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

peak --- pointed top, 1530, variant of pike (2) "sharp point." Meaning "top of a mountain" first recorded 1634, though pike was used in this sense c.1400. Figurative sense is 1784. Meaning "point formed by hair on the forehead" is from 1833. The verb is first recorded 1577, in sense of "to rise in a peak;" meaning "reach highest point" first recorded 1958. The Peak in Derbyshire is O.E. Peaclond, apparently a reference to elf-denizen Peac "Puck."

peaked --- 1835, from pp. of obsolete peak "look sickly or thin" (1550), perhaps from peak in sense of become "pointed" through emaciation.

peal (n.) --- 1377, generally considered a shortened form of appeal, with the notion of a bell that "summons" people to church. This is not entirely convincing, but no better theory has been put forth. Extended sense of "loud ringing of bells" is first recorded 1511. The verb is 1632, from the noun.

peanut --- 1807, earlier ground nut, ground pea (1769). The plant is native to S.America. Portuguese traders took peanuts from Brazil and Peru to Africa by 1502 and it is known to have been cultivated in Chekiang Province in China by 1573, probably arriving with Port. sailors who made stops in Brazil en route to the Orient. Peanut butter is first attested 1903. Peanut gallery "topmost rows of a theater" is from 1888; peanuts "trivial sum" is from 1934.

pear --- O.E. pere, peru, common W.Gmc. (cf. M.Du., M.L.G. pere, Du. peer), from V.L. *pira, fem. sing. of L. pira, pl. of pirum "pear," a loan word from an unknown source.

pearl --- 1258, from O.Fr. perle (13c.), M.L. perla (1244), of unknown origin. Perhaps from V.L. *pernula, dim. of L. perna in Sicily, "pearl," earlier "sea-mussel," lit. "ham," so called for the shape of the mollusk shells. Another theory connects it with the root of pear, also somehow based on shape. The usual L. word for "pearl" was margarita. Pearl Harbor translates Hawaiian Wai Momi, lit. "pearl waters," so named for the pearl oysters found there; transf. sense of "effective sudden attack" is attested from 1942 (in ref. to Dec. 7, 1941).

peasant --- c.1410, from Anglo-Fr. paisant (1341), O.Fr. paisent (12c.), earlier paisenc, from pais "country, region" + Frank. suffix -enc "-ing." Pais is from L.L. pagensis "inhabitant of the district," from L. pagus "country or rural district" (see pagan). Peasantry is attested from c.1553.

pease --- O.E., see pea, of which this is the etymologically correct form.

peat --- c.1200, in Scottish-L., probably from O.Celt. root *pett- (cf. Cornish peyth, Welsh peth "quantity, part, thing," O.Ir. pet, Breton pez "piece"). The earliest sense is not of the turf but of the cut piece of it.

peavey --- a lumbering hook, 1878, said to be named for John Peavey, blacksmith in Bolivar, N.Y., who supposedly invented it.

pebble --- c.1290, from O.E. papolstan "pebblestone," of unknown origin.

pecan --- 1712, paccan "the pecan tree," or a related hickory, from Fr. pacane, from an Algonquian word meaning "nut" (cf. Cree pakan "hard-shelled nut," Ojibwa bagaan, Abenaki pagann, Fox /paka:ni/).

peccadillo --- slight sin, 1591, from Sp. pecadillo, dim. of pecado "a sin," from L. peccatum "a sin, fault, error," from neut. pp. of peccare "to make a mistake, sin," of unknown origin.

peccary --- pig-like animal of S.America, 1613, from Carib (Guiana or Venezuela) pakira, paquira.

peccavi --- 1553, from L., lit. "I have sinned;" past tense of peccare "to sin." So, peccavimus "we have sinned;" peccavit "he has sinned."

peck (n.) --- c.1280, "dry measure of one-quarter bushel," of unknown origin; perhaps connected with O.Fr. pek, picot (13c.), also of unknown origin. Chiefly of oats for horses; original sense may be "allowance" rather than a fixed measure, thus perhaps from peck (v.).

peck (v.) --- c.1300, possibly a variant of picken (see pick (v.)), or in part from M.L.G. pekken "to peck with the beak." Pecker "one who pecks" is from 1697; slang sense of "penis" is from 1902. Peckerwood (1859) is U.S. Southern black dialectal inversion of woodpecker (q.v.); in folklore, taken as the type of white folks (1929) and symbolically contrasted with blackbird. As a behavior among hens, pecking order (1928) translates Ger. hackliste (T.J. Schjelderuo-Ebbe, 1922); transf. sense of "human hierarchy based on rank or status" is from 1955.

peckish --- disposed to peck, somewhat hungry, 1785, from peck (v.).

