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

emu --- large Australian bird, 1613, probably from Port. ema "crane, ostrich," of unknown origin, perhaps from Moluccan eme.

emulation --- 1552, from L. æmulationem, from æmulari "to rival, strive to excel," from æmulus "striving, rivaling," from PIE *aim-olo, from base *aim- "copy." Related to L. imitari "imitate," and to L. imago "image."

emulsion --- 1612, from Fr. emulsion, from L. emulsus, pp. of emulgere "to milk out," from ex- "out" + mulgere "to milk." Milk is a classic instance of an emulsion, drops of one liquid dispersed throughout another. Emulsify is from 1859.

en- --- prefix meaning "cause to be, make" (endear); "put in or on" (encircle); from O.Fr. en-, from L. in- "in, into." Also used as an intensive (enclose). Spelling variants in O.Fr. brought over into M.E. account for parallels such as assure/insure/ensure. Many words beginning with en- in Mod.Eng. are transparent (enforce, etc.) and etymologies can be found in listings for their stems. Words listed here include those whose unprefixed form is not an obvious word in Eng. (encroach) or whose meaning has drifted significantly (engrain).

en masse --- 1802, from Fr., lit. "in mass."

en passant --- 1665, from Fr., lit. "in passing." In reference to chess, first attested 1818.

en route --- Fr., lit. "on the way," from en- "make, put in" + route (see route).

enable --- c.1460, from en- "make, put in" + able.

enact --- 1464, from en- "make, put in" + act.

enamel (v.) --- c.1325, from Anglo-Fr. enamailler, from en- "in" + amailler "to enamel," variant of O.Fr. esmailler, from esmail "enamel," from Frank. *smalt, from P.Gmc. *smaltjan "to smelt."

enamor --- 1303, from O.Fr. enamourer, from en-, causative prefix, + amour "love."

encamp --- 1568, from en- "make, put in" + camp.

encapsulate --- 1874, from en- "make, put in" + capsulate (see capsule).

encase --- 1727, from en- "make, put in" + case.

-ence --- suffix attached to verbs to form nouns of process or fact (convergence from converge), or of state or quality (absence from absent); from O.Fr. -ance, from L. -entia/-antia (from -ent- participle stem + -ia suffix forming nouns of condition or quality). The L. variants -entia and -antia were mostly leveled to -ance in O.Fr., but words borrowed later by Eng. directly from L. sometimes kept their L. vowels (diligence, absence), and others have since c.1500 been re-spelled to conform with L., causing much irregularity (attendance, but superintendence, etc.).

enceinte --- 1602, from Fr., "pregnant," from L.L. incincta "ungirt," from L. in- priv. prefix + cincta, fem. of cinctus, pp. of cingere "to gird" (see cinch).

encephalitis --- 1843, by influence of Fr. encéphalite, from Gk. enkephalos, from en- "within" + kephale "head" + -itis.

enchantment --- 1297, from O.Fr. enchantement, from enchanter "bewitch, charm," from L. incantare, lit. "chant (a magic spell) upon," from in- "upon, into" + cantare "to sing." Cf. O.E. galdor "song," also "spell, enchantment," from galan "to sing," source of the second element in nightingale. Enchanted in weakened sense of "delighted" is from 1593. Enchantress is first recorded c.1374.

enchilada --- 1887, Amer.Eng., from Mexican Sp. enchilada, fem. pp. of enchilar "season with chili," from en- "in" + chile "chili."

enchiridion --- 1541, "a handbook," from L.L., from Gk. enkheiridion, neut. of enkheiridios "that which is held in the hand," from en- "in" + kheir "hand" + -idion dim. suffix.

encircle --- c.1400, from en- "make, put in" + circle.

enclave --- 1868, from Fr. enclave, from O.Fr. enclaver "enclose," from L.L. inclavare "shut in, lock up," from L. in- "in" + clavis "key" (see slot (2)).

enclitic --- 1663, from L.L. encliticus, from Gk. enklitikos "throwing its accent back," lit. "leaning on," from verbal adj. stem of enklinein "to bend, lean on," from en- + klinein "to lean" (see lean (v.)).

