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

convolution --- 1545, from L. convolutus, pp. of convolvere "to roll together," from com- "together" + volvere "to roll" (see vulva).

convoy --- 1375 (as a verb), from O.Fr. convoier, from V.L. *conviare, lit. "go together on the road" (see convey). The noun first recorded 1557, "the act of guiding or escorting for protection;" meaning "train of ships or wagons carrying munitions or provisions in wartime under protection of escort" is from c.1600.

convulsion --- 1585, from L. convulsionem, from pp. stem of convellere "to tear loose," from com- "together" + vellere "to pluck, pull violently."

coo --- 1670, echoic; the phrase to bill and coo is first recorded 1816.

cook (n.) --- O.E. coc, from V.L. cocus "cook," from L. coquus, from coquere "to cook, prepare food, ripen, digest, turn over in the mind" from PIE base *pekw- "to cook" (cf. Oscan popina "kitchen," Skt. pakvah "cooked," Gk. peptein, Lith. kepti "to bake, roast," O.C.S. pecenu "roasted"). The noun was first; Gmc. languages had no one native term for all types of cooking. The verb is first attested c.1380; the figurative sense of "to manipulate, falsify, doctor" is from 1636. Cookout is from 1947; to cook with gas is 1930s jive talk. "There is the proverb, the more cooks the worse potage." [Gascoigne, 1575]

cookie --- 1703, Amer.Eng., from Du. koekje "little cake," dim. of koek "cake," from M.Du. koke (see cake). Slang application to persons attested since 1920. Phrase that's the way the cookie crumbles "that's the way things happen" is from 1957.

cool --- O.E. col, from P.Gmc. *koluz, from PIE base *gel- "cold, to freeze." The v. form kele (from O.E. colian) was used by Shakespeare, but has been assimilated with the adj. into the modern word. Applied since 1728 to large sums of money to give emphasis to amount. Meaning "calmly audacious" is from 1825. Slang use for "fashionable" is 1933, originally Black English, said to have been popularized in jazz circles by tenor saxophonist Lester Young. Coolant in the radiator sense is from 1930. Coolth, on model of warmth, is occasionally attested since 1547, and was used by Pound, Tolkien, Kipling, etc.

coolie --- 1598, "name given by Europeans to hired laborers in India and China," from Hindi quli "hired servant," probably from kuli, name of an aboriginal tribe or caste in Gujarat. The name was picked up by the Portuguese, who used it in southern India (where by coincidence kuli in Tamil meant "hire") and in China.

coomb --- deep hollow or valley, especially on flank of a hill, mainly surviving in place names, from O.E. cumb, probably a British word, from Celt. base *kumbos (cf. Welsh cwm in same sense).

coon --- short for raccoon, 1742, Amer.Eng. It was the nickname of Whig Party members in U.S. c.1848-60, as the raccoon was the party's symbol, and also had associations with frontiersmen (who stereotypically wore raccoon-skin caps), which probably was ultimately the source of the Whig Party association (the party's 1840 campaign was built on a false image of wealthy William Henry Harrison as a rustic frontiersman). The insulting U.S. meaning "black person" was in use by 1837, no doubt boosted by the enormously popular blackface minstrel act "Zip Coon" (George Washington Dixon) which debuted in New York City in 1834, and is said ult. to be from Port. barracoos "building constructed to hold slaves for sale." It is perhaps much older (one of the lead characters in the 1767 colonial comic opera "The Disappointment" is a black man named Raccoon). Coon's age is 1843, Amer.Eng., probably an alteration of British a crow's age.

coop --- O.E. cype, cypa "basket, cask," akin to M.Du. kupe, probably from L. cupa "tub, cask," from PIE *keup- "hollow mound." The verb is attested from 1563. Cooper is 12c., from L. cuparius, from cupa.

cooperation --- 1398, from L.L. cooperationem "a working together," from cooperari "to work together," from com- "with" + operari "to work" (see operation). Co-op is first recorded 1872, a shortening of co-operative store.