Peck's bad boy --- unruly or mischievous child, 1883, from fictional character created by George Wilbur Peck (1840-1916).

Pecksniffian --- 1851, after Mr. Pecksniff, unctuous hypocrite in Dickens' "Martin Chuzzlewit" (1844).

pectin --- 1838, from Fr. pectine, coined by Fr. chemist Henri Braconnot (1781-1855) from acide pectique "pectic acid," a constituent of fruit jellies, from Gk. pektikos "curdling, congealing," from pektos "curdled, congealed," from pegnynai "to make stiff or solid," from PIE base *pag-/*pak- "to join together" (see pact).

pectoral (adj.) --- 1578, "pertaining to the breast," from L. pectoralis "of the breast," from pectus (gen. pectoris) "breast, chest." The noun, short for pectoral muscle, is attested from 1758. Slang noun pec is first recorded 1966.

peculate (v.) --- 1749, from L. peculatus, pp. of peculari "to embezzle," from peculum "private property" (see peculiar).

peculiar --- c.1460, from L. peculiaris "of one's own (property)," from peculium "private property," lit. "property in cattle" (in ancient times the most important form of property), from pecu "cattle, flock," related to pecus "cattle" (see pecuniary). Meaning of "unusual" is first attested 1608; peculiarity "special characteristic" is from 1646; noun meaning "an oddity" is 1777.

pecuniary --- 1502, from L. pecuniarius "pertaining to money," from pecunia "money, property, wealth," from pecu "cattle, flock," from PIE base *peku- (cf. Skt. pasu- "cattle," Goth. faihu "money, fortune," O.E. feoh "cattle, money"). Livestock was the measure of wealth in the ancient world. For a related sense development in O.E., see fee. Cf. also Welsh tlws "jewel," cognate with Ir. tlus "cattle," connected via notion of "valuable thing."

pedagogue --- 1387, "schoolmaster, teacher," from O.Fr. pedagogue "teacher of children," from L. paedagogus "slave who escorted children to school and generally supervised them," later "a teacher," from Gk. paidagogos, from pais (gen. paidos) "child" (see pedo-) + agogos "leader," from agein "to lead" (see act). Hostile implications in the word are at least from the time of Pepys. Pedagogy is 1583 from M.Fr. pédagogie, from Gk. paidagogia "education, attendance on children," from paidagogos "teacher."

pedal --- 1611, "lever (on an organ) worked by foot," from Fr. pédale, from It. pedale "treadle, pedal," from L.L. pedale "(thing) of the foot," neut. of L. pedalis "of the foot," from pes (gen. pedis) "foot" (see foot). Extended to various mechanical contrivances by 1789. The verb is from the noun; 1866 of organs, 1888 of bicycles. Pedal-pushers "type of women's trousers suitable for bicycling" is from 1944.

pedant --- 1588, "schoolmaster," from M.Fr. pédant (1566), from It. pedante "teacher, schoolmaster," apparently an alteration of L.L. paedagogantem (nom. paedagogans), prp. of paedagogare (see pedagogue). Meaning "person who trumpets minor points of learning" first recorded 1596. Pedantic formed in Eng. c.1600, in Donne's "Sunne Rising," where he bids the morning sun let his love and him linger in bed, telling it, "Sawcy pedantique wretch, goe chide Late schooleboyes."

peddler --- c.1225, from peoddere, peddere, of unknown origin. Pedlar, preferred spelling in U.K., is attested from 1377. It has the appearance of an agent noun, but no verb is attested in M.E. Perhaps a dim. of ped "panier, basket," also of unknown origin, but this is only attested from c.1390. Peddle, colloquial for "to retail," is a back-formation attested from 1837.

