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

Swiss --- 1515, from M.Fr. Suisse, from M.H.G. Suizer, from Suiz "Switzerland" (cf. Switzer, archaic word for "a Swiss," and Ger. Schweiz). Switzerland is named for Schwyz, one of its ancient cantons. Swiss banks noted for anonymity and security by 1949. Swiss cheese is attested from 1822; as a type of something full of holes, from 1924.

switch (n.) --- 1592, "slender riding whip," probably from a Flemish or Low German word akin to Hanoverian swutsche, a variant of Low Ger. zwukse "long thin stick, switch," from Gmc. base *swih- (cf. O.H.G. zwec "wooden peg," Ger. Zweck "aim, design," originally "peg as a target," Zwick "wooden peg"), perhaps connected with PIE base *swei- "to swing, bend, to turn." The meaning "device for changing the direction of something or making or breaking a connection" is first recorded 1797. "The peg sense suits the mech(anical) applications" [Weekley], and these senses may be a direct borrowing from those senses in Continantal Gmc. languages rather than a continuation of the "pliant wand" sense. The meaning "a change, a reversal, an exchange, a substitution" is first recorded 1920. Switchblade dates from 1932, from the "switch" which is pressed to spring the knife open. Switchboard first attested 1884.

switch (v.) --- c.1611, "to strike with a switch," from switch (n.). The meaning "turn off or on" is first recorded 1853, of trains on tracks, 1881 of electricity, 1932 of radio or (later) television. Sense of "shift, divert" is from 1860. Meaning "to change one thing for another" is recorded from 1919. Switch-hitter is 1930s in baseball slang, 1956 in the sense of "bisexual person." Switchback in ref. to zig-zag railways is recorded from 1863.

swivel (n.) --- 1307, from frequentative form of stem of O.E. verb swifan "to move in a course, sweep" (a class I strong verb), from P.Gmc. *swipanan (cf. O.Fris. swiva "to be uncertain," O.N. svifa "to rove, ramble, drift"), from PIE base *swei- "swing, bend, move in a sweeping manner." M.E. swive was the principal slang for "to have sexual intercourse with," a sense that developed c.1300. This probably explains why, though the root is verbal, the verb swivel is not attested in Mod.Eng. until 1794.

swizzle --- 1813, name for various kinds of liquor drinks, or for intoxicating drinks generally, possibly a variant of switchel "a drink of molasses and water" (often mixed with rum,) first attested 1790, of uncertain origin. Swizzle-stick attested by 1859.

swollen --- c.1325, pp. of swell (v.); from O.E. geswollen, pp. of swellan.

swoon --- c.1290, swogene, probably from O.E. geswogen "in a faint," pp. of a lost verb, perhaps *swogan, as in aswogan "to choke," of uncertain origin. Cf. Low Ger. swogen "to sigh."

swoop --- 1566, "to move or walk in a stately manner," apparently from a fial. survival of O.E. swapan "to sweep, brandish, dash," from P.Gmc. *swaipanan, from PIE base *swei- "to swing, bend, to turn." Meaning "pounce upon with a sweeping movement" first recorded 1638. Spelling with -oo- may have been influenced by Scot. and northern England dial. soop "to sweep," from O.N. sopa "to sweep." The noun is attested from 1544. Phrase one fell swoop is from Shakespeare.

swoosh --- 1867, imitative of the sound intended. The Nike corporate logo so called from 1989.

sword --- O.E. sweord, from P.Gmc. *swerdan (cf. O.S., O.Fris. swerd, O.N. sverð, Swed. svärd, M.Du. swaert, Du. zwaard, O.H.G. swert, Ger. Schwert), related to O.H.G. sweran "to hurt," from *swertha-, lit. "the cutting weapon," from PIE base *swer- "to cut." Contrast with plowshare is from the O.T. (e.g. Isaiah ii.4, Micah iv.3). Swordfish is first attested c.1400; swordplay is O.E. sweordplege. Phrase put (originally do) to the sword "kill, slaughter" is recorded from 1338.