enclose --- c.1325, from en- + close (q.v.). Specific sense of "to fence in waste or common ground" for the purpose of cultivation or to give it to private owners, is from 1503. Meaning "place a document with a letter for transmission" is from 1707.

encode --- 1919, from en- "make, put in" + code. Computing sense is from 1955, usually shortened colloquially to code.

encomium --- 1589, from L.L. encomium, from Gk. enkomion (epos) "laudatory (ode), eulogy," from en- "in" + komos "banquet, procession, merrymaking."

encompass --- c.1555, from en- "make, put in" + compass.

encore --- 1712, from Fr. encore "still, yet, again," probably from V.L. phrase *hinc ad horam "from then to this hour." "Whenever any Gentlemen are particularly pleased with a Song, at their crying out Encore ... the Performer is so obliging as to sing it over again." [Steele, "Spectator" No. 314, 1712]

encounter --- 1297, "meeting of adversaries," from O.Fr. encountrer "confront," from encontre (prep. and adv.) "against, counter to," from L.L. incontra "in front of," from L. in- "in" + contra "against." Weakened sense of "casually meet" first recorded in Eng. 1520.

encourage --- 1483, from O.Fr. encouragier, from en- "make, put in" + corage (see courage). "As a general rule, Providence seldom vouchsafes to mortals any more than just that degree of encouragement which suffices to keep them at a reasonably full exertion of their powers." [Nathaniel Hawthorne]

encroach --- c.1325, from O.Fr. encrochier "seize, fasten on, perch," lit. "to catch with a hook," from en- "in" + croc "hook," from O.N. krokr "hook." Sense of "trespass" is first recorded c.1534.

encumber --- c.1330, from O.Fr. encombrer "to block up," from L.L. incombrare, from in- "in" + combrus "barricade, obstacle," probably from L. cumulus "heap."

encyclical --- letter sent by the Pope to all the bishops, 1647, from L.L. encyclicus, from L. encyclius, from Gk. enkyklios "in a circle, circular" (see encyclopedia).

encyclopedia --- 1531, "course of construction," thought to be a false reading by L. authors of Gk. enkyklios paideia taken as "general education," but lit. "training in a circle," the essentials of a liberal education, from enkyklios "circular," also "general" (from en- "in" + kyklos "circle") + paideia "education, child-rearing," from pais (gen. paidos) "child" (see pedo-). Modern sense of "reference work arranged alphabetically" is from 1644, often applied specifically to the Fr. "Encylopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des Sciences, des Artes, et des Métiers" (1751-65).

end --- O.E. ende, from P.Gmc. *andja (cf. O.Fris. enda, O.N. endir, O.H.G. enti), originally "the opposite side," from PIE *antjo "end, boundary," from base anta-/*anti- "opposite, in front of, before" (see ante). Original sense of "outermost part" is obsolete except in phrase ends of the earth. Sense of "destruction, death" was in O.E. Meaning "division or quarter of a town" was in O.E. The verb is from O.E. endian. The end "the last straw, the limit" (in a disparaging sense) is from 1929. The phrase end run is first attested 1902 in U.S. football; extended to military tactics in World War II; general fig. sense is from 1968. End time in ref. to the end of the world is from 1917. Be-all and end-all is from Shakespeare ("Macbeth" I.vii.5). "Worldly wealth he cared not for, desiring onely to make both ends meet." [1662]

endanger --- 1477, from en- "make, put in" + danger. Endangered species first recorded 1964.

endear --- c.1580, from en- "make, put in" + dear. Endearment "act of endearing" is from 1663.

endeavor --- 1417, lit. "in duty," from phrase put (oneself) in dever "make it one's duty" (a partial translation of O.Fr. mettre en deveir "put in duty"), from O.Fr. dever "duty," from L. debere "to owe."

endemic --- 1662, from Gk. endemos "native," from en- "in" + demos "people, district" (see demotic).

endive --- 1373, from O.Fr. endive, ult. from Medieval Gk. entybon (though OED considers this a borrowing from L.), probably of Eastern origin (perhaps from Egyptian tybi "January," which is when the plant grows in Egypt).