pederasty --- sodomy with a boy, 1609, from Mod.L. pæderastia, from Gk. paiderastia "love of boys," from paiderastes "pederast," from pais (gen. paidos) "child, boy" (see pedo-) + erastes "lover," from erasthai "to love." Pederast is 1730s, from Fr. pédéraste, from Gk. paiderastes.

pedestal --- 1563, "base supporting a column, statue, etc.," from M.Fr. piédestal (1547), from It. piedistallo "base of a pillar," from pie "foot" + di "of" + stallo "stall, place, seat." Spelling in Eng. influenced by L. pedem "foot." Fig. sense of put (someone) on a pedestal "regard as highly admirable" is attested from 1859.

pedestrian (adj.) --- 1716, "prosaic, dull" (of writing), from L. pedester (gen. pedestris) "plain, prosaic" (sense contrasted with equester "on horseback"), from pedes "one who goes on foot," from pes (gen. pedis) "foot" (see foot). Meaning "going on foot" is first attested 1791 in Eng. (it was also a sense of L. pedester). The noun meaning "walker" is 1793, from the adj.

pediatric --- 1880, from Gk. paid-, stem of pais "child" + -iatric (q.v.). Pediatrics is first attested 1884; pediatrician is 1903.

pedicure --- 1842, "one whose business is surgical care of feet" (removal of corns, bunions, etc.), from Fr. pédicure, from L. pes (gen. pedis) "foot" + curare "to care for," from cura (see care). In ref. to the treatment itself, attested from 1890; specifically as a beauty treatment, from 1900.

pedigree --- c.1410, "genealogical table or chart," from Anglo-Fr. pe de gru, a variant of O.Fr. pied de gru "foot of a crane," from L. pedem "foot" + gruem (nom. grus) "crane," cognate with Gk. geranos, O.E. cran, see crane). On old manuscripts, "descent" was indicated by a forked sign resembling the branching lines of a genealogical chart; the sign also happened to look like a bird's footprint. Form infl. in M.E. by association with degree. Meaning "ancestral line" is c.1440; of animals, 1608.

pediment --- triangular part of the facade of a Gk.-style building, 1664, alteration of periment, peremint (1592), apparently a dial. garbling of pyramid, the connection perhaps being the triangular shape. Sometimes associated with ped- "foot." But L. pedamentum meant "vine-stalk, prop," and It. pedamento at the time this word entered Eng. meant "foundation, basework, footing."

pedo- --- from Gk. pedo-, comb. form of pais "boy, child," from PIE base *peu- "small, little, few, young" (see few (adj.)). The British form paed- is better because it avoids confusion with ped-.

pedometer --- instrument for measuring distances covered by a walker, 1723, from Fr. pédomètre (1723), a hybrid coined from L. pedis (gen. of pes "foot") + Gk. metron (see meter (2)). At first Anglicized as waywiser.

pedophilia --- 1905, from Gk. pais (gen. paidos) "child" (see pedo-) + philos "loving." First attested in Havelock Ellis. Derivative noun pedophile is first recorded 1951.

pee --- 1788, "to urinate," euphemistic abbreviation of piss. Noun meaning "act of urination" is attested from 1902. Reduplicated form pee-pee is attested from 1923.

peek (v.) --- c.1374, piken "look quickly and slyly," of unknown origin. The words peek, keek, and peep all were used with more or less the same meaning 14c.-15c.; perhaps the ultimate source was M.Du. kieken. The noun meaning "a peek, glance" is attested from 1844. Phrase peek-a-boo as a children;s game is attested from 1599; as an adj. meaning "see-through" it dates from 1895.

peel (v.) --- to strip off, developed from O.E. pilian "to peel," and O.Fr. pillier, both from L. pilare "to strip of hair," from pilus "hair." Probably also infl. by L. pellis "skin, hide." The noun is 1583, from earlier pill, pile (1388), from the verb.

peel out --- hot-rodders' slang, 1952, perhaps from peel "blade or wash of an oar" (1875, Amer.Eng.), earlier "shovel-shaped instrument" used by bakers, etc. (c.1400), from O.Fr. pele, from L. pala "spade, shovel," of unknown origin. Or it may be from aircraft pilot phrase peel away "veer away from formation" (WWII), or from earlier Amer.Eng. slang peel it "run away at full speed" (1860).

