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

spring (n.2) --- source of a stream or river, O.E., from spring (v.) on the notion of the water "bursting forth" from the ground. Rarely used alone, appearing more often in compounds, e.g. wyllspring "wellspring." Fig. sense of "source or origin of something" is attested from c.1225.

spring (v.) --- O.E. springan "to leap, burst forth, fly up" (class III strong verb; past tense sprang, pp. sprungen), from P.Gmc. *sprenganan (cf. O.N., O.Fris. springa, M.Du. springhen, O.H.G. springan, Ger. springen), from PIE *sprengh- "rapid movement" (cf. Skt. sprhayati "desires eagerly," Gk. sperkhesthai "to hurry"). In M.E., it took on the role of causal sprenge, from O.E. sprengan (as still in to spring a trap, etc.). Slang meaning "to pay" (for a treat, etc.) is arecorded from 1906. Meaning "to announce suddenly" (usually with on) is from 1876. Meaning "to release" (from imprisonment) is from 1900. The noun meaning "act of springing or leaping" is from c.1450. The elastic coil that returns to its shape when stretched is so called from 1428, originally in clocks and watches. As a device in carriages, coaches, etc., it is attested from 1665. From c.1300 the noun had a general sense of "action or time of rising or springing into existence," and was used of sunrise, the waxing of the moon, rising tides, etc., a sense preserved in spring (n.1). Springer as a type of spaniel is recorded from 1808.

springbok --- 1775, from Afrikaans, from spring "to leap" (from M.Du. springhen, see spring (v.)) + bok "antelope," from M.Du. boc (see buck).

Springfield --- type of firearm, 1813, named for the U.S. government armory in Springfield, Mass.

sprinkle --- 1382 (implied in sprinkled), frequentative of sprenge (see spring (v.)) or via M.Du., M.L.G. sprenkel "spot, speck," from PIE base *(s)preg- "to jerk, scatter" (cf. L. spargere "to scatter, sprinkle"). The meaning "rain lightly" is first recorded 1778. Sprinkling "small amount" first recorded 1594. Sprinkler is attested from 1535.

sprint --- 1566, "to spring, dart," from O.N. spretta "to jump up." Meaning "to run a short distance at full speed" first recorded 1871. The noun is attested from 1865.

sprit --- O.E. spreot "pole," originally "a sprout, shoot, branch," from root of sprout. Cognate with M.Du. spriet, M.L.G. spryet, Ger. spriet, N.Fris. sprit.

sprite --- c.1303, from O.Fr. esprit "spirit," from L. spiritus (see spirit).

spritz --- 1917, from Yiddish or Ger., lit. "spray." Spritzer "glass of wine mixed with carbonated water" is from 1961.

sprocket --- 1536, originally a carpenters' word for a piece of timber used in framing, of unknown origin. The meaning "projection from the rim of a wheel that engages the links of a chain" is first recorded 1750.

sprout (v.) --- O.E. -sprutan (in asprutan "to sprout"), from P.Gmc. *spreutanan (cf. O.S. sprutan, O.Fris. spruta, M.Du. spruten, O.H.G. spriozan, Ger. spreissen "to sprout"), from PIE base *sper- "to strew" (cf. Gk. speirein "to scatter," spora "a scattering, sowing," sperma "sperm, seed," lit. "that which is scattered;" O.E. spreawlian "to sprawl," -sprædan "to spread," spreot "pole;" Armenian sprem "scatter;" O.Lith. sprainas "staring;" Lett. spriezu "I span, I measure"). The noun is attested from c.1300.

spruce (n.) --- evergreen tree, 1670, from spruse (adj.) "made of spruce wood" (1412), lit. "from Prussia," from Spruce, Sprws (1378), unexplained alterations of Pruce "Prussia," from O.Fr. Spruce seems to have been a generic term for commodities brought to England by Hanseatic merchants (beer, board, leather, see spruce (v.)), and the tree was believed to have come from Prussia.

spruce (v.) --- 1594, from the adj. meaning "to make trim or neat," from spruce leather (1466, see spruce (n.)), which was used to make a popular style of jerkins in the 1400s that was considered smart-looking.