co-opt --- 1651, "to select (someone) for a group or club by a vote of members," from L. cooptare "to choose as a colleague or member of one's tribe," from com- "together" + optare "choose" (see option). For some reason this defied the usual pattern of L.-to-Eng. adaptation, which should have yielded cooptate. Sense of "take over" is first recorded c.1953.

coordination --- 1605, from L.L. coordinationem (nom. coordinatio), from L. coordinare "to set in order, arrange," from com- "together" + ordinatio "arrangement," from ordo "order."

coot --- c.1300, cote, used for various water fowl (now limited to Fulica atra and, in North America, F. americana), of uncertain origin (cf. Du. meercoet "lake coot"). Meaning "silly person, fool" is attested from 1766. Apparently unrelated to obsolete verb meaning "to copulate" (1667), which is, however, the source of cooter (1835), name of a type of Southern U.S. turtle that is said to copulate for two weeks at a stretch.

cootie --- 1917, British World War I slang, earlier in nautical use, from Malay kutu "dog tick."

cop (n.) --- policeman, 1859, abbreviation of earlier copper (1846), from the verb.

cop (v.) --- 1704, northern British dialect, "seize," perhaps from M.Fr. caper "seize, to take," from L. capere "to take" (see capable); or from Du. kapen "to take," from O.Fris. capia "to buy." Cop out (v.) and cop-out (n.) are Amer.Eng., first recorded 1942, probably from cop a plea (c.1925) "plead guilty to lesser charges."

copacetic --- 1919, but it may have origins in 19c. Amer.Eng. Southern black speech. Origin unknown, suspects include Latin, Yiddish (cf. Heb. kol b'seder), Italian, Louisiana French (coupe-sétique), and Native American. None is considered convincing by linguists.

cope (v.) --- c.1350, from O.Fr. couper, earlier colper "hit, punch," from colp "a blow" (see coup). Meaning of "come to blows with" evolved 17c. into "handle successfully," perhaps influenced by obs. cope "to traffic" (15c.-17c.), a word in North Sea trade, from the Flem. version of the Gmc. source of Eng. cheap (q.v.).

Copernican --- 1667, from Copernicus, L. form of Mikolaj Koppernigk (1473-1543), physician and canon of the cathedral of Frauenburg. His great work was "De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium."

copious --- 1382, from L. copiosus "plentiful," from copia "abundance, profusion, plenty," from com- "with" + ops (gen. opis) "power, wealth, resources," from PIE base *op- "to work, produce in abundance" (see opus).

copper --- O.E. coper, from W.Gmc. *kupar, from L.L. cuprum, contraction of L. Cyprium (æs) "Cyprian (metal)," after Gk. Kyprios "Cyprus." L. æs was originally "copper," but this was extended to its alloy with tin, bronze, and as this was far more extensively used than pure copper, the word's primary sense shifted to the alloy and a new word evolved for "copper," from the Latin form of the name of the island of Cyprus, where copper was mined. Aes passed into Gmc. (which originally did not distinguish copper from its alloys) and became Eng. ore (q.v.). Copperhead (Trigonocephalus contortrix) is 1775, Amer.Eng., poisonous "sneak snakes" (because they bite without warning); said to have been first used in reference to Northerners with Southern sympathies in the New York "Tribune," July 20, 1861, but O.E.D. says it originated in autumn 1862.

copro- --- from Gk. kopros "dung."

copse --- 1578, "small wood grown for purposes of periodic cutting," contraction of coppice, from O.Fr. coupeiz "a cut-over forest," from L.L. *colpaticium "having the quality of being cut," from *colpare "to cut, strike," from L.L. colpus "a blow" (see coup).