sybarite --- 1617 (implied in Sybaritical), "person devoted to pleasure," lit. "inhabitant of Sybaris," ancient Gk. town in southern Italy, whose inhabitants were noted for their love of luxury. From L. Sybarita, from Gk. Sybarites.

sycamore --- c.1350, from O.Fr. sicamor, from L. sycomorus, from Gk. sykomoros, from sykon "fig" + moron "mulberry." Or perhaps a folk-etymology for Heb. shiqmah "mulberry." A Biblical word, originally used for a species of fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) common in Egypt, Syria, etc., whose leaves somewhat resemble those of the mulberry; applied from 1588 to Acer pseudoplatanus, a large species of European maple, and from 1814 to the North American shade tree that is also called buttonwood (Platanus occidentalis, introduced to Europe from Virginia 1637 by Filius Tradescant). Some writers have used the more Hellenic sycomore in ref. to the Biblical tree for the sake of clarity.

sycophant --- 1537 (in L. form sycophanta), "informer, talebearer, slanderer," from L. sycophanta, from Gk. sykophantes, originally "one who shows the fig," from sykon "fig" + phanein "to show." "Showing the fig" was a vulgar gesture made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, itself symbolic of a cunt (sykon also meant "vulva"). The story goes that prominent politicians in ancient Greece held aloof from such inflammatory gestures, but privately urged their followers to taunt their opponents. The sense of "mean, servile flatterer" is first recorded in Eng. 1575.

syllable --- c.1384, from Anglo-Fr. sillable, from O.Fr. sillabe, from L. syllaba, from Gk. syllabe "a syllable, several sounds or letters taken together," lit. "a taking together," from syn- "together" + stem of lambanein "to take" (see analemma). The extra -l- was added by analogy with participle and principle.

syllabus --- 1656, "table of contents of a series of lectures, etc.," from L.L. syllabus "list," a misreading of Gk. sittybos (pl. of sittyba "parchment label, table of contents," of unknown origin) in a 1470s edition of Cicero's "Ad Atticum" iv.5 and 8. The proper plural would be syllabi,

syllogism --- 1387, from O.Fr. silogisme "a syllogism," from L. syllogismus, from Gk. syllogismos "a syllogism," originally "inference, conclusion, computation, calculation," from syllogizesthai "bring together, premise, conclude," lit. "think together," from syn- "together" + logizesthai "to reason, count," from logos "a reckoning, reason."

sylph --- 1657, from Mod.L. sylphes (pl.), coined 16c. by Paracelsus (1493-1541), originally referring to any race of spirits inhabiting the air, described as being mortal but lacking a soul. Paracelsus' word seems to be an arbitrary coinage, but perhaps it holds a suggestion of L. sylva and Gk. nymph. The meaning "slender, graceful girl" first recorded 1838, on the notion of "light, airy movements." Silphid (1680) are the younger or smaller variety, from Fr. sylphide (1671).

sylvan --- 1565, "deity of the woods," from M.Fr. sylvain, from L. silvanus "pertaining to wood or forest" (originally only in silvanæ "goddesses of the woods"), from silva "wood, forest, grove," of unknown origin. Adj. meaning "of the woods" is attested from 1580. Silvanus was used by the Romans as the proper name of a god of woods and fields, identified with Pan. Spelling with -y- infl. by Gk. hyle "forest," from which the L. word was supposed to derive.

Sylvester --- masc. proper name, from L., lit. "woody, sylvan, rural," from L. silvester, from L. silva "wood, forest." St. Sylvester's Day is Dec. 31.

Sylvia --- fem. proper name, lit. "inhabiting woods," from L. silva "wood, forest."