spry --- 1746, dialectal, perhaps a shortening and alteration of sprightly, or from a Scand. source (cf. O.N. sprækr, dialectal Swed. sprygg "brisk, active"), from P.Gmc. *sprek-, from PIE *(s)preg- "to jerk, scatter" (see sparse).

spud --- c.1440 "small or poor knife," of uncertain origin probably related to Dan. spyd, O.N. spjot "spear," Ger. Spiess "spear, lance"). Meaning "spade" is from 1667; sense of "short or stumpy person or thing" is from 1687; that of "potato" is first recorded 1845 in New Zealand English.

spumante --- sparkling white wine from Asti in Piedmont, 1908, from It., lit. "sparkling."

spume --- 1390, from O.Fr. spume, from L. spuma "foam" (cf. It. spuma, Sp. espuma); cognate with O.E. fam, O.H.G. veim "foam" (see foam).

spumoni --- kind of ice cream dessert, 1929, from It. spumone (sing.), spumoni (pl.), from spuma "foam," from L. spuma.

spunk --- 1536, "a spark," Scottish, from Gaelic spong "tinder, pith, sponge," from L. spongia (see sponge). The sense of "courage, pluck, mettle" is first attested 1773. A similar sense evolution took place in cognate Ir. sponnc "sponge, tinder, spark, courage, spunk." Vulgar slang sense of "seminal fluid" is recorded from c.1888. Spunky "courageous, spirited" is recorded from 1786.

spur (n.) --- O.E. spura, spora (related to spurnan "to kick," see spurn), from P.Gmc. *spuron (cf. O.N. spori, M.Du. spore, Du. spoor, O.H.G. sporo, Ger. Sporn "spur"), from PIE *spere- "ankle" (see spurn). Generalized sense of "anything that urges on, stimulus," is from c.1390. Meaning "a ridge projecting off a mountain mass" is recorded from 1652. The verb is attested c.1205, from the noun. "Widely extended senses ... are characteristic of a horsey race." [Weekley] Expression on the spur of the moment (1801) preserves archaic phrase on the spur "in great haste" (1525). To win one's spurs is to gain knighthood by some valorous act, gilded spurs being the distinctive mark of a knight.

spurge --- plant species, 1387, from O.Fr. espurge, from espurgier "to purge," from L. expurgare, from ex- "out" + purgare "to purge" (see purge). So called from the plant's purgative properties.

spurious --- 1598, "born out of wedlock," from L. spurius "illegitimate, false" (cf. It. spurio, Sp. espurio), from spurius (n.) "illegitimate child," probably from Etruscan spural "public." Sense of "having an irregular origin, not properly constituted" is from 1601; that of "false, sham" is from 1615.

spurn --- O.E. spurnan "to kick (away), reject, scorn, despise," from P.Gmc. *spurnanan (cf. O.S., O.H.G. spurnan, O.Fris. spurna, O.N. sporna "to kick"), from PIE base *spere- "ankle" (cf. M.Du. spoor "track of an animal," Gk. sphyron "ankle," L. spernere "to reject, spurn," Skt. sphurati "kicks," M.Ir. seir "heel").

spurt (n.) --- brief burst of activity, 1566, variant of spirt "brief period of time" (1550), of uncertain origin, perhaps somehow connected with spurt (v.).

spurt (v.) --- to gush out, squirt, 1570, variant of spirt, perhaps cognate with M.H.G. spürzen "to spit," and sprützen "to squirt" (see sprout). The noun in this sense is attested from 1775.

sputnik --- artificial satellite, 1957 (launched Oct. 4, 1957), from Rus. sputnik "satellite," lit. "traveling companion," from O.C.S. supotiniku, from su- "with, together" + poti "way, journey" (from PIE base *pent- "to go, pass") + agent suffix -nik. The electrifying impact of the launch on the West can be gauged by the number of new formations in -nik around this time (the suffix had been present in a Yiddish context for at least a decade before); e.g. the dog launched aboard Sputnik 2 (Nov. 2, 1957), which was dubbed muttnik by the "Detroit Free Press," etc., and the U.S. satellite which failed to reach orbit in 1957 (because the Vanguard rocket blew up on the launch pad) derided as a kaputnik (in the "Daily Express"), a flopnik ("Daily Herald"), a puffnik ("Daily Mail"), and a stayputnik ("News Chronicle").