peeler --- policeman, 1817, British colloquial, originally a member of the Ir. constabulary, named for Sir (at that time Mr.) Robert Peel (1788-1850) who founded the Irish Constabulary (cf. bobby). Meaning "strip-tease artist" (1951) is from peel (v.).

peen --- 1683, "sharp or thin end of a hammer head, opposite the face," probably from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. dial. penn "peen," O.Swed. pæna "beat iron thin with a hammer"). Earlier as a verb, "to beat thin with a hammer" (1513).

peep (1) --- glance (esp. through a small opening), 1460, perhaps alteration of M.E. piken (see peek). The noun was first in sense found in peep of day (1530); meaning "a furtive glance" is first recorded 1730. Peep-hole is from 1681; peep-show is from 1851 (not typically salacious until c.1914). Slang peeper "eye" is from c.1700. Peeping Tom "a curious prying fellow" is from 1796; connection with Lady Godiva story dates only from 1837.

peep (2) --- make a short chirp, c.1400, probably altered from pipen (c.1250), ultimately imitative (cf. L. pipare, Fr. pepier, Ger. piepen, Lith. pypti, Czech pipati, Gk. pipos). The noun is attested from 1423; meaning "slightest sound or utterance" (usually in a negative context) is attested from 1903. Peeper "tree frog" is first recorded 1857, Amer.Eng.

peer (n.) --- 1303, "an equal in civil standing or rank" (1215 in Anglo-L.), from Anglo-Fr. peir, O.Fr. per (10c.), from L. par "equal." Sense of "noble" (1382) is from Charlemagne's Twelve Peers in the old romances, like knights of the Round Table, originally so called because all were equal. Sociological sense of "one of the same age group or social set" is from 1944. Peerage first recorded 1454. Peer review is first recorded 1971.

peer (v.) --- 1591, variant of piren (1390), with a long -i-, probably related to or from E. Fris. piren "to look," of uncertain origin. Influenced in form and sense by M.E. peren (c.1375), aphetic form of aperen (see appear).

peevish --- 1393, peyvesshe "perverse, capricious, silly," of uncertain origin, possibly modeled on L. perversus "reversed, perverse," pp. of pervertere "to turn about" (see pervert). Meaning "cross, fretful" first recorded c.1530. The verb peeve is a 1908 back-formation; pet peeve "the thing that provokes one most" is first attested 1919.

peewee (adj.) --- 1877, "small, tiny, for children," a dialect word, possibly a varied reduplication of wee. Attested earlier (1848) as a noun meaning "a small marble." (Baseball Hall-of-Famer Harold "Peewee" Reese got his nickname because he was a marbles champion before he became a Dodgers shortstop.) As a type of bird (variously applied on different continents) it is attested from 1886, imitative of a bird cry.

peg (n.) --- 1440, from M.Du. pegge "peg," a common Low Ger. word of uncertain origin (cf. Low Ger. pigge "peg," M.Du. pegel "little knob used as a mark"). The verb meaning "fasten with or as if on a peg" is first recorded 1598, from the noun. Slang sense of "identify, classify" first recorded 1920. To be a square peg in a round hole "be inappropriate for one's situation" is attested from 1836; to take someone down a peg is from 1589, but the original lit. sense is uncertain (most of the likely candidates are not attested until centuries later).

Pegasus --- winged horse in Gk. mythology, c.1386, from L., from Gk. Pegasos, usually said to be from pege "spring, font" (pl. pegai), especially in "springs of Ocean," near which Medusa was said to have been killed by Perseus (Pegasus sprang from her blood). But this may be folk etymology, and the suffix -asos suggests a pre-Gk. origin.

pegomancy --- divination by fountains, 1727, from Gk., from pege "fountain, spring" (of unknown origin) + manteia "oracle, divination."

peignoir --- 1835, "lady's loose robe," from Fr. peignoir, from M.Fr. peignouoir "garment worn over the shoulders while combing the hair" (16c.), from peigner "to comb," from L. pectinare, from pecten (gen. pectinis) "a comb," related to pectere "to comb." A gown put on while coming from the bath; misapplied in Eng. to a woman's morning gown.

pejorative --- depreciative, disparaging, 1882, from Fr. péjoratif (fem. péjorative), from L.L. pejoratus, pp. of pejorare "make worse," from L. pejor "worse," related to pessimus "worst," pessum "downward, to the ground." Eng. had pejorate "to worsen" from 1644.