Copt --- 1615, from Ar. quft, probably from Coptic gyptios, from Gk. Agyptios "Egyptian." Native Egyptian Christian belonging to the Jacobite sect of Monophysites. Arabic has no -p- and often substitutes -f- or -b- for it.

copula --- 1650, from L. copula (see copulate).

copulate --- 14c., from L. copulatus, pp. of copulare "join together, link, unite," from copula "band, tie, link," from PIE *ko-ap-, from *ko(m)- "together" + *ap- "to take, reach." Originally "to join;" copulation in sense of "to join sexually" is first attested 1483: "Made one flesshe by carnal copulacyon or bodily felawshyp" [Caxton].

copy --- c.1330, from O.Fr. copie, from M.L. copia "reproduction, transcript," from L. copia "plenty, means" (see copious). Originally "written transcript," sense extended 15c. to any specimen of writing (especially MS for a printer) and any reproduction or imitation. The verb, in the figurative sense of "to imitate" is attested from 1647. Copyright is 1735. Copycat is attested from 1896, but may be 40 or 50 years older.

coquette --- 1669, from Fr. fem. of coquet (male) "flirt," from O.Fr. coq "cock." Coquetry is from 1656.

coral --- c.1305, from L. corallium, from Gk. korallion, probably of Sem. origin (cf. Heb. goral "small pebble," Ar. garal "small stone"), originally just the red variety found in the Mediterranean, hence use of the word as a symbol of "red." Coral snake (1760) is so called for the red zones in its markings.

corbel --- 1360, from O.Fr. dim. of corb, from L. corvus "raven;" so called from its beaked shape.

cord --- c.1300, from O.Fr. corde, from L. chorda "string, gut," from Gk. khorde "string, catgut, chord, cord," from PIE base *gher- "intestine." As a measure of wood (eight feet long, four feet high and wide) first recorded 1616, so called because it was measured with a cord of rope.

cordial --- c.1386, from M.Fr. cordial, from M.L. cordialis "of or for the heart," from L. cor (gen. cordis) "heart" (see heart). Original sense of n. was "medicine, food, or drink that stimulates the heart;" adj. meaning "heartfelt, from the heart" is c.1477.

cordillera --- 1704, from Sp., "mountain chain," from cordilla, in O.Sp. "string, rope," dim. of cuerda, from L. chorda "cord, rope" (see cord).

cordon --- 1440, from M.Fr. cordon "ribbon," dim. of O.Fr. corde "cord" (see cord). Sense of "a line of people or things guarding something" is 1758. Original sense preserved in cordon bleu (1727) "the highest distinction," lit. "blue ribbon," for the sky-blue ribbon worn by the Knights-grand-cross of the Holy Ghost (highest order of chivalry); extended figuratively to other persons of distinction, especially, jocularly, to a first-rate cook. Cordon sanitaire (1857), from Fr., a guarded line between infected and uninfected districts.

corduroy --- 1780, Amer.Eng., probably from cord + obs. 17c. duroy, a coarse fabric made in England. Folk etymology is from *corde du roi "the king's cord," but this is not attested in Fr., where the term for the cloth was velours à côtes. Applied in U.S. to a road of logs across swampy ground (1822).

cordwainer --- shoemaker, leatherworker, c.1100, from Anglo-Fr. cordewaner, from O.Fr. cordoan "(leather) of Cordova," the town in Spain (Sp. Cordoba, from Phoen. qorteb "oil press") whose leather was favored by the upper class for shoes.

core --- 1398, probably from O.Fr. coeur "core of fruit, heart of lettuce," lit. "heart," from L. cor "heart," from PIE base *kerd- "heart" (see heart).

corgi --- 1926, from Welsh corgi, from cor "dwarf" + ci "dog."

coriander --- c.1265, from O.Fr. coriandre, from L. coriandrum, from Gk. koriannon, apparently a non-I.E. word.

Corinna --- fem. proper name, from L., from Gk. Korinna, dim. of kore "maiden," also an epithet of Persephone.