sputter --- 1598, "to spit with explosive sounds," cognate with Du. sputteren, W.Fris. sputterje (see spout). The noun is attested from 1673.

sputum --- 1693, from L. sputum, noun use of neuter pp. of spuere "to spit" (see spew).

spy --- c.1250, from O.Fr. espier "to spy," espie "a spy," probably from Frank. *spehon, from P.Gmc. *spekh- (cf. O.H.G. *spehon "to look out for, scout, spy," Ger. spähen "to spy," M.Du. spien), the Gmc. survivals of the productive PIE root *spek- "to look" (see scope (1)). Spy-glass "telescope, field-glass" is from 1706.

squab --- 1682, "very young bird," earlier (1640) "unformed, lumpish person" and used at various times for any sort of flabby mass from sea slugs to sofa cushions; probably from a Scand. word (cf. dialectal Swed. skvabb "loose or fat flesh," skvabba "fat woman"), from P.Gmc. *(s)kwab- (cf. O.Pruss. gawabo "toad," O.C.S. zaba "frog").

squabble (n.) --- 1602, probably of imitative origin (cf. dialectal Swed. skvabbel "quarrel," dialectal Ger. schwabbeln "to babble, prattle"). The verb is recorded from 1604.

squad --- 1649, "small number of military men detailed for some purpose," from Fr. esquade, from M.Fr. escadre, from Sp. escuadra or It. squadra "battalion," lit. "square," from V.L. *exquadra (see square). Until the introduction of automatic weapons, infantry troops tended to fight in a square formation to repel cavalry or superior forces. Sports sense is recorded from 1902.

squadron --- 1562, from It. squadrone, augmentative of squadra "battalion" (see squad).

squalid --- 1591, from M.Fr. squalide, from L. squalidus "rough, coated with dirt, filthy," related to squales "filth," squalus "filthy," squalare "be covered with a rough, scaly layer, be coated with dirt, be filthy," of uncertain origin.

squall (n.) --- sudden, violent gust of wind, 1719, originally nautical, probably from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. skval "sudden rush of water," Sw. skvala "to gush, pour down"), probably ult. a derivative of squall (v.).

squall (v.) --- cry out loudly, 1631, probably from O.N. skvala "to cry out," of imitative origin (cf. squeal).

squalor --- 1621, "state or condition of being miserable and dirty," from L. squalor, related to squalere "be filthy" (see squalid).

squamous --- 1541, from L. squamosus "covered with scales, scaly," from squama "scale," perhaps related to squalus "foul, filthy" (see squalid). M.E. had squame (c.1386) "a scale," from O.Fr. esquame, from L. squama.

squander --- 1589 (implied in squandering), "to spend recklessly or prodigiously," of unknown origin; Shakespeare used it 1593 in "Merchant of Venice" with a sense of "to be scattered over a wide area." Squander-bug, a British symbol of reckless extravagance and waste during war-time shortages, represented as a devilish insect, was introduced Jan. 1943 by the National Savings Committee. In U.S., Louis Ludlow coined squanderlust (1935) for the tendency of government bureaucracies to spend much money.

square (adj.) --- c.1300, "containing four equal sides and right angles," from square (n.). Meaning "honest, fair," is first attested 1564; that of "straight, direct" is from 1804. Sense of "old-fashioned" is 1944, U.S. jazz slang, said to be from shape of a conductor's hand gestures in a regular four-beat rhythm. (Square-toes meant nearly the same thing in 1771, from a style of shoes then fallen from fashion.) Squaresville is attested from 1956. Square one "the beginning" is first recorded 1960, probably from board games; square dance first attested 1870.

square (n.) --- c.1300, "tool for measuring right angles," from O.Fr. esquire "a square, squareness," from V.L. *exquadra, from *exquadrare "to square," from L. ex- "out" + quadrare "make square," from quadrus "a square," from quattuor "four" (see quart). Meaning "rectangular shape or area" is first recorded before 1382; replaced O.E. feower-scyte. Sense of "open space in a town or park" is from 1687. The mathematical sense of "a number multiplied by itself" is first recorded 1557. The verb is first attested 1382; with ref. to accounts, from 1815.