endlong --- O.E. andlang (prep.), see along.

endo- --- comb. form of Gk. endon "within," lit. "in the house," from en- "in" + base of domos "house" (see domestic). Used to form scientific compounds in Gk.

endocrine --- 1914, from endo- + krinein "to separate, distinguish" (see crisis).

endomorph --- 1940 as one of W.H. Sheldon's three types of human bodies, from endo- + Gk. morphe "form" (see morphine).

endorphin --- 1975, from Fr. endorphine, from endogène "endogenous, growing within" (from endo- + gene) + (mo)rphine.

endorse --- 1381, from O.Fr. endosser, lit. "to put on back," from en- "put on" + dos "back," from L. dossum, var. of dorsum. Sense of "confirm, approve" (by signing on the back) is first recorded in Eng. 1847. Assimilated in form to M.L. indorsare.

endow --- 1375, from Anglo-Fr. endover, from en- "in" + O.Fr. douer "endow," from L. dotare "bestow" (see dowry).

endure --- c.1382, from O.Fr. endurer, from L. indurare "make hard," in L.L. "harden (the heart) against," from in- "in" + durare "to harden," from durus "hard," from PIE *deru- "be firm, solid." Replaced the important O.E. verb dreogan (pt. dreag, pp. drogen), which survives in dial. dree.

Endymion --- beautiful youth loved by Moon-goddess Selene, from Gk., perhaps lit. "diver, plunger," from endyein "to enter into, sink into, plunge, dive," which was used in ref. to the sun or stars setting into the sea. On this theory, he was originally a solar deity, a personification of the setting sun.

enema --- 1681, from Gk. enema "injection," from enienai "to send in, inject," from en- "in" + hienai "send" (cognate of L. jacere).

enemy --- c.1225, from O.Fr. enemi, from L. inimicus, from in- "not" + amicus "friend." Most words for "personal enemy" cover also "enemy in war," but certain languages have special terms for the latter, e.g. Gk. polemioi (distinct from ekhthroi), L. hostis, originally "stranger" (distinct from inimicus), Rus. neprijatel' (distinct from vrag). Rus. vrag (O.C.S. vragu) is cognate with Lith. vargas "misery" (see urge), and probably is related to P.Gmc. *wargoz, source of O.N. vargr "outlaw," hence "wolf;" Icel. vargur "fox," O.E. wearg "criminal, felon;" which likely were the inspirations for J.R.R. Tolkien's warg "a kind of large ferocious wolf" in "The Hobbit" (1937) and "Lord of the Rings."

energy --- 1599, from M.Fr. energie, from L.L. energia, from Gk. energeia "activity, operation," from energos "active, working," from en- "at" + ergon "work" (see urge (v.)). Used by Aristotle with a sense of "force of expression;" broader meaning of "power" is first recorded in Eng. 1665. Energize "rouse to activity" is from 1753; energetic of persons, institutions, etc., is from 1796. Energy crisis first attested 1970.

enervation --- 1429, from M.Fr. énervation, from L.L. enervationem, from L. enervare "weaken," lit. "cut the sinews of," from ex- "out" + nervus "sinew." Fig. sense is from c.1555.

enfant terrible --- 1851, from Fr., lit. "terrible child." One whose unorthodox or shocking speech or manners embarrass his associates like a naughty child embarrasses his elders.

Enfield --- type of rifle, 1854, named for government works in Enfield, Middlesex, England, where it was manufactured.

enfilade --- 1706, from F. enfilade, from O.Fr. enfiler "to thread (a needle) on a string, pierce from end to end," from en- "put on" + fil "thread." Used of rows of apartments and lines of trees before modern military sense came to predominate.

enfold --- c.1425, from en- "make, put in" + fold.

enforce --- 1340, from en- "make, put in" + force.

enfranchise --- 1531, from O.Fr. enfranchiss-, extended stem of enfranchir, from en- "make, put in" + franc "free" (see franchise).