Coriolis --- 1912, from G.G. Coriolis (1792-1843), Fr. engineer and mathematician.

cork --- 1303, from Sp. alcorque "cork sole," prob. from Arabic al-qurq, ult. from L. quercus "oak" or cortex (gen. corticis) "bark." The place in Ireland is Anglicized from Ir. Corcaigh, from corcach "marsh," and is unrelated. The verb "to stop with a cork" is from 1650; hence slang corker "something that closes a discussion" (1837). Corkscrew (n.) is from 1720; the verb is from 1837.

cormorant --- c.1320, from O.Fr. cormareng, from L.L. corvus marinus "sea raven." It has a reputation for voracity.

corn (1) --- grain, O.E. corn, from P.Gmc. *kurnam "small seed," from PIE base *ger- "wear away" (O.Slav. zruno "grain," Skt. jr- "to wear down," L. granum). The sense of the O.E. word was "grain with the seed still in" rather than a particular plant. Locally understood to denote the leading crop of a district. Restricted to corn on the cob in America (originally Indian corn, but the adjective was dropped), usually wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland, while korn means "rye" in parts of Germany. Introduced to China by 1550, it thrived where rice did not grow well and was a significant factor in the 18th century population boom there. Cornflakes first recorded 1907. Corned beef so called for the "corns" or grains of salt with which it is preserved. Cornrows as a hair style is first recorded 1971. Corny "old-fashioned" is Amer.Eng. 1932, originally, "something appealing to country folk."

corn (2) --- hardening of skin, c.1440, from O.Fr. corn "horn," later, "corn on the foot," from L. cornu "horn" (see horn).

cornea --- 1398, from M.L. cornea tela "horny web or sheath," from L. cornu (gen. cornus) "horn" (see horn). So called for its consistency.

corner --- c.1280, from O.Fr. corniere, from corne "horn, corner," from V.L. *corna, from L. cornua, pl. of cornu "projecting point, end, horn" (see horn). Replaced O.E. hyrne. To corner (v.) "turn a corner," as in a race, is 1860s; meaning "drive (someone) into a corner" is Amer.Eng. 1824. Commercial sense is from 1836.

cornet --- c.1400, from O.Fr., dim. of corn "a horn," from L. cornu "horn" (see horn).

cornice --- 1563, from M.Fr. corniche, It. cornice "ornamental molding along a wall," perhaps from L. coronis "curved line, flourish in writing," from Gk. koronis "curved object."

cornucopia --- 1508, from L. cornu copiæ "horn of plenty," originally the horn of the goat Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus. See horn and copious.

Cornwall --- O.E. Cornwalas (891), Cornubia (c.705), from name of a Celtic tribe, Latinized as Cornovii, lit. "peninsula people" (from Celt. kernou "horn," hence "headland"), to which the Anglo-Saxons added O.E. walh "stranger, foreigner," especially if Celtic (see Welsh).

corollary --- c.1380, from L.L. corollarium "a deduction, consequence," from L. corollarium, originally "money paid for a garland," hence "gift, gratuity, something extra," from corolla "small garland," dim. of corona "crown."

corona --- 1658, from L. "crown, garland" (see crown).

coronary --- 1610 (adj.) "suitable for garlands," from L. coronarius "of a crown," from corona "crown." Anatomical use is 1679 for structure of blood vessels that surround the heart like a crown. Short for coronary thrombosis it dates from 1955.

coronation --- 1388, from L.L. coronationem (nom. coronatio) "a crowning," from L. coronare "to crown," from corona "crown."

coroner --- 1194, from Anglo-Fr. curuner, from L. custos placitorum coronæ, originally officer with the duty of protecting the property of the royal family, from L. corona "crown." Present duties established by 17c.

coronet --- a small crown, 1494, from O.Fr. coronete, dim. of corone "a crown," from L. corona "crown."

corporal (adj.) --- of or belonging to the body, c.1390, from O.Fr. corporal, from L. corporalis, from corpus (gen. corporis) "body" (see corps). Corporal punishment (1581) is that inflicted on the body as opposed to fines or loss of rank.

corporal (n.) --- 1579, from M.Fr. corporal, from It. caporale "a corporal," from capo "chief, head," from L. caput "head" (see head). So called because he was in charge of a body of troops. Perhaps infl. by It. corpo, from L. corps "body." Or corps may be the source and caput the influence, as the OED believes.

corporate --- 1398, "united in one body," from L. corporatus, pp. of corporare "form into a body," from corpus (gen. corporis) "body" (see corporeal). Corporation "incorporated company for doing business" is from 1530; corporatism is from 1890.