squash (n.) --- gourd fruit, 1643, shortened borrowing from Narraganset (Algonquian) askutasquash, lit. "the green things that may be eaten raw," from askut "green, raw" + asquash "eaten," in which the -ash is a plural affix (cf. succotash).

squash (v.) --- to crush, 1565, from O.Fr. esquasser "to crush," from V.L. *exquassare, from L. ex- "out" + quassare "to shatter" (see quash "to crush"). The name of the racket game is first recorded in 1886, originally as the name of the soft rubber ball used in it.

squat (v.) --- c.1410, "crouch on the heels," from O.Fr. esquatir "press down, lay flat, crush," from es- "out" (from L. ex-) + O.Fr. quatir "press down, flatten," from V.L. *coactire "press together, force," from L. coactus, pp. of cogere "to compel, curdle, collect" (see cogent). Slang sense of "nothing at all" first attested 1934, probably suggestive of squatting to defecate. The adjective sense of "short, thick" dates from 1630. Squatter "settler who occupies land without legal title" first recorded 1788; in ref. to paupers or homeless people in uninhabited buildings, it is recorded from 1880.

squaw --- American Indian woman, 1634, from Massachuset (Algonquian) squa "woman" (cf. also Narraganset squaws "woman"). "Over the years it has come to have a derogatory sense and is now considered offensive by many Native Americans" [Bright]. Widespread in U.S. place names, sometimes involving a translation of local American Indian words for "woman."

squawk (v.) --- 1821, probably of imitative origin (cf. dial. It. squacco "small crested heron"). The noun is attested from 1850. Squawk-box "loud-speaker" is from 1945.

squeak (v.) --- 1387, probably of imitative origin, similar to Middle Swedish skväka "to squeak, croak." The noun is from 1664; sense of "narrow escape" is from 1822. Squeaky clean in fig. sense is from 1972, probably from advertisements for dishwashing liquid.

squeal --- c.1300, probably of imitative origin, similar to O.N. skvala "to cry out" (see squall (v.)). The sense of "inform on another" is first recorded 1865. The noun is attested from 1747.

squeamish --- c.1450, variant of squoymous "disdainful, fastidious" (c.1300), from Anglo-Fr. *escoymous, which is of unknown origin.

squeegee --- wooden scraping instrument with a rubber blade, 1844, a nautical word, perhaps from squeege "to press" (1782), an alteration of squeeze.

squeeze --- c.1600, probably an alteration of quease (c.1550), from O.E. cwysan "to squeeze," of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (cf. Ger. quetschen "to squeeze"). Slang expression to put the squeeze on (someone or something) "exert influence" is from 1711. Baseball squeeze play first recorded 1905. Main squeeze "most important person" is attested from 1896; meaning "one's sweetheart, lover" is attested by 1980.

squelch (v.) --- 1624, "to fall, drop, or stomp on something (soft) with crushing force," possibly imitative of sound made. The fig. sense of "suppress completely" is first recorded 1864.

squib --- c.1525, "short bit of sarcastic writing, witty scoff," of unknown origin. If the meaning "small firework that burns with a hissing noise" (attested from 1530) is the original one, the word may be imitative.

squid --- marine mollusk, 1613, of unknown origin; perhaps a sailors' variant of squirt, so called for the "ink" it squirts out.

squiggle (v.) --- 1804, probably a blend of squirm and wriggle. The noun is first recorded 1902, from the verb. The noun is first recorded 1902.

squint (adj.) --- 1563, shortened form of asquint (adv.) "obliquely, with a sidelong glance" (12c.), probably related to skwyn in odskwyn "obliquely" (c.1440). The verb is attested from 1599; the noun from 1652.

squire --- c.1290, "young man who attends a knight," later "member of the landowning class ranking below a knight" (c.1300), from O.Fr. esquier "squire," lit. "shield carrier" (see esquire). Meaning "country gentleman, landed proprietor" is from 1676; as a general term of address to a gentleman, it is attested from 1828. The verb meaning "to attend (a lady) as a gallant" is first recorded c.1386.