Pekingese --- 1907, "small long-haired dog of the pug type," so called because originally brought from the Imperial Palace at Peking, China.

Pelagian --- 1532, from M.L. Pelagianus, from Pelagius, Latinized form of the name of 4c. British monk who denied the doctrine of original sin. Combated by Augustine, condemned by Pope Zosimus, 418 C.E. His name in Welsh was Morgan, which is based on the root word for "sea" (cf. Gk. pelagos "sea").

pelagic --- pertaining to the sea, 1656, from L. pelagicus, from Gk. pelagikos, from pelagos "sea," from PIE *p(e)lag- "to spread out" (cf. Gk. plagos "side," L. plaga "hunting net, curtain, region"), from base *pele- "spread out, flat" (see plane (1)).

Pelasgian --- c.1490, "of the Pelasgi," from L. Pelasgius, from Gk. Pelasgios "of the Pelasgi," from Pelasgoi "the Pelasgi," name of a prehistoric people of Greece and Asia Minor who occupied Greece before the Hellenes, probably originally *Pelag-skoi, lit. "Sea-people" (see pelagic).

pelf --- c.1375, from Anglo-Fr. pelf, from O.Fr. pelfre "booty, spoils" (11c.), of unknown origin, related to pilfer (q.v.). Meaning "money, riches," with a pejorative overtone first recorded c.1500.

pelican --- O.E. pellicane, from L.L. pelecanus, from Gk. pelekan "pelican" (so used by Aristotle), apparently related to pelekas "woodpecker" and pelekys "ax," perhaps so called from the shape of the bird's bill. Used in Septuagint to translate Heb. qaath. The fancy that it feeds its young on its own blood is an Egyptian tradition properly belonging to some other bird.

pellagra --- chronic disease caused by dietary deficiency and characterized by skin eruptions, 1811, a hybrid formed from L. pellis "skin" + Gk. agra "a catching, seizure."

pellet --- 1362, from O.Fr. pelote "small ball" (11c.), from V.L. *pilotta, dim. of L. pila "ball," perhaps originally "ball of hair," from pilus "hair."

pell-mell (adv.) --- confusedly, 1579, from M.Fr. pêle-mêle, from O.Fr. pesle mesle (12c.), apparently a jingling rhyme on the second element, which is from the stem of the verb mesler "to mix, mingle."

pellucid --- transparent, translucent, 1619, from L. pellucidus "transparent," from pellucere "shine through," from per- "through" + lucere "to shine" (see light (n.)).

Peloponnesus --- peninsula of southern Greece, c.1490, from L., from Gk. Peloponnesos, second element apparently nesos "island," first element said to be named for Pelops, son of Tantalus, who killed him and served him to the gods as food (they later restored him to life). The proper name is probably from pellos "dark" + ops "face, eye." But the association with the peninsula name likely is folk etymology.

pelt (n.) --- skin of a fur-bearing animal, 1425, related to earlier pel (c.1300), contraction of pelet, from O.Fr. pelete "fine skin, membrane," dim. of pel "skin," from L. pellis "skin, hide."

pelt (v.) --- to strike (with something), c.1500, perhaps from an unrecorded O.E. *pyltan, from M.L. *pultiare, from L. pultare "to beat." Or from O.Fr. peloter "to strike with a ball," from pelote "ball" (see pellet).

pelvis --- 1615, "basin-like cavity formed by the bones of the pelvic girdle," from Mod.L., from L. pelvis "basin, laver," Old L. peluis "basin," from PIE *pel- "container" (cf. Skt. palavi "vessel," Gk. pelex "helmet," pelike "goblet, bowl," O.N., O.E. full "cup").

pemmican --- 1791, from Cree (Algonquian) /pimihka:n/ from /pimihke:w/ "he makes grease," from pimiy "grease, fat." Lean meat, dried, pounded and mixed with congealed fat and ground berries and formed into cakes used on long journeys. Also used figuratively for "extremely condensed thought or matter."