engage --- 1430, from M.Fr. engagier, from O.Fr. en gage "under pledge," from en "make" + gage "pledge," through Frankish from P.Gmc. *wadiare "pledge" (showing the common evolution of Gmc. -w- to Fr. -g-; cf. Guillaume from Wilhelm). Specific sense of "promise to marry" first recorded 1727.

engender --- c.1325, from O.Fr. engendrer, from L. ingenerare, from in- "in" + generare "beget, create."

engine --- c.1300, from O.Fr. engin "skill, cleverness," also "war machine," from L. ingenium "inborn qualities, talent," from in- "in" + gen-, root of gignere "to beget, produce." At first meaning a trick or device, or any machine (especially military); sense of one that converts energy to mechanical power is 18c., especially of steam engines.

engineer (n.) --- c.1325, "constructor of military engines," from O.Fr. engigneor, from L.L. ingeniare (see engine); general sense of "inventor, designer" is recorded from c.1420; civil sense, in ref. to public works, is recorded from 1606. Meaning "locomotive driver" is first attested 1832, Amer.Eng. The verb is attested from 1843; fig. sense of "arrange, contrive" is attested from 1864, originally in a political context. Engineering as a field of study is attested from 1792; an earlier word was engineership (1649). Engineery was attempted in 1793, but it did not stick.

England --- O.E. Engla land, lit. "the land of the Angles" (see English).

English (1) --- people or speech of England, O.E. Englisc, from Engle (pl.) "the Angles," one of the Gmc. groups that overran the island 5c., supposedly so-called because Angul, the land they inhabited on the Jutland coast, was shaped like a fish hook (but how could they know this from the ground?). The term was used from earliest times without distinction for all the Gmc. invaders -- Angles, Saxon, Jutes (Bede's gens Anglorum) -- and applied to their group of related languages by Alfred the Great. In pronunciation, "En-" has become "In-," but the older spelling has remained. Meaning "English language or literature as a subject at school" is from 1889.

English (2) --- spin imparted to a ball (as in billiards), 1860, from Fr. anglé "angled," which is similar to Anglais "English."

engorge --- 1515, from Fr. engorger, from en- + gorge "throat" (see gorge). Probably originally in ref. to hawks.

engrain --- M.E., originally "dyed in grain," from Fr. graine "seed of a plant," also "cochineal" (the source of the dye was thought to be berries), thus "fast-dyed." Later associated with grain in the sense of "the fiber of a thing."

engrave --- 1509, from en- + obsolete verb grave "carve."

engross --- c.1304, from O.Fr. en gros "in bulk, in a large quantity, at wholesale," as opposed to en detail. Figurative sense of "absorb the whole attention" is first attested 1709. A parallel engross, meaning "to write (something) in large letters," is from Anglo-Fr. engrosser, from O.Fr. en gros "in large (letters)."

engulf --- 1555, from en- "make, put in" + gulf.

enhance --- c.1280, from Anglo-Fr. enhauncer, from O.Fr. enhaucier "make greater," from V.L. *inaltiare, from L.L. inaltare "raise, exalt." The -h- in O.Fr. supposedly from infl. of Frankish word for "high."

ENIAC --- acronym from "electronic numeral integrator and computer," device built 1946 at University of Pennsylvania by John W. Mauchly Jr., J. Presper Eckert Jr., and J.G. Brainerd. It cost $400,000, used 18,000 radio tubes, and was housed in a 30-foot-by-50-foot room.

Enid --- fem. proper name, from Middle Welsh eneit, "purity," lit. "soul," from PIE *ane-tyo-, from base *ane- "to breathe."

enigma --- 1449, from L. ænigma "riddle," from Gk. ainigma, from ainissesthai "speak obscurely, speak in riddles," from ainos "fable, riddle," of unknown origin.

enjambment --- 1837, from enjamb (1600), from Fr. enjamber "to stride over," from jambe "leg."

enjoin --- c.1225, from O.Fr. enjoindre, from L. injungere "to attack, impose," from in- "on" + jungere "to join" (see jugular).