Symbionese --- as in Symbionese Liberation Army, name adopted by a socialist revolutionary group active in U.S. c.1972-76, coined from symbiosis + people-name ending -ese.

symbiosis --- 1877, as a biological term, "mutually beneficial association of two different organisms," from Mod.L., from Gk. symbiosis "a living together," from symbioun "live together," from symbios "(one) living together (with another), partner," from syn- "together" + bios "life" (see bio-). Given a wider (non-biological) sense by 1921. An earlier sense of "communal or social life" is found in 1622. Symbiotic first recorded 1882.

symbol --- c.1434, "creed, summary, religious belief," from L.L. symbolum "creed, token, mark," from Gk. symbolon "token, watchword" (applied c.250 by Cyprian of Carthage to the Apostles' Creed, on the notion of the "mark" that distinguishes Christians from pagans), from syn- "together" + stem of ballein "to throw." The sense evolution is from "throwing things together" to "contrasting" to "comparing" to "token used in comparisons to determine if something is genuine." Hence, "outward sign" of something. The meaning "something which stands for something else" first recorded 1590 (in "Faerie Queene"). Symbolic is attested from 1680.

symbolism --- 1654, "practice of representing things with symbols," from symbol. Attested from 1892 as a movement in Fr. literature that aimed at representing ideas and emotions by indirect suggestion rather than direct expression; rejecting realism and naturalism, it attached symbolic meaning to certain objects, words, etc. Fr. symboliste was coined by poet Paul Verlaine (1844-96) in 1885.

symmetry --- 1563, "relation of parts, proportion," from L. symmetria, from Gk. symmetria "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement," from symmetros "having a common measure, even, proportionate," from syn- "together" + metron "meter" (see meter (2)). Meaning "harmonic arrangement of parts" first recorded 1599. Symmetrical is recorded from 1751. Symmetrophobia is from 1809, supposed to be evident in Egyptian temples and Japanese art.

sympathy --- 1579, "affinity between certain things," from M.Fr. sympathie, from L.L. sympathia "community of feeling, sympathy," from Gk. sympatheia, from sympathes "having a fellow feeling, affected by like feelings," from syn- "together" + pathos "feeling" (see pathos). In Eng., almost a magical notion at first; e.g. in ref. to medicines that heal wounds when applied to a cloth stained with blood from the wound. Meaning "conformity of feelings" is from 1596; sense of "fellow feeling" is first attested 1662. Sympathize "to have fellow-feeling" is recorded from 1605. Sympathetic "sharing the feelings of another" is from 1718. In anatomical sense, the word is attested from 1769, from Mod.L. (nervus) sympathicus, coined by Jacques-Benigne Winslow (1669-1760), Danish anatomist living in Paris.

symphony --- c.1290, the name of various musical instruments, from O.Fr. symphonie "harmony" (12c.), from L. symphonia "a unison of sounds, harmony," from Gk. symphonia "harmony, concert," from symphonos "harmonious," from syn- "together" + phone "voice, sound" (see fame). Meaning "harmony of sounds" is attested from c.1440; sense of "music in parts" is from 1599. "It was only after the advent of Haydn that this word began to mean a sonata for full orchestra. Before that time it meant a prelude, postlude, or interlude, or any short instrumental work." ["Elson's Music Dictionary"] Meaning "elaborate orchestral composition" first attested 1789 (symphonic in this sense is from 1864). Elliptical for "symphony orchestra" from 1926.

symposium --- 1586, "account of a gathering or party," from L. symposium "drinking party, symposium," from Gk. symposion "convivial gathering of the educated" (related to sympotes "drinking companion"), from syn- "together" + posis "a drinking," from a stem of Aeolic ponen "to drink," cognate with L. potare "to drink." The sense of "meeting on some subject" is from 1784. Reflecting the Gk. fondness for mixing wine and intellectual discussion, the modern sense is especially from the word being used as a title for one of Plato's dialogues. Gk. plural is symposia, and the leader of one is a symposiarch (1603).