pen- --- Brythonic for "head;" common in place names in Cornwall and Wales (e.g. Penzance, see also Pendragon).

pen (1) --- writing implement, c.1300, from O.Fr. penne "quill pen, feather," from L. penna "feather," from PIE *petna-, suffixed form of base *pet- "to rush, fly" (see petition). From the same base comes suffixed form *petra-, source of Skt. patram "wing, feather," Gk. pteron "wing," O.C.S. pero "pen," O.N. fjöðr, O.E. feðer (see feather). In later Fr., this word means only "long feather of a bird," while the equivalent of Eng. plume is used for "writing implement," the senses of the two words thus reversed from what they are in English. The verb is 1490, from the noun. Pen-pal first recorded 1938, gradually replacing earlier pen-friend (1933). Pen-and-ink (adj.) is attested from 1676.

pen (2) --- enclosure for animals, O.E. penn, penne, "enclosure," perhaps related to O.E. pinn "pin, peg" (see pin) on notion of a bolted gate or else "structure made of pointed stakes." The verb, "to enclose in a pen" is attested from c.1200. Slang noun meaning "prison" (1884) is shortening of penitentiary (q.v.), but earlier use (1845) is probably a fig. extension of this word.

penal --- pertaining to punishment, 1439, from O.Fr. peinal (12c.), from M.L. penalis, from L. poenalis "pertaining to punishment," from poena "punishment," from Gk. poine "blood-money, fine, penalty, punishment," from PIE *kwoina, from base *kwei- "to pay, atone, compensate" (cf. Gk. time "price, worth, honor, esteem, respect," Skt. cinoti "observes, notes," Avestan kaena "punishment, vengeance," O.C.S. cena "honor, price," Lith. kaina "value, price"). Penalty is first attested 1512, from M.Fr. penalité, from M.L. poenalitatem (nom. poenalitas), from L. poenalis. The sporting sense is first recorded 1885. Penalize formed in Eng. 1868.

penance --- c.1290, "religious discipline or self-mortification as a token of repentance and as atonement for some sin," from Anglo-Fr. penaunce, O.Fr. penance, from L. pænitentia (see penitence). Transf. sense is recorded from c.1305.

penates --- Roman household gods, 1513, from L. penates "gods of the inside of the house," related to penatus "sanctuary of a temple" (especially that of Vesta), cognate with penitus "within" (see penetrate).

pence --- 1393, contraction of penies, collective plural of penny.

penchant --- 1672, from Fr. penchant, properly the prp. of O.Fr. pencher "to incline," from V.L. *pendicare, a frequentative formed from L. pendere "to hang" (see pendant).

pencil --- c.1386, "an artist's fine brush of camel hair," from O.Fr. pincel "artist's paintbrush" (Fr. pinceau), from L. penicillus "paintbrush, pencil," lit. "little tail," dim. of peniculus "brush," itself a dim. of penis "tail" (see penis). Small brushes formerly used for writing before modern lead or chalk pencils; meaning "graphite writing implement" apparently evolved late 16c. Derogatory slang pencil-pusher "office worker" is from 1881; pencil neck "weak person" first recorded 1973. To pencil (something) in "arrange tentatively" is attested from 1942.

pendant (n.) --- c.1400, "loose, hanging part of anything," from Anglo-Fr. pendaunt "hanging" (c.1300), from O.Fr. pendant (13c.), noun use of prp. of pendre "to hang," from L. pendere "to hang," from PIE base *(s)pen(d)- "to pull, stretch" (see span (v.)). Meaning "dangling part of an earring" is attested from 1555. Nautical sense of "tapering flag" is recorded from 1485. "In this sense presumably a corruption of pennon" [OED].

pendent (adj.) --- c.1600, respelling of M.E. pendaunt "hanging, overhanging" (see pendant) on model of its L. original, pendentem (nom. pendens), prp. of pendere "to hang."

pending --- 1642, "during, in the process of," prep. formed from root of Fr. pendant "during," lit. "hanging," prp. of pendere "to hang, to suspend" (see pendant). Meaning patterned on a secondary sense of L. pendente "not decided," lit. "hanging," in legal phrase pendente lite "while the suit is pending." Use of the prp. before nouns caused it to be regarded as a preposition.