corporeal --- 1610, from L. corporeus "of the nature of a body," from corpus "body," from PIE *kwrpes, from base *kwrep- "body, form appearance," probably from a verbal root meaning "to appear" (cf. Skt. krp- "form, body," Avestan kerefsh "form, body," O.E. hrif "belly," O.H.G. href "womb, belly, abdomen").

corps --- c.1275, cors "body," from O.Fr. cors, from L. corpus "body" (see corporeal). The -p- was re-inserted 15c., following Fr., based on L. original. Sense in Eng. evolved from "dead body" (13c.) to "live body" (14c.) to "body of citizens" (15c.) to "band of knights" (1464). The modern military sense (1704) is from Fr. corps d'armée (16c.), picked up in Eng. during Marlborough's campaigns.

corpse --- 1542, variant spelling of corps (q.v.). The -p- was originally silent, as in French, and with some speakers still is. The terminal -e was rare before 19c. Corpse-candle is attested from 1694.

corpulent --- 1398, from O.Fr. corpulent "stout, fat," from L. corpulentus "fleshy, fat," from corpus "body" (see corporeal) + -ulentus "full of."

corpus --- (pl. corpora), c.1390, from L., lit. "body" (see corporeal). The sense of "body of a person" (c.1440 in Eng.) and "collection of facts or things" (1727 in Eng.) were both present in L. Corpus Christi (1377) Catholic feast of the Blessed Sacrament, is the Thu. after Trinity Sunday. Corpus delecti (1832), is L., lit. "body of the offense," not the murder victim's body, but the basic elements that make up a crime; in the case of a murder, including the body of the murdered person.

corpuscle --- 1660, from L. corpusculum, dim. of corpus "body" (see corporeal). Originally "any small particle;" first applied to blood cells 1845.

corral --- 1582, from Sp. corro but origin uncertain. Perhaps ult. African, or from V.L. *currale "enclosure for vehicles," from L. currus "two-wheeled vehicle." Port. cognate curral is the source of S.African kraal "village, pen, enclosure." The verb meaning "to lay hold of, collar," is U.S. slang from 1860.

correct (v.) --- 1340, "to set right, rectify" (a fault or error), from L. correctus, pp. of corrigere "make straight, put right," from com- intens. prefix + regere "to lead straight, rule" (see regal). Originally of persons; with ref. to writing, etc., attested from c.1374. The pp. adj. is recorded from 1460. House of correction first recorded 1575.

correlation --- 1561, from M.Fr. corrélation, from com- "together" + relation (see relation).

correspondence --- 1413, "harmony, agreement," from M.L. correspondentia, from correspondentem, prp. of correspondere "correspond," from com- "together" + respondere "to answer" (see respond). Sense of "communication by letters" is first attested 1644; the newspaper sense of correspondent is from 1711.

corridor --- 1591, from It. corridore "a gallery," lit. "a runner," from correre "to run," from L. currere (see current). Originally of fortifications, meaning "long hallway" is first recorded 1814.

corroboration --- 1459, from L.L. corroborationem, from L. corroborare "to strengthen," from com- intens. prefix + robaratus, from robur "strength" (see robust).

corrode --- c.1400, from O.Fr. corroder, from L. corrodere "to gnaw to bits," from com- intensive prefix + rodere "to gnaw" (see rodent).

corrugate --- 1528 (implied in corrugation), from L. corrugatus, pp. of corrugare "to wrinkle," from com- intens. prefix + rugare "to wrinkle."

corrupt --- c.1300, from L. corruptus, pp. of corrumpere "to destroy, spoil, bribe," from com- intens. prefix + rup-, pp. stem of rumpere "to break" (see rupture).

corsage --- 1481, "size of the body," from O.Fr. cors "body" (see corpse); the meaning "body of a woman's dress, bodice" is from 1818 in fashion plates transl. from Fr.; 1843 in a clearly Eng. context. Sense of "a bouquet worn on the bodice" is 1911, Amer.Eng., apparently from Fr. bouquet de corsage "bouquet of the bodice."