symptom --- 1541, earlier sinthoma (1398), from M.L. sinthoma "symptom of a disease," from L.L. symptoma, from Gk. symptoma (gen. symptomatos) "a happening, accident, disease," from stem of sympiptein "to befall," from syn- "together" + piptein "to fall," from PIE base *pet- "to rush, to fly" (see petition). Spelling altered in Eng. by influence of M.Fr. and L.L. forms. Symptomatic in general sense of "indicative (of)" is from 1751.

syn- --- prefix meaning "together with," from Gk. syn "with, together with," of unknown origin.

synaesthesia --- sensation in one part of the body produced by stimulus in another, 1891, from Mod.L., from Gk. syn- "together" + stem aisthe- "to feel, perceive." Also of the senses.

synagogue --- c.1175, from O.Fr. sinagoge (11c.), from L.L. synagoga "congregation of Jews," from Gk. synagoge "place of assembly, synagogue," lit. "meeting, assembly," from synagein "to gather, assemble," from syn- "together" + agein "bring, lead." Used by Gk. translators of the Old Testament as a loan-translation of late Heb. keneseth "assembly" (cf. beth keneseth "synagogue," lit. "house of assembly.")

synapse --- junction between two nerve cells, 1899, from Gk. synapsis "conjunction," from synaptein "to clasp," from syn- "together" + haptein "to fasten." Related to apse. Introduced by Eng. physiologist Sir Michael Foster (1836-1907) at the suggestion of Eng. classical scholar Arthur Woollgar Verral (1851-1912).

sync --- 1929, shortened form of synchronization (see synchronize). Originally in ref. to soundtracks and pictures in the movies. Sense of "be in agreement, coincide" first recorded 1961 in in sync.

synchronic --- 1833 shortening of synchronical (1652), from L.L. synchronus "simultaneous" (see synchronous). Linguistic sense is first recorded 1922, probably a borrowing from Fr. synchronique (de Saussure, 1913).

synchronism --- 1588, "quality of being synchronous," from Mod.L. synchronismus, from Gk. synchronismos, from synchronos (see synchronous). Meaning "recurring at the same successive instants of time" is from 1854.

synchronize --- c.1624, "to occur at the same time," from Gk. synchronizein "be of the same time," from synchronos "happening at the same time" (see synchronous). The sense of "make synchronous" is first recorded 1806. Synchronized swimming is recorded from 1950.

synchronous --- 1669, "existing or happening at the same time," from L.L. synchronus "simultaneous," from Gk. synchronos "happening at the same time," from syn- "together" + khronos "time." Meaning "recurring at the same successive instants of time" is attested from 1677.

synclinal --- sloping downward on both sides, 1833 (in Lyell), from Gk. synklinein "to incline, lean," from syn- "together" + klinein "to slope" (see lean (v.)).

syncopation --- 1532, "contraction of a word by omission of middle sounds," from M.L. syncopationem (nom. syncopatio) "a shortening or contraction," from syncopare "to shorten," also "to faint away, to swoon," from L.L. syncope (see syncope). Musical sense is attested from 1597.

syncope --- c.1400, from L.L. syncopen "contraction of a word," acc. of syncope, from Gk. synkope, "contraction of a word," originally "a cutting off," from synkoptein "to cut up," from syn- "together, thoroughly" + koptein "to cut." In pathology, "failure of the heart's action," hence "unconsciousness."

syncretism --- reconciliation of different beliefs, 1618, from Mod.L. syncretismus (David Pareus, 1615), from Gk. synkretismos "union of communities," from synkretizein "to combine against a common enemy," from syn- + srcond element of uncertain origin. One theory connects it with kretismos "lying," from kretizein "to lie like a Cretan;" another connects it with the stem of kerannynai "to mix, blend;" krasis "mixture."

syndic --- 1601, "civil magistrate, especially in Geneva," from Fr. syndic "chief representative" (14c.), from L.L. syndicus "representative of a group or town," from Gk. syndikos "public advocate," from syn- "together" + dike "judgment, justice, usage, custom" (cognate with L. dicere "to show, tell;" see diction). Meaning "representative of a university or other corporation" first found 1607.