enjoy --- c.1380, from O.Fr. enjoir "to give joy, rejoice," from en- "make" + joir "enjoy," from L. gaudere "rejoice" (see joy); Sense of "have the use or benefit of" first recorded c.1430. Replaced O.E. brucan.

enlarge --- c.1400, from O.Fr. enlarger, from en- "make, put in" + large.

enlighten --- 1382 (O.E. had inlihtan), "to remove the dimness or blindness (usually figurative) from one's eyes or heart," from en- + lighten. Enlightenment is 1669 in the spiritual sense; 1865 as a translation of Ger. Aufklärung, a name for the spirit and system of Continental philosophers in the 18c. "The philosophy of the Enlightenment insisted on man's essential autonomy: man is responsible to himself, to his own rational interests, to his self-development, and, by an inescapable extension, to the welfare of his fellow man. For the philosophes, man was not a sinner, at least not by nature; human nature -- and this argument was subversive, in fact revolutionary, in their day -- is by origin good, or at least neutral. Despite the undeniable power of man's antisocial passions, therefore, the individual may hope for improvement through his own efforts -- through education, participation in politics, activity in behalf of reform, but not through prayer." [Peter Gay]

enlist --- 1698, from en- "make, put in" + list.

enliven --- 1633, from en- "make, put in" + liven (see live).

enmity --- c.1300, from O.Fr. enemistie, from V.L. *inimicitatem (nom. *inimicitas), from L. inimicitia "enmity, hostility," from inimicus "enemy" (see enemy).

ennead --- group of nine things, 1653, from Gk. enneas (gen. enneados) "group of nine," from ennea "nine" (cognate with Skt. nava, L. novem, Goth. niun, O.E. nigun; see nine).

ennui --- 1667, from O.Fr. enui "annoyance," back-formation from envier (see annoy).

Enoch --- male proper name, in O.T. eldest son of Cain, father of Methuselah, from Heb. Hanokh, lit. "dedicated, consecrated," from hanakh "he dedicated," whence also Hanukkah.

enormous --- 1531, from L. enormis "irregular, extraordinary, very large," from ex- "out of" + norma "rule, norm" (see norm), with Eng. -ous substituted for L. -is. Meaning "extraordinary in size" is attested from 1544; original sense of "outrageous" is more clearly preserved in enormity (1475).

Enos --- male proper name, in O.T. son of Seth, from Heb. Enosh, lit. "man" (cf. nashim "women," Arabic ins "men, people").

enough --- O.E. genog, a common Gmc. formation (cf. O.N. gnogr, O.Fris. enoch, Goth. ganohs, Ger. genug), from ge- "with, together" (also a participial, collective, intensive, or perfective prefix) + root -nah, from PIE *nak- "reach, attain" (cf. Skt. asnoti "reaches," Hittite ninikzi "lifts, raises," Lith. nesti "to bear, carry," L. nancisci "to obtain"). The most prominent among the surviving examples of O.E. ge-, the equivalent of L. com- and Mod.Ger. ge-, from PIE *kom- "beside, near, by, with." Understated sense of have had enough "have had too much" was in O.E. (which relied heavily on double negatives and understatement). Colloquial 'nough said is attested from 1839. Archaic enow is from the O.E. pl. adj. and was standard as the plural of enough until late 18c.

enquire --- see inquire. An alternate form mainly used in sense of "to ask a question."

enrage --- 1398 (implied in enraged), from O.Fr. enrager, from en- "make, put in" + rage "rabies, rage" (see rage).

enrapt --- 1606, "carried away by (prophetic) ecstasy," from en- "make, put in" + rapt (see rapture).

enrich --- 1382, "to make wealthy," from O.Fr. enrichir, from en- "make, put in" + riche "rich" (see rich). Scientific sense of "to increase the abundance of a particular isotope in some material" is first attested 1945.

enroll --- c.1350, from O.Fr. enroller, from en- "make, put in" + rolle (see roll).

ensample --- precedent, 1297, variant of asaumple, from O.Fr. essample "example" (see example). The survival of this variant form is due to its use in N.T. in K.J.V.

ensconce --- 1590, "to cover with a fort," from en- "make, put in" + sconce "small fortification, shelter," probably from Du. schans "earthwork."