squirm --- 1691, originally referring to eels, of unknown origin; sometimes associated with worm or swarm, but perhaps rather imitative.

squirrel --- 1327, from Anglo-Fr. esquirel, O.Fr. escurel (Fr. écureuil), from V.L. *scuriolus, dim. of *scurius "squirrel," variant of L. sciurus, from Gk. skiouros "a squirrel," lit. "shadow-tailed," from skia "shadow" + oura "tail." Perhaps the original notion is "that which makes a shade with its tail." The verb meaning "to hoard up, store away" (as a aquirrel does nuts) is first recorded 1939; squirrely is from 1925. The O.E. word was acweorna, which survived into M.E. as aquerne.

squirt --- 1460, squyrten "eject water in a jet," of uncertain origin, probably imitative. The noun is first recorded c.1460, originally "diarrhea;" meaning "a whipper-snapper" is from 1839.

squish --- 1647, probably a variant of squash (1), perhaps by influence of obsolete squiss "to squeeze or crush" (1558). Squishy (adj.) first attested 1847.

Sri Lanka --- large island southeast of India (known in Eng. until 1972 as Ceylon), from Lanka, older name for the island and its chief city + Skt. sri "beauty" (esp. of divinities, kings, heroes, etc.), also an honorific prefix to proper names, from PIE base *kreie- "to be outstanding, brilliant, masterly, beautiful" (cf. Gk. kreon "lord, master").

SRO --- 1941, acronym for standing room only.

SSR --- 1926, from Rus., acronym for Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika "Soviet Socialist Republic."

stab (v.) --- 1375, first attested in Scottish Eng., apparently a dial. variant of Scottish stob "to pierce, stab," of uncertain origin, perhaps a variant of stub (n.) "stake, nail." The noun meaning "wound produced by stabbing" is first attested c.1440. Fig. use, of emotions, etc., is from 1594. Meaning "a try" first recorded 1895, Amer.Eng. Stab in the back "treacherous deed" is first attested 1916.

Stabat Mater --- 1867, from L. Stabat Mater (dolorosa) "Stood the Mother (full of sorrow)," opening words of a sequence composed 13c. by Jacobus de Benedictus.

stability --- c.1300, "resolute, firm, steadfast" (of persons), from O.Fr. stableté, from L. stabilitatem (nom. stabilitas) "firmness, steadfastness," from stabilis "steadfast, firm" (see stable (adj.)). In physical sense, "difficult to overthrow," it is recorded from 1426. Stabilize first attested 1861, originally of ships. Aeronautical stabilizer is attested from 1909.

stable (adj.) --- steadfast, firm, c.1275, from O.Fr. estable, from L. stabilis "firm, steadfast," lit. "able to stand," from stem of stare "to stand" (see stet). Physical sense of "secure against falling" is recorded from c.1300. Of nuclear isotopes, from 1904.

stable (n.) --- building where horses or cows are kept, c.1250, "building for domestic animals," from O.Fr. estable "a stable, stall" (also applied to cowsheds and pigsties), from L. stabulum "a stall, fold, aviary, etc." lit. "a standing place," from stem of stare "to stand" (see stet). Meaning "collection of horses belonging to one stable is attested from 1576; transf. sense of "group of fighters under same management" is from 1897; that of "group of prostitutes working for the same employer" is from 1937.

staccato --- 1724, from It. staccato, lit. "detached, disconnected," from pp. of staccare "to detach," shortened form of distaccare "separate, detach," from M.Fr. destacher, from O.Fr. destachier "to detach" (see detach).

stack --- c.1300, "pile, heap, or group of things," from O.N. stakkr "haystack" (cf. Dan. stak, Swed. stack "heap, stack"), from P.Gmc. *stakkoz, from PIE *stognos- (cf. O.C.S. stogu "heap," Rus. stog "haystack," Lith. stokas "pillar"), from base *steg- "pole, stick" (see stake (n.)). Meaning "set of shelves on which books are set out" is from 1879. Used of the chimneys of factories, locomotives, etc., since 1825. The verb is attested from c.1325, "to pile up grain;" the meaning "arrange unfairly" (in stack the deck) is first recorded 1825. Stack up "compare against" is 1903, from notion of piles of poker chips (1896). Stacked, of women's bodies, "well-built in a sexual sense" is from 1942.

