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

dirigible --- airship, 1885, from Fr. dirigeable, lit. "capable of being directed or guided," from L. dirigere (see direct). The word existed as an adj. in Eng. from 1581, with the lit. sense.

dirk --- 1602, probably from Dirk, the proper name, which was used in Scand. for "a picklock." Earliest association is with Highlanders, but there seems to be no such word in Gaelic, where the proper name is biodag.

dirndl --- 1937, from Ger. dial. dim. of dirne "girl" (cf. dirndlkleid "peasant dress").

dirt --- 15c. metathesis of M.E. drit, drytt "mud, dirt, dung" (c.1300), from O.N. drit, cognate with O.E. dritan, from P.Gmc. *dritanan. Meaning "gossip" first attested 1926 (in Hemingway); dirt bike is 1960s. Dirty in the sense of "morally unclean" is attested from 1599. Dirty linen "personal or familial secrets" is first recorded 1860s. Dirt-cheap is from 1821.

dis- --- prefix meaning 1. "lack of, not" (e.g. dishonest); 2. "do the opposite of" (e.g. disallow); 3. "apart, away" (e.g. discard), from O.Fr. des-, from L. dis- "apart," from PIE *dis- "apart, asunder" (cf. O.E. te-, O.S. ti-, O.H.G. ze-, Ger. zer-). The PIE root is a secondary form of *dwis- and is thus related to L. bis "twice" (originally *dvis) and to duo, on notion of "two-ways, in twain." Dis has even stepped out on its own as a word (1980), as a shortening of disrespect or dismiss, originally in U.S. Black English, popularized by hip hop slang.

disable --- 1444, from dis- "do the opposite of" (see dis-) + pp. of ablen (v.) "to make fit."

disaffected --- estranged, hostile, usually in reference to authority, 1632, from dis- "not" (see dis-) + affected.

disagree --- 1494, from M.Fr. désagréer (12c.), from dés- "dis-" + agréer (see agree) The first record of disagreeable "unpleasant" is from 1473.

disappear --- 1530, from dis- "do the opposite of" (see dis-) + appear. Slang disappearing act, originally of magic shows, in fig. sense of "getting away" first attested 1913.

disappoint --- 1434, from M.Fr. desappointer "undo the appointment, remove from office," from des- "dis" + appointer "appoint." Modern sense of "to frustrate expectations" (1494) is from secondary meaning of "fail to keep an appointment."

disapprove --- 1481, originally "disprove;" as the reverse of approve, it is first attested 1647.

disarm --- c.1374, from O.Fr. desarmer (11c.), from des- "dis-" + armer (see arm (2)). The fig. sense is earlier in Eng. than the literal.

disarray --- c.1386, from dis- "lack of" (see dis-) + array.

disaster --- 1580, from M.Fr. desastre (1564), from It. disastro "ill-starred," from dis- "away, without" + astro "star, planet," from L. astrum, from Gk. astron. The sense is astrological, of a calamity blamed on an unfavorable position of a planet.

disavow --- 1393, from dis- "opposite of" (see dis-) + avow.

disband --- 1591, from M.Fr. desbander, in military sense, from des- "dis-" + band (q.v.).

disbar --- deprive of the privileges of a barrister, 1632, from dis- opposite of" (see dis-) + bar in the legal sense.

disburse --- 1530, from O.Fr. desbourser (13c.), from des- "dis-" + bourse "purse" (see bursar).

disc --- spelling preferred in England for most uses of disk (q.v.). Amer.Eng. tends to use it in the musical recording sense; originally of phonograph records, recently of compact discs. Discography first recorded 1933, from disc + ography. Hence, also, discophile "enthusiast for gramophone recordings" (1940).

discard --- 1591, from dis- "away" (see dis-) + card (n.). In a non-gaming sense, first recorded 1595.

discern --- c.1374, from O.Fr. discerner "distinguish, separate" (by sifting), from L. discernere, from dis- "off, away" + cernere "distinguish, separate, sift" (see crisis).

discharge --- c.1330, from O.Fr. deschargier "unload," from L.L. discarricare, from dis- "do the opposite of" + carricare "load." The electrical sense is first attested 1748.

disciple --- O.E. discipul (fem. discipula), Biblical borrowing from L. discipulus "pupil," from *discipere "to grasp intellectually, analyze thoroughly," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + capere "take" (see capable).

discipline --- c.1225, from O.Fr. descepline, from L. disciplina "instruction given to a disciple," from discipulus (see disciple). Sense of "treatment that corrects or punishes" is from notion of "order necessary for instruction." The L. word is glossed in O.E. by þeodscipe. Meaning "branch of instruction or education" is first recorded c.1386. Meaning "military training" is from 1489; that of "orderly conduct as a result of training" is from 1509. The verb is attested from c.1300. Disciplinarian "one who enforces order" is first attested 1639; earlier used of Puritans who wanted to establish the Presbyterian "discipline" in England (c.1585).

disclaim --- 1434, from Anglo-Fr. disclaimer, O.Fr. desclamer, from des- "dis-" + clamer (see claim). Disclaimer "disavowal, denial" is first recorded 1790.

disclose --- 1393, from O.Fr. desclos, pp. of desclore, from des- "dis-" + clore "to close" (see close (v.)).

disco --- 1964, Amer.Eng. shortening of discotheque; sense extended 1975 to the kind of music played there.

discolor --- c.1380, from O.Fr. discolourer, from des- "dis-" + colourer "to color," from L. colorare (see color).

discombobulate --- 1834, Amer.Eng., fanciful coinage of a type popular then (originally discombobricate).

discomfit --- c.1225, from O.Fr. desconfit, pp. of desconfire "to defeat, destroy," from des- "not" + confire "make, prepare, accomplish." Weaker sense of "disconcert" is first recorded 1530 in Eng., probably by confusion with discomfort (q.v.).

discomfort --- 1375, from O.Fr. desconfort (12c.). The verb is recorded from c.1330, originally "to deprive of courage."

disconcert --- 1687, from M.Fr. disconcerter "confused," from dis- "do the opposite of" + concerter (see concert).

disconnection --- 1735, from dis- "not" + connection.

disconsolate --- c.1374, from M.L. disconsolatus, "comfortless," from L. dis- "away" + consolatus, pp. of consolari (see console (v.)).

discontent --- 1494, from dis- "not" (see dis-) + content (adj.).

discontinue --- 1479, from O.Fr. discontinuer (14c.), from M.L. discontinuare, from dis- "not" + continuare "to continue."

discord --- c.1230, from O.Fr. descorde "disagreement," from L. discordia, from discors (gen. discordis) "disagreeing, disagreement," from dis- "apart" + cor (gen. cordis) "heart" (see heart).

discotheque --- borrowed 1954 from Fr. discothèque "nightclub with recorded music for dancing," also "record library," borrowed 1932 from It. discoteca "record collection, record library," coined 1927 from disco "phonograph record" + -teca "collection," probably on model of biblioteca "library."

discount --- 1622, alteration of Fr. décompte, from O.Fr. descont, from desconter "count out" (13c.), from des- "away" + conter "to count" (see count (v.)).

discountenance --- put to shame, 1580, from M.Fr. descontenancer "to abash," from des- "dis-" + contenancer (see countenance).

discourage --- 1437, from M.Fr. descourager, from O.Fr. descouragier, from des- "away" + corage (see courage).

discourse --- c.1374, alteration of L. discursus "a running about," in L.L. "conversation," from stem of discurrere "run about," from dis- "apart" + currere "to run." Sense of "formal speech or writing" is first recorded 1581.

discourtesy --- 1555, from dis- "opposite of" (see dis-) + courtesy (q.v.).

discover --- c.1300, from O.Fr. descovrir, from L.L. discooperire, from L. dis- "opposite of" + cooperire "to cover up." Originally with a sense of betrayal or malicious exposure (discoverer originally meant "informant"), the modern meaning "to obtain knowledge or sight of what was not known" is from 1555.

discredit --- 1559, from dis- "opposite of" + credit.

discreet --- 1340, from O.Fr. discret, from L. discretus "separated, distinct," in M.L. "discerning, careful," from pp. of discernere "distinguish" (see discern). Spellings discrete and nativized discreet co-existed until after c.1600, when discreet became the common word for "careful, prudent," and discrete was maintained in philosophy, medicine, music and other disciplines that remembered L. and tried to stick close to it.

discrepancy --- c.1425 (discrepance), from L. discrepantia, from discrepantem, prp. of discrepare "sound differently, differ," from dis- "apart, off" + crepare "to rattle, crack."

discrete --- 1398, see discreet.

discretion --- c.1303, from L.L. discretionem (nom. discretio) "discernment, power to make distinctions," from L. discretionem "separation, distinction," from discre- stem of discernere "to separate, distinguish" (see discern). Phrase at (one's) discretion attested from 1577; the age of discretion (1395) in English law was 14.

discriminate --- 1628, from L. discriminare "to divide," from discrimen, derived n. from discernere (see discern). The adverse (usually racial) sense is first recorded 1866, Amer.Eng. Positive sense remains in discriminating (adj.) "possessing discernment" (1792). "It especially annoys me when racists are accused of 'discrimination.' The ability to discriminate is a precious facility; by judging all members of one 'race' to be the same, the racist precisely shows himself incapable of discrimination." [Christopher Hitchens]

discursive --- 1599, from M.Fr. discursif, from M.L. discursivus, from L. discursus "a running about" (see discourse).

discus --- 1656, from L. discus "discus, disk," from Gk. diskos "disk, quoit, platter."

discussion --- c.1340, from O.Fr. discussion, from L.L. discussionem "examination, discussion," in classical L., "a shaking," from discussus, pp. of discutere "strike asunder, break up," from dis- "apart" + quatere "to shake." Originally "examination, investigation, judicial trial;" meaning of "talk over, debate" first recorded 1448. Sense evolution in L. appears to have been from "smash apart" to "scatter, disperse," then in post-classical times (via the mental process involved) to "investigate, examine," then to "debate."

disdain --- c.1290, from O.Fr. desdeignier, from des- "do the opposite of" + deignier "treat as worthy" (see deign).

disease --- c.1330, "discomfort," from O.Fr. desaise, from des- "without, away" + aise "ease" (see ease). Sense of "sickness, illness" first recorded 1393; the word still sometimes was used in its lit. sense early 17c.

disembark --- 1582, from M.Fr. desembarquer.

disembodied --- 1742, from dis- "not" + embodied.

disembowel --- 1603, from dis- + embowel. Earlier form was disbowel (c.1440); embowel, with the same meaning, is attested from 1521.

disenchant --- c.1586, from M.Fr. desenchanter (13c.), from des- "dis-" + enchanter "to enchant." Carlyle coined disenchantress (1831).

disenfranchise --- deprive of civil or electoral privileges, 1644, from dis- + enfranchise. Earlier form was disfranchise (1467).

disengage --- 1603 in fig. sense; 1662 in lit. sense of "detach," from dis- "do the opposite of" (see dis-) + engage (q.v.).

disfavor --- c.1533, from dis- "the opposite of" (see dis-) + favor (v.).

disfigure --- c.1370, from O.Fr. desfigurer, from M.L. diffigurare, from L. dis- + figura "figure," from figurare "to figure."

disgorge --- c.1477, from O.Fr. desgorger, from des- "dis-" + gorge "throat."

disgrace --- c.1549, from M.Fr. disgracier, from It. disgraziare, from disgrazia "misfortune, deformity," from dis- "opposite of" + grazia "grace."

disgruntle --- 1682, from dis- "entirely, very" + obs. gruntle "to grumble," frequentative of grunt (q.v.).

disguise --- c.1325, from O.Fr. desguisier, from des- "away, off" + guise "style, appearance." Originally primarily "to put out of one's usual manner" (of dress, etc.); noun meaning "a garb assumed in order to deceive" is first recorded 14c. Original sense preserved in phrase disguised with liquor (1562). "It is most absurdly said, in popular language, of any man, that he is disguised in liquor; for, on the contrary, most men are disguised by sobriety." [Thomas de Quincy, "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater," 1856]

disgust --- 1598, from M.Fr. desgoust "strong dislike, repugnance," lit. "distaste," from desgouster "have a distaste for," from des- "opposite of" + gouster "taste," from L. gustare "to taste" (see gusto). Sense has strengthened over time, and subject and object have been reversed: cf. "It is not very palatable, which makes some disgust it" (1669), while the reverse sense of "to excite nausea" is attested from 1650.

dish --- O.E. disc "plate, bowl, platter," borrowed c.700 from L. discus "dish, platter, quoit," from Gk. diskos "disk, platter." O.H.G. borrowed the word as tisc "plate," but Ger. tisch now means "table," in common with other later Romantic forms (cf. It. desco, Fr. dais). Meaning "variety of food served" is first recorded c.1450. Verb meaning "to disparage, denigrate" first recorded 1940s; probably from the same notion in fig. dish it out (1934). Dish-cloth (1828) relegated earlier dish-clout (1530) to dialect. Dish-washer is c.1529, of persons, 1867 of machines. Dish-water is attested from 1484. Dishy "very attractive" is attested from 1961.

dishabille --- 1673, from Fr. déshabillé "undress," from des- "dis-" + habiller "to dress," originally "prepare, arrange" (see habit).

dishearten --- 1599 (first recorded in Shakespeare's "Henry V"), from dis- "the opposite of" + hearten, verb formed from fig. sense of heart.

dishevel --- c.1381, from O.Fr. deschevele, pp. of descheveler "to disarrange the hair," from des- "apart" + chevel "hair," from L. capillus "hair."

dishonest --- c.1386, from O.Fr. deshoneste, perhaps from a M.L. compound of L. dis- "not" + honestus "honorable" (see honest). The L. form was dehonestus.

dishonor --- c.1300, from dis- "the opposite of" (see dis-) + honor (v.).

disillusion --- to free or be freed from illusion, 1851, from dis- + illusion (q.v.).

disincentive --- 1946, from dis- (see dis-) + incentive (q.v.).

disinclined --- 1647, from dis- + inclined (q.v.).

disinfect --- 1598, perhaps from Fr. désinfecter, or formed in Eng. from dis- + infect (q.v.). Disinfectant (n.) first attested 1837, from Fr. désinfectant (1816).

disinformation --- 1955, from Rus. dezinformatsiya (1949).

disingenuous --- lacking in candor, 1655, from dis- "opposite of" (see dis-) + ingenuous (q.v.).

disinherit --- c.1450, from dis- "not" + inherit. Replaced earlier desherit (c.1290), from O.Fr. desheriter, from des- "dis-" + L. hereditare "to inherit."

disintegrate --- 1796, from dis- "do the opposite of" + integrate (q.v.).

disinter --- 1611, from Fr. désenterrer (15c.), from dés- "dis-" + enterrer "to inter" (see inter).

disinterested --- c.1612, "unconcerned," the sense we now would ascribe to uninterested; with the sense of "impartial" going to disinteressed (1603). Modern meaning of disinterested is first attested 1659. As things now stand, disinterested means "free from personal bias," while uninterested means "caring nothing for the matter in question."

disinvestment --- 1938, first recorded in writings of J.M. Keynes.

disjecta membra --- scattered remains (especially literary), from Horace's L. phrase disjecti membra poetæ "limbs of a dismembered poet."

disjointed --- c.1643, from disjoint (n.) "a dilemma, distress" (c.1374), probably influenced by lit. sense in O.Fr. desjointe "separation, rupture."

disk --- Amer.Eng. preferred spelling, 1664, from L. discus "quoit, discus, disk," from Gk. diskos, from dikein "throw." Sense of phonograph disk is 1888; disk jockey first recorded 1941; dee-jay is from 1955; DJ is 1961; video version veejay is 1982. Computing sense is from 1947; diskette "floppy disk" is 1973, with dim. suffix; disk-drive is 1952.

dislike --- c.1540 (implied in disliking), hybrid which ousted native mislike as the opposite of like. 16c. also had the excellent dislove "hate, cease to love," but it did not survive.

dislocate --- 1605, from earlier adj. or pp. dislocate "out of joint" (c.1400), from M.L. dislocatus, pp. of dislocare "put out of place," from L. dis- "away" + locare "to place" (see locate).

dislodge --- c.1408, from O.Fr. desloger "to leave or cause to leave a lodging place," from des- "do the opposite of" + loger (see lodge).

disloyalty --- c.1410, from M.Fr. desloyaulte, from O.Fr. desloialteit, from des- "not" + loial "loyal."

dismal --- c.1400, from Anglo-Fr. dismal, from O.Fr. (li) dis mals "(the) bad days," from M.L. dies mali "evil or unlucky days" (also called dies Ægyptiaci), from L. dies "days" (see diurnal) + mali, pl. of malus "bad" (see mal-). Through the Middle Ages, calendars marked two days of each month as unlucky, supposedly based on the ancient calculations of Egyptian astrologers. Modern sense of "gloomy, dreary" first recorded in Eng. 1593 in reference to sounds.

dismantle --- 1579, from M.Fr. desmanteler "to tear down the walls of a fortress," lit. "strip of a cloak," from des- "off, away" + manteler "to cloak" (see mantle).

dismay --- 1297, from O.Fr. *desmaier, from L. de- intensive prefix + O.Fr. esmaier "to trouble, disturb," from V.L. *exmagare "divest of power or ability," from P.Gmc. stem *mag- "power, ability" (cf. O.H.G. magen "to be powerful or able;" see may (v.)).

dismember --- 1297, from O.Fr. desmembrer, from M.L. dismembrare, from L. de- "take away" + membrum "limb" (see member).

dismiss --- c.1432, from O.Fr. desmis, from M.L. dismissus, from L. dimissus, pp. of dimittere "send away," from di- "apart, away" + mittere "send, let go." Prefix altered by analogy with many dis- verbs. Dismit, in the same sense, is attested from 1382.

dismount --- 1533, from dis- + mount (v.).

Disneyland --- in fig. sense of "land of make-believe" first recorded 1956, from U.S. entertainment park created by cartoonist Walter E. Disney (1901-66). The surname is attested from c.1150 (William de Ysini), from Isigny in the Calvados region of Normandy. Disneyesque, in reference to Disney's cartooning style, is attested from 1939.

disobey --- 1393, from O.Fr. desobeir (13c.), reformed with dis- from L.L. inobedire, a back-formation from inobediens "not obeying," from L. in- "not" + prp. of obedire (see obey). First record of disobedience is c.1400.

disorder --- 1477, from dis- "not" + the verb order. Replaced earlier disordeine (1340), from O.Fr. desordainer, from M.L. disordinare "throw into disorder," from L. dis- "take away" + ordinare "to order, regulate."

disorganize --- 1793, from Fr. désorganiser, from dés- "not" + organiser "organize." This word and related forms introduced in Eng. in reference to the Fr. Revolution.

disorient --- 1655, from Fr. désorienter, from dés- "dis-" + orienter (see orient (v.)).

disown --- c.1620, from dis- + own (v.).

disparage --- c.1315, from O.Fr. desparagier "reduce in rank, degrade," originally "to cause to marry unequally," and thus by extension the disgrace or dishonor involved in this, from des- "away" + parage "rank, lineage" (see peer (n.)). Sense of "belittle" first recorded 1536.

disparate --- 1608, "unlike in kind," from L. disparatus, pp. of disparare "divide, separate," from dis- "apart" + parare "get ready, prepare" (see pare); meaning infl. by L. dispar "unequal, unlike."

disparity --- c.1555, from M.Fr. disparité, from L.L. disparitatem "inequality," from L. dis- "not" + L.L. paritas (gen. paritatis) "parity" (see parity).

dispassionate --- 1594, from dis- "the opposite of" + pasionate (q.v.).

dispatch --- 1517, "to send off in a hurry," from Sp. despachar "expedite, hasten," probably opposite of O.Prov. empachar "impede," either from Gallo-Romance *impactare, frequentative of L. pingere "dash against," or ult. from L. pedica "shackle" (see impeach). Meaning "to get rid of by killing" is attested from 1530. Noun sense of "a message sent speedily" is first attested 1582.

dispel --- c.1631, from L. dispellere "drive apart," from dis- "away" + pellere "to drive, push." Since the meaning is "to drive away in different directions" it should not have as an object a single, indivisible thing (you can dispel suspicion, but not an accusation).

dispense --- c.1320, from O.Fr. dispenser "give out," from L. dispensare "disburse, administer, distribute (by weight)," freq. of dispendere "pay out," from dis- "out" + pendere "to pay, weigh" (see pendant). In M.L., dispendere was used in the ecclesiastical sense of "grant license to do what is forbidden or omit what is required" (a power of popes, bishops, etc.), and thus acquired a sense of "grant remission from punishment or exemption from law," which led to the Mod.Eng. meaning. Older sense is preserved in dispensary (1699) "place for weighing out medicines," Theological sense is from being used to translate Gk. oikonomoia "office, method of administration." Dispensation is from c.1374.

disperse --- c.1450, from M.Fr. disperser "scatter," from L. dispersus, pp. of dispergere "to scatter," from dis- "apart, in every direction" + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). The L. word is glossed in O.E. by tostregdan.

displace --- 1551, from O.Fr. desplacer, from des- "dis-" + placer "to place."

display --- 1292, from O.Fr. despleier "unfold, spread out," from L. displicare "to scatter," from dis- "un-, apart" + plicare "to fold" see ply (v.)). Properly of sails or flags (and unconnected to play), meaning of "reveal, exhibit" is c.1380.

displease --- c.1350, from O.Fr. desplais-, present tense stem of desplaisir "to displease," from L. displicere "displease," from dis- "not" + placere "to please." Displeasure first attested c.1470.

disport --- 1303, from Anglo-Fr. disporter "divert, amuse," from O.Fr. desporter, lit. "carry away" (the mind from serious matters), from des- "away" + porter "to carry," from L. portare "to carry" (see port (1)).

dispose --- c.1340, from O.Fr. disposer (infl. by poser "to place"), from O.Fr. despondre, from L. disponere "put in order, arrange," from dis- "apart" + ponere "to put, place" (see position). Disposition "temperament" is 1387, from astrological use of the word for "position of a planet as a determining influence." Disposable in the modern sense is first recorded 1943, originally of diapers, soon of everything; replaced throw-away (1928). First recorded use of disposable income is from 1948.

dispossess --- 1494, from O.Fr. despossesser "to dispossess," from des- "dis-" + possesser "possess."

disproportionate --- 1555, from dis- "not" + proportionate.

disprove --- c.1380, from O.Fr. desprover, from des- "dis-" + prover "to prove."

dispute --- c.1225 (implied in disputing), from O.Fr. desputer (12c.), from L. disputare "examine, discuss, argue," from dis- "separately" + putare "to count, consider." Used in Vulgate in sense of "to argue, contend with words."

disqualify --- 1718 (implied in disqualified), from dis- + qualify (q.v.).

disquisition --- 1605, "subject for investigation," also "systematic search," from L. disquisitionem (nom. disquisitio), from stem of disquirere "inquire," from dis- "apart" + quærere "seek, ask" (see query). Sense of "long speech" first recorded 1647.

disregard --- 1641, from dis- + regard (q.v.).

disremember --- 1815, Amer.Eng. colloquialism, from dis- + remember.

disrepair --- 1798, from dis- + repair (n.).

disrepute --- 1663, from dis- + repute. First record of disreputable is from 1772.

disrespect --- 1614 (v.), 1631 (n.), from dis- + respect.

disrobe --- 1581 in intrans. sense of "undress," from dis- + robe.

disruption --- 1646, from L. disruptionem, from stem of disrumpere "break apart, split," from dis- "apart" + rumpere "to break."