mo(tor och) ped(aller) "pedal cycle with engine and pedals" (the earliest versions had auxiliary pedals).

moppet --- 1601, "endearing term for a baby, a girl, etc.," from M.E. moppe "little child, baby doll" (c.1440) + -et, dim. suffix. The M.E. word also meant "simpleton, fool," and may have been cognate with Low Ger. mop "simpleton." Or, if "baby doll" is the original sense in M.E., perhaps from L. mappa "napkin, tablecloth," hence "rag doll."

moraine --- ridge of rock deposited by a glacier, 1789, from Fr. moraine, from Savoy dialect morena "mound of earth," from Prov. morre "snout, muzzle," from V.L. *murrum "round object," of unknown origin, perhaps from a pre-L. Alpine language.

moral (adj.) --- c.1340, "of or pertaining to character or temperament" (good or bad), from O.Fr. moral, from L. moralis "proper behavior of a person in society," lit. "pertaining to manners," coined by Cicero ("De Fato," II.i) to translate Gk. ethikos (see ethics) from L. mos (gen. moris) "one's disposition," in pl., "mores, customs, manners, morals," of uncertain origin. Meaning "morally good, conforming to moral rules," is first recorded c.1386 of stories, 1638 of persons. Original value-neutral sense preserved in moral support, moral victory, with sense of "pertaining to character as opposed to physical action." The noun meaning "moral exposition of a story" is attested from c.1500. Moralistic formed 1865.