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

pendragon --- Welsh warlord (mainly known now in Arthurian Uther Pendragon), 1470, title of a chief leader in war of ancient Britain or Wales, from pen "head" + dragon (q.v.), which figured on the standard of a cohort.

pendulous --- c.1605, from L. pendulus "hanging down," from pendere "to hang" (see pendant).

pendulum --- 1660, from Mod.L. pendulum (1643), properly neut. of L. adj. pendulus "hanging down," from pendere "to hang" (see pendant).

Penelope --- fem. proper name, name of the faithful wife in the "Odyssey," from Gk. Penelopeia, probably related to pene "thread on the bobbin." Used as the type of the virtuous wife (1581) as it was in Latin.

penetrate --- 1412 (implied in penetrable), from L. penetratus, pp. of penetrare "to put or get into, enter into," related to penitus "within, inmost," penus "innermost part of a temple, store of food," penates "household gods." Penetration is first attested 1605, from L. penetrationem (nom. penetratio) "a penetrating or piercing," from penetrare. The sexual sense is attested from 1613. Penetrating in the fig. sense of "touching the feelings intensely" is attested from 1632.

penguin --- 1578, originally used of the great auk of Newfoundland (now extinct), shift in meaning to the Antarctic bird (which looks something like it, found by Drake in Magellan's Straits in 1578) is from 1588. Of unknown origin, though often asserted to be from Welsh pen "head" + gwyn "white" (see Gwendolyn). The great auk had a large white patch between its bill and eye. The Fr. and Breton versions of the word are ult. from English. The book publishing company of this name is from 1935.

penicillin --- 1929, coined in Eng. by Alexander Fleming (1881-1955), who first recognized its antibiotic properties, from Mod.L. Penicillium notatum (1867), the name of the mould from which it was first obtained, from L. penicillus "paintbrush" (see pencil), in reference to the shape of the mould cells.

peninsula --- 1538, from L. pæninsula, lit. "almost an island," from pæne "almost" + insula "island." Earlier translated as demie island.

penis --- 1676, perhaps from Fr. pénis or directly from L. penis "penis," earlier "tail" (cf. Eng. tail in both senses, the sexual one slang), from PIE *pes-/*pesos- "penis" (cf. Skt. pasas-, Gk. peos, posthe "penis," probably also O.E. fæsl "progeny, offspring," O.N. fösull, Ger. Fasel "young of animals, brood"). The proper plural is penes. The adj. is penial. In psychological writing, penis envy is attested from 1924.

penitence --- c.1200, from O.Fr. penitence (11c.), from L. pænitentia "repentance," from pænitentum (nom. pænitens) "penitent," prp. of pænitere "cause or feel regret," probably originally "is not enough, is unsatisfactory," from pæne "nearby, almost." Penitent (adj.) is attested from c.1375; as a noun meaning "one who is doing penance," it is attested from 1412.

penitentiary --- c.1421, "place of punishment for offenses against the church," from M.L. penitentiaria, from fem. of penitentiarius (adj.) "of penance," from L. pænitentia "penitence" (see penitence). Meaning "house of correction" first found 1806 (originally an asylum for prostitutes). Slang shortening pen is attested from 1884.

penknife --- early 15c., so called because such small knives were used to sharpen quills.

penmanship --- 1695, from obs. penman "copyist, clerk, scrivener" (1612), from pen (1) + man.

pennant --- 1611, "rope for hoisting," probably a blend of pendant (q.v.) in the nautical sense of "suspended rope" and pennon (q.v.). Use for "flag on a warship" first recorded 1698; "flag symbolizing a sports championship" (especially baseball) is from 1880; as a synonym for "championship" it was first used 1915.

pennon --- 1375, from O.Fr. penon "feather of an arrow, streamer," from penne "feather," from L. penna "feather" (see pen (1)).