corsair --- 1549, from Fr. corsaire, from Prov. cursar, It. corsaro, from M.L. cursarius "pirate," from L. cursus "course, a running," from currere "to run" (see current). Meaning evolved in M.L. from "course" to "journey" to "expedition" to an expedition specifically for plunder.

corset --- 1299, from O.Fr., dim. of cors "body" (see corps).

cortege --- 1649, "train of attendants," from Fr. cortège (16c.), from It. corteggio "retinue," from corte "court," from L. cohortem (see court).

cortex --- 1653, from L. "bark of a tree." Specifically of the brain, first recorded 1741.

cortisone --- 1949, coined by its discoverer, Dr. Edward C. Kendall, shortening of chemical name, 17-hydroxy-11 dehydrocorticosterone, ult. from L. corticis (gen. of cortex). So called because it was obtained from the "cortex" of adrenal glands; originally called Compound E (1936).

corundum --- 1728, from Anglo-Ind., from Tamil kurundam "ruby sapphire" (Skt. kuruvinda).

corvée --- 1340, "day's unpaid labor due to a lord by vassals under Fr. feudal system" (abolished 1776), from L.L. corrogata (opera) "requested work," from L. corrogare, from com- "with" + rogare "to ask" (see rogation).

corvette --- 1636, from Fr., "small, fast frigate," probably from M.Du. korver "pursuit ship," from M.L.G. korf meaning both a kind of boat and a basket, from L. corbita (navis) "slow-sailing ship of burden," from corbis "basket." A basket was hoisted as a signal by Egyptian grain-ships. The U.S. sports car was so named Sept. 1952, after the warship, on a suggestion by Myron Scott, employee of Campbell-Ewald, Chevrolet's advertising agency.

Corydon --- traditional poetic name for a shepherd or rustic swain, from L. Corydon, from Gk. Korydon, name of a shepherd in Theocritus and Virgil.

cosa nostra --- 1963, "the Mafia in America," from It., lit. "this thing of ours."

cosh --- stout stick, 1869, of unknown origin.

cosmetic --- 1605, from Gk. kosmetikos "skilled in adornment," from kosmein "to arrange, adorn," from kosmos "order" (see cosmos). Fig. sense of "superficial" is from 1955; cosmetology is from 1855.

cosmic --- 1649, see cosmos. Originally "of this world;" sense of "of the universe" is from 1874.

cosmopolitan (adj.) --- 1844, from cosmopolite "citizen of the world" (1614), from Gk. kosmopolites, from kosmos "world" (see cosmos) + polites "citizen," from polis "city" (see policy (1)). Cosmopolitanism first recorded 1828.

cosmos --- c.1200 (but not popular until 1848, as a translation of Humboldt's Kosmos), from Gk. kosmos "orderly arrangement" (cf. Homeric kosmeo, used of the act of marshaling troops), with an important secondary sense of "ornament, decoration, dress." Pythagoras is said to have been the first to apply this word to "the universe," perhaps originally meaning "the starry firmament," but later it was extended to the whole physical world, including the earth. For specific reference to "the world of people," the classical phrase was he oikoumene (ge) "the inhabited (earth)." Septuagint uses both kosmos and oikoumene. Kosmos also was used in Christian religious writing with a sense of "worldly life, this world (as opposed to the afterlife)," but the more frequent word for this was aion, lit. "lifetime, age." Cosmology is from 1656; cosmonaut is 1959, Anglicization of Rus. kosmonavt.

Cossack --- 1598, from Rus. kozak, from Turk. quzzak "adventurer, guerilla, nomad," from qaz "to wander." The same Turkic root is the source of the people-name Kazakh and the nation of Kazakhstan.

cosset --- 1659, "to fondle, caress, indulge," from a noun (1579) meaning "lamb brought up as a pet" (applied to persons from 1596), perhaps from O.E. cot-sæta "one who dwells in a cot."

cost --- c.1200, from O.Fr. coster, from V.L. *costare, from L. constare "to stand at" (or with), from com- "with" + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). The idiom is the same one we use in Mod.E. when we say something "stands at X dollars" to mean it sells for X dollars.