syndicalism --- 1907, from Fr. syndicalisme "movement to transfer ownership of means of production and distribution to industrial workers," from syndical "of a labor union," from syndic "chief representative" (see syndic).

syndicate --- 1624, "council or body of representatives," from Fr. syndicat, from syndic "representative of a corporation" (see syndic). Meaning "combination of persons or companies to carry out some commercial undertaking" first occurs 1865. Publishing sense of "association of publishers for purchasing articles, etc., for simultaneous publication in a number of newspapers" is from 1889. (Syndication "publication, broadcast, or ownership by a syndicate" is attested from 1925.) As a synonym for "organized crime, the Mob" it is recorded from 1929.

syndrome --- a number of symptoms occurring together, 1541, from Mod.L., from Gk. syndrome "concurrence of symptoms, concourse," from syndromos, lit. "running together," from syn- "with" + dromos "running, course." Psychological sense is from 1955.

syne --- as in Burns' poem "Auld Lang Syne" (1788) is recorded from c.1300, Scot. form of since (q.v.), without the adverbial genitive inflection.

synecdoche --- 1388, "part for whole or vice versa," from M.L. synodoche, from L.L. synecdoche, from Gk. synekdokhe, lit. "a receiving together or jointly," from synekdekhesthai "supply a thought or word, take with something else," from syn- "with" + ek "out" + dekhesthai "to receive," related to dokein "seem good" (see decent). Figure in which an attribute or adjunct is substituted for the thing meant ("head" for "cattle," etc.).

synergism --- 1657 (implied in synergist), "theological doctrine that human will cooperates with divine grace in regeneration," from Mod.L. synergismus, from Gk. synergos "working together" (see synergy). Used in a broader (non-theological) sense by 1925.

synergy --- 1660, "cooperation," from Mod.L. synergia, from Gk. synergia "joint work, assistance, help," from synergos "working together," related to synergein "work together, help another in work," from syn- "together" + ergon "work" (see urge (v.)). Meaning "combined activities of a group" is from 1847.

synod --- 1387, "ecclesiastical council," from L.L. synodus, from Gk. synodos "assembly, meeting, conjunction of planets," from syn- "together" + hodos "a going, a way" (see cede). Used by Presbyterians for "assembly of ministers and other elders" from 1593 to c.1920, when replaced by General Council.

synonym --- 1432 (but rare before 18c.), from L. synonymum, from Gk. synonymon "word having the same sense as another," noun use of neut. of synonymos "having the same name as, synonymous," from syn- "together, same" + onyma, Aeolic dialectal form of onoma "name" (see name). Synonymous is attested from 1610.

synopsis --- 1611, from L.L. synopsis "a synopsis," from Gk. synopsis "general view," from a stem of synoran "to see altogether, all at once," from syn- "together" + horan "to see, view." Synoptic (1763) is applied to the first three Gospels (1841) on notion of "giving an account of events from the same point of view."

syntax --- 1605, from Fr. syntaxe, from L.L. syntaxis, from Gk. syntaxis "a putting together or in order, arrangement, syntax," from stem of syntassein "put in order," from syn- "together" + tassein "arrange" (see tactics).

synthesis --- 1611, from L. synthesis "collection, set, composition (of a medication)," from Gk. synthesis "composition," from syntithenai "put together, combine," from syn- "together" + tithenai "put, place," from PIE base *dhe- "to put, to do" (see factitious). Synthetic in the sense of "made artificially by chemical synthesis" is first recorded 1874. Synthesizer "electronic musical instrument" is attested from 1909.

syphilis --- 1718, Mod.L., originally from the title of a poem, "Syphilis, sive Morbus Gallicus" "Syphilis, or the French Disease," 1530, by Veronese doctor Girolamo Fracastoro (1483-1553), which tells the tale of the shepherd Syphilus, supposed to be the first sufferer from the disease. Fracastoro first used the word as a generic term for the disease in 1546 treatise "De Contagione." Why he chose the name is unknown; it may be intended as L. for "Pig-lover," though there was also a Sipylus, a son of Niobe, in Ovid.

Syria --- from L. Syria, from Gk. Syria, from Syrioi "the Syrians," a name originally given to the Assyrians (Herodotus vii.63), an aphetic form of Assyrioi (see Assyria).

syringe --- c.1425, from L.L. syringa, from Gk. syringa, acc. of syrinx "tube, hole, channel, shepherd's pipe," related to syrizein "to pipe, whistle, hiss," from PIE base *swer- (see susurration). Originally a catheter for irrigating wounds, the application to hypodermic needles is from 1884.

syrinx --- 1606, the instrument itself known from 14c. in English, from L.L. syrinx, from Gk. syrinx "shepherd's pipe." Used of vocal organs of birds from 1872.

syrup --- 1392, from O.Fr. sirop (13c.), and perhaps from It. siroppo, both from Arabic sharab "beverage, wine," lit. "something drunk," from verb shariba "he drank" (cf. sherbet). Sp. jarabe, jarope, O.Prov. eissarop are from Arabic; It. sciroppo is via M.L. sirupus.

system --- 1619, "the whole creation, the universe," from L.L. systema "an arrangement, system," from Gk. systema "organized whole, body," from syn- "together" + root of histanai "cause to stand" from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Meaning "set of correlated principles, facts, ideas, etc." first recorded 1638. Meaning "animal body as an organized whole, sum of the vital processes in an organism" is recorded from 1683; hence fig. phrase to get (something) out of one's system (1900). Computer sense of "group of related programs" is recorded from 1963. All systems go (1962) is from U.S. space program.

systole --- periodic contraction of the heart and arteries, 1578, from Gk. systole "contraction," from syn- "together" + stem related to stellein "to put, send" (see stall (n.1)).

syzygy --- conjunction or opposition of a heavenly body with the sun, 1656, from L.L. syzygia, from Gk. syzygia "yoke, pair, union of two, conjunction," from syzygein "to yoke together," from syn- "together" + zygon "yoke" (see jugular).

T --- to cross one's T's (and dot one's i's) "to be exact" is attested from 1849. Phrase to a T "exactly" is recorded from 1693, though the exact signification is uncertain, despite much speculation. The measuring tool called a T-square is recorded by that name from 1785.

T and A --- 1972, short for tits and ass (a phrase attributed to Lenny Bruce), in ref. to U.S. mass media; earlier it was medical shorthand for "tonsils and adenoids" (1942).

ta --- 1772, "natural infantile sound of gratitude" [Weekley].

tab (1) --- small flap, 1607, possibly a dialectal word, of uncertain origin. Often interchangeable with tag (1). The verb meaning "to designate, label" is 1924, perhaps an alteration of tag (1).

tab (2) --- account, bill, check, 1889, Amer.Eng. colloquial, probably a shortened form of tabulation or of tablet in the sense of "a sheet for writing on." Fig. phrase to keep a tab on is recorded from 1890.

tab (3) --- 1961, shortened form of tablet (esp. one of sugar containing LSD). As an abbreviation of tabloid (newspaper) it is 1990s slang. As a short form of tabulator key of a typewriter (later computer) it is recorded from 1916.

tabagie --- 1819, from Fr., from tabac "tobacco" (see tobacco). A group of smokers who meet in club fashion; a "tobacco-parliament."

tabard --- 1253, from early Sp. tabardo and O.Fr. tabart (12c.), of unknown origin. Originally a coarse, sleeveless upper garment worn by peasants, later a knight's surcoat (hence the name of the tavern in "Canterbury Tales").

Tabasco --- proprietary name of a type of hot sauce, 1876, (the sauce so called from 1652, originally Tavasco), named for state in Mexico, perhaps because the pepper sauce was first encountered there by U.S. and European travelers. The trademark (by Edward Avery McIlhenny) claims use from c.1870.

tabbouli --- Middle Eastern vegetable salad, 1955, from Arabic tabbula.