Pennsylvania --- American colony, later U.S. state, 1681, lit. "Penn's Woods," a hybrid formed from the surname Penn (Welsh, lit. "head") + L. sylvania (see sylvan). Not named for William Penn, the proprietor, but, on suggestion of Charles II, for Penn's late father, Admiral William Penn (1621-70), who had lent the king the money that was repaid in the form of land for a Quaker settlement in America. Penn wanted to call it New Wales, but the king's secretary, a Welshman of orthodox religion, wouldn't hear of it. Pennsylvania Dutch is attested from 1824. Pennsylvanian in ref. to a geological system is attested from 1891.

penny --- O.E. pening, penig "penny," from P.Gmc. *panninggaz (cf. O.N. penningr, Swed. pänning, O.Fris. panning, M.Du. pennic, O.H.G. pfenning, Ger. Pfennig, not recorded in Goth., where skatts is used instead), of unknown origin. The English coin was originally set at one-twelfth of a shilling and was of silver, later copper, then bronze. There are two plural forms: pennies of individual coins, pence collectively. In translations it rendered various foreign coins of small denomination, esp. L. denarius, whence comes its abbreviation d. As Amer.Eng. colloquial for cent, it is recorded from 1889. Penniless "destitute" is attested from c.1310. Pennyweight is O.E. penega gewiht, originally the weight of a silver penny. Penny-a-liner "writer for a journal or newspaper" is attested from 1834. Penny dreadful "cheap and gory fiction" dates from c.1870. Phrase penny-wise and pound-foolish is recorded from 1607.

penny-ante (adj.) --- cheap, trivial, 1935, from penny + ante (q.v.), in ref. to poker played for insignificant stakes.

pennyfarthing --- ineffective, 1887. The noun, in ref. to the kind of bicycle with a small wheel in back and a big one in front (so called from the notion of different size coins) is first recorded 1927, long after the bicycles of this type (introduced 1860s) were obsolete. The contemporary names for them seem to have been ordinary and bone-shaker. The modern type of bicycle, with a low seat and wheels roughly the same size, was called a safety bicycle (1877).

pennyroyal --- herb, 1530, alteration by folk etymology of Anglo-Fr. puliol real; for second element see royal; first element ultimately from L. puleglum "thyme."

penology --- study of punishment and crime prevention, 1838, from Gk. poine "fine, penalty," L. poena "penalty, punishment" + -ology "study of."

Pensacola --- name of a Muskogean tribe, from Choctaw, lit. "hair-people," from pashi "hair of the head" + oklah "people."

pension --- 1362, "payment for services," especially "reward, payment out of a benefice" (1316, in Anglo-L.), from O.Fr. pension "payment, rent," from L. pensionem (nom. pensio) "payment, rent," from pensus, pp. of pendere "pay, weigh" (see pendant). Meaning "regular payment in consideration of past service" first recorded 1529. Meaning "boarding house, boarding school" first attested 1644, from French, and usually in ref. to places in France or elsewhere on the Continent. Pensioner first recorded 1487.

pensive --- 1362, from O.Fr. pensif (11c., fem. pensive), from penser "to think," from L. pensare "weigh, consider," freq. of pendere "weigh" (see pendant).

pent --- kept in, confined, c.1550, variant of penned, pp. of the verb from pen (2).

penta- --- comb. form meaning "five," from Gk. penta- (before a vowel, pent-), from pente "five," related to Aeolian pempte (see five).

pentacle --- 1594, from M.L. pentaculum, a hybrid coined from Gk. pente "five" + L. -culum, dim. suffix. But the exact origin is obscure. It. had pentacolo "anything with five points," and Fr. pentacle (16c.) was the name of something used in necromancy, perhaps a five-branched candlestick. Fr. pentacol "amulet worn around the neck" (14c.), however, is from pend- "to hang" + a "to" + col "neck." The same figure as a pentagram (q.v.), except in magical usage, where is has been extended to other symbols of power, including a six-point star.

pentagon --- plane figure with five angles and five sides, 1570, from M.Fr. pentagone, from L.L. pentagonum "pentagon," from Gk. pentagonon, properly neut. of adj. pentagonos "five-angled," from pente "five" + gonia "angle" (see knee). The U.S. military headquarters Pentagon was completed 1942, so called for its shape; used allusively for "U.S. military leadership" from 1945.

pentagram --- five-pointed star, 1833, from Gk. pentagrammon, properly neut. of adj. pentagrammos "having five lines," from pente "five" + gramma "what is written."

pentameter --- 1546, from M.Fr. pentametre, from L. pentameter, from Gk. pentametros (adj.) "having five measures," from pente "five" + metron "meter" (see meter (2)).