stadium --- 1398, "a foot race, an ancient measure of length," from L. stadium "a measure of length, a race course" (commonly one-eighth of a Roman mile; transl. in early Eng. Bibles by furlong), from Gk. stadion "a measure of length, a running track," especially the track at Olympia, which was one stadium in length. The Gk. word may literally mean "fixed standard of length" (from stadios "firm, fixed," from PIE base *sta- "to stand"), or it may be from spadion, from span "to draw up, pull," with form infl. by stadios. The meaning "running track," recorded in Eng. from 1603, was extended to mean in modern-day context "large, open oval structure with tiers of seats for viewing sporting events" (1834).

staff --- O.E. stæf "walking stick, strong pole used for carrying, rod used as a weapon" (also, in plural, "letter, character, writing," cf. stæfcræft "grammar"), from P.Gmc. *stabaz (cf. O.S. staf, O.N. stafr, O.Fris. stef, M.L.G., M.Du. staf, O.H.G. stab, Ger. Stab, Goth. *stafs "element;" M.Du. stapel "pillar, foundation"), from PIE base *stebh- "post, stem, to support, place firmly on, fasten" (cf. O.Lith. stabas "idol," Lith. stebas "staff, pillar;" O.C.S. stoboru "pillar;" Skt. stabhnati "supports;" Gk. stephein "to tie around, encircle, wreathe," staphyle "grapevine, bunch of grapes;" O.E. stapol "post, pillar"). Sense of "group of military officers that assists a commander" is attested from 1702, apparently from Ger., from the notion of the "baton" that is a badge of office or authority (a sense attested in Eng. from 1535). Meaning "group of employees (as at an office or hospital)" is first found 1837. The verb meaning "to provide with a staff of assistants" is from 1859. Staff of life "bread" is from the Biblical phrase "to break the staff of bread" (Lev. xxvi.26), transl. Heb. matteh lekhem.

Stafford --- town in England, mid-11c., Stæfford, lit. "Ford by a landing-place," from O.E. stæð + ford. County town of Staffordshire, which, as a name for a type of earthenware and porcelain made there is attested from 1765.

stag --- c.1185, probably from O.E. *stagga "stag," from P.Gmc. *stag- (see sting). The O.N. equivalent was used of male foxes, tomcats and dragons and the Gmc. root word probably originally meant "male animal in its prime." Meaning "pertaining to or composed of males only" (stag party) is Amer.Eng. slang from 1848. Stag film "pornographic movie" is attested from 1968.

stage (n.) --- c.1300, "story of a building, raised floor for exhibitions," from O.Fr. estage "a story or floor of a building, stage for performance," from V.L. *staticum "a place for standing," from L. statum, pp. of stare "to stand" (see stet). Meaning "platform for presentation of a play" is attested from 1548; generalized for "profession of an actor" from 1589. Sense of "period of development or time in life" first recorded 1608, probably from M.E. sense of "degree or step on the 'ladder' of virtue, 'wheel' of fortune, etc.," in parable illustrations and morality plays. The verb meaning "to put (a play) on the stage" first recorded 1879; general sense of "to mount" (a comeback, etc.) is attested from 1924. Stage-coach is 1658, from the sense of "division of a journey without stopping for rest" (1603). Stage mother is from 1919. Stage-Door Johnny "young man who frequents stage doors seeking the company of actresses, chorus girls, etc." is attested from 1912. Stage-struck is from 1813; earlier stage-smitten (1682). Stage-whisper first attested 1865.

stagflation --- 1965, apparently coined by U.K. Conservative party finance minister Iain Macleod, from stag(nation) + (in)flation.

stagger --- 1530, altered from stakeren (c.1300), from O.N. stakra or O.Dan. stagra, both "to push, stagger." Cognate with Du. staggelen "to stagger," Ger. staggeln "to stammer." Trans. sense of "bewilder, amaze" first recorded 1556; that of "arrange in a zig-zag pattern" is from 1856. Staggering "amazing" is attested from 1565.