ensemble --- c.1440, from M.Fr. ensemblee "all the parts of a thing considered together," from L.L. insimul "at the same time," from in- intensive prefix + simul "at the same time." Musical sense first attested in Eng. 1844.

enshrine --- 1586, from en- "make, put in" + shrine (see shrine).

ensign --- 1375, via Scottish, from O.Fr. enseigne, from L. insignia (pl.) (see insignia). Sense of "banner, flag" is c.1400; that of soldier who carries one is first recorded 1513. U.S. Navy sense of "commissioned officer of the lowest rank" is from 1886.

enslave --- 1643, from en- "make, put in" + slave (see slave).

ensnare --- 1576, from en- "make, put in" + snare (see snare).

ensue --- 1398, from O.Fr. ensivre "follow close upon," from L.L. insequere, from L. insequi "to pursue," from in- "upon" + sequi "follow" (see sequel).

ensure --- c.1385, from Anglo-Fr. enseurer, from en- "make" + O.Fr. seur "sure," probably infl. by O.Fr. asseurer "assure."

-ent --- suffix forming adjectives from nouns or verbs, from Fr. -ent, from L. -entem, pp. ending of verbs in -ere/-ire. O.Fr. changed many to -ant but after c.1500 some in Eng. were changed back to what was supposed to be correct L.

entail --- c.1340, "convert (an estate) into 'fee tail' (feudum talliatum)," from en- "make" + taile "legal limitation," especially of inheritance, ruling who succeeds in ownership and preventing it from being sold off, from Anglo-Fr. taile, from O.Fr. taillie, pp. of taillier "allot, cut to shape," from L.L. taliare. Sense of "have consequences" is 1829, from notion of "inseparable connection."

entelechy --- 1603, from Gk. entelekheia, from en- "in" + telei, dat. of telos "perfection" (see tele-) + ekhein "to have." In Aristotle, "the condition in which a potentiality has become an actuality."

entente --- 1854, from Fr. éntente "understanding," from O.Fr. entente "intent," from fem. pp. of entendre "to direct one's attention (see intent). Political sense in 19c. from entente cordial (1844), the best-known example being that between England and France (1904), to which Russia was added in 1908.

enter --- c.1250, from O.Fr. entrer, from L. intrare, from intra "within," related to inter (prep., adj.) "among, between."

enteric --- pertaining to the intestines, from Gk. enterikos "intestinal," first used in this sense by Aristotle, from entera (pl.) "intestines," from PIE *enter-, comp. of *en- "in" (see inter-).

enterprise --- c.1430, from M.Fr. enterprise "an undertaking," n. use of fem. pp. of entreprendre "undertake, take in hand," from entre- "between" + prendre "to take." Abstract sense of "readiness to undertake challenges, spirit of daring" is from 1475.

entertain --- 1475, "to keep up, maintain," from M.Fr. entretenir, from O.Fr. entretenir "hold together, support," from entre- "among" (from L. inter) + tenir "to hold" (from L. tenere; see tenet). Sense of "have a guest" is 1490; that of "amuse" is 1626. Entertainer "public performer" is from c.1535.

enthrall --- c.1576, from en- "make, put in" + thrall.

enthrone --- 1393 (as enthronize), from O.Fr. introniser (13c.), from L.L. inthronizare, from Gk. enthronizein, from en- "in" + thronos "throne."

enthusiasm --- 1603, from M.Fr. enthousiasme, from Gk. enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein "be inspired," from entheos "inspired, possessed by a god," from en- "in" + theos "god" (see Thea). Acquired a derogatory sense of "excessive religious emotion" (1660) under the Puritans; generalized sense of "fervor, zeal" (the main modern sense) is first recorded 1716. Enthusiastic in the modern sense is from 1764. Earlier derogatory sense especially seems to have colored modern sense of enthusiast (1764). Enthuse is an 1827 back-formation.

entice --- 1297, from O.Fr. enticier, perhaps from V.L. *intitiare "set on fire," from L. in- "in" + titio (gen. titionis) "firebrand," of uncertain origin.