Pentateuch --- first five books of the Bible, c.1405, from L.L. pentateuchus (Tertullian, c.207), from Gk. pentateuchos (c.160), originally an adj. (abstracted from phrase pentateuchos biblos), from pente "five" + teuchos "implement, vessel, gear" (in Late Gk. "book," via notion of "case for scrolls"), lit. "anything produced," related to teuchein "to make ready," from PIE *dheugh- "to produce something of utility."

pentathlon --- 1852, from Gk. pentathlon, from pente "five" + athlon "prize, contest," of uncertain origin. Earlier in L. form pentathlum (1706). The Gk. version consisted of jumping, sprinting, discus and spear throwing, and wrestling. The modern version (1912) consists of horseback riding, fencing, shooting, swimming, and cross-country running.

Pentecost --- O.E. Pentecosten "Christian festival on seventh Sunday after Easter," from L.L. pentecoste, from Gk. pentekoste hemera "fiftieth day," fem. of pentekostos, from pentekonta "fifty," from pente "five." The Hellenic name for the O.T. Feast of Weeks, a Jewish harvest festival observed on 50th day of the Omer (see Lev. xxiii:16). Pentecostal in ref. to "Christian sect emphasizing gifts of the Holy Spirit" (Acts ii) is attested from 1904.

penthouse --- M.E. pendize, c.1325, from Anglo-Fr. pentiz, aphetic of O.Fr. apentis "attached building, appendage," from M.L. appendicium, from L. appendere "to hang." Modern spelling is from 1530, by folk etymology influence of M.Fr. pente "slope," and Eng. house (the meaning at that time was "attached building with a sloping roof or awning"). Originally a simple structure (M.E. homilies describe Jesus' birthplace in the manger as a "penthouse"); meaning "apartment or small house built on the roof of a skyscraper" first recorded 1921, from which time dates its association with luxury.

Pentothal --- trademark name of an anaesthetic and hypnotic, 1935, refashioning of Thiopental, from pento-, in ref. to the methylbutyl five-carbon group + first two letters of thiobarbiturate + chemical product suffix -ol.

penult --- 1539 (adj.), 1572 (n.), abbreviation of penultimate (q.v.).

penultimate (adj.) --- 1677, from earlier penultima (n.) "the next to the last syllable of a word or verse," from fem. of L. adj. penultimus "next-to-last," from pæne "almost" + ultimus "final."

penumbra --- 1666, from Mod.L. penumbra "partial shadow outside the complete shadow of an eclipse," coined 1604 by Kepler from L. pæne "almost" + umbra "shadow."

penury --- 1432, from M.Fr. pénurie, from L. penuria "want, need," related to paene "scarcely." Penurious is first recorded 1596, from M.L. penuriosus, from L. penuria "penury." Originally "poverty-stricken, in a state of penury;" meaning "stingy" is first attested 1634.

Penzance --- place in Cornwall, Pensans "Holy Headland" (1284), from Cornish penn "head" + sans.

peon --- 1826, from Mex.Sp. peon "agricultural laborer" (esp. a debtor held in servitude by his creditor), from Sp., "day laborer," also "pedestrian," originally "foot soldier," from M.L. pedonem "foot soldier" (see pawn (2)). The word entered British Eng. earlier (1609) in the sense "native constable, soldier, or messenger in India," via Port. peao "pedestrian, foot soldier, day laborer."

peony --- a merger of O.E. peonie and O.N.Fr. pione, both from L.L. peonia, from L. pæonia, from Gk. paionia (fem. of paionios), perhaps from Paion, physician of the gods (or Apollo in this aspect), supposedly so called for the plant's healing qualities. The root, flowers, and seeds formerly were used in medicine.

people --- c.1275, "humans, persons in general," from Anglo-Fr. people, O.Fr. peupel, from L. populus "people," of unknown origin, possibly from Etruscan. Replaced native folk. Meaning "body of persons comprising a community" first recorded 1292 in Anglo-Fr.; meaning "common people, masses" (as distinguished from the nobility) first recorded 1306 in Anglo-Fr. The verb is c.1489 (intrans.), c.1500 (trans.). The word was adopted after c.1920 by Communist totalitarian states to give a spurious sense of populism to their governments. Legal phrase The People vs., in U.S. cases of prosecution under certain laws, dates from 1801. People of the Book "those whose religion entails adherence to a book of divine revelation (1834) translates Arabic Ahl al-Kitab.

Peoria --- small city in Illinois, originally the name of a subdivision of the Miami/Illinois people (1673), from native /peewaareewa/. The name is said to mean "place of fat beasts." Regarded as the typical measure of U.S. cultural and intellectual standards at least since Ambrose Bierce (c.1890). Also the butt of baseball player jokes (c.1920-40, when it was part of the St. Louis Cardinals farm system) and popularized in the catchphrase "It'll play in Peoria" (usually negative) "the average American will approve," which was popular in the Nixon White House (1969-74) but seems to suggest a vaudeville origin. Peoria's rivals as embodiment of U.S. small city values and standards include Dubuque, Iowa; Hoboken and Hackensack, N.J.; Oakland (Gertrude Stein: "When you get there, there isn't any there there"), and Burbank, Calif., and the entire state of North Dakota.

pep --- vigor, energy, 1912, shortened form of pepper, which was used in the figurative sense of "spirit, energy," from at least 1847. Peppy "full of pep," first recorded 1922. Pep rally is attested from 1945; pep talk from 1926.

pepper --- O.E. pipor, from an early W.Gmc. borrowing of L. piper, from Gk. piperi, probably (via Persian) from Middle Indic pippari, from Skt. pippali "long pepper." The L. word is the source of Ger. Pfeffer, It. pepe, Fr. poivre, O.C.S. pipru, Lith. pipiras, O.Ir. piobhar, Welsh pybyr, etc. Application to fruits of the capsicum family (unrelated, originally native of tropical America) is 16c. The verb meaning "to sprinkle as with pepper" is from 1612. Peppermint is first attested 1696.

pepperoni --- beef and pork sausage seasoned with pepper, 1934, Amer.Eng., from Italian.

Pepsi-Cola --- U.S. patent filed Sept. 23, 1902, by Caleb D. Bradham (1867-1934), pharmacist and drugstore owner of New Bern, N.C., probably from pepsin (1844), name of a fermin in gastric juice, used medicinally for cases of indigestion (see peptic); early Pepsi ads tout it as a digestive aid.

peptic --- 1651, from L. pepticus, from Gk. peptikos "able to digest," from peptos "cooked, digested," verbal adj. of peptein "to cook."

per (prep.) --- 1588 (earlier in various L. and Fr. phrases), from L. per "through, during, by means of, on account of, as in," from PIE base *per- "through, across, beyond" (cf. Skt. pari "around, about, through," O.Pers. pariy, Gk. peri "around, about, beyond," O.C.S. pre-, Rus. pere- "through," Lith. per "through," O.Ir. air- Goth. fair-, Ger. ver- O.E. fer-, intensive prefixes).

per annum --- 1601, from L., lit. "by the year," from per (see per) + annum, acc. sing. of annus "year" (see annual).

per capita --- 1682, from L., lit. "by the head," from per (see per) + capita "head" (see capital).

per diem --- 1520, from L., lit. "by the day," from per (see per) + diem, acc. sing. of dies "day" (see diurnal).

per se --- 1572, from L. per se "by itself," translating Gk. kath auto (Aristotle).

peradventure --- 1627, from M.E. peraventure (c.1450), from per auenture (c.1290), from O.Fr. par aventure (see adventure). Refashioned as though from Latin.

perambulate --- 1568, from L. perambulatus, pp. of perambulare "to walk through, go through," from per- "through" (see per) + ambulare "to walk." Perambulator "one who perambulates" is first recorded 1611; sense of "baby carriage" is first recorded 1856; often colloquially shortened to pram.

perceive --- c.1300, via Anglo-Fr. parceif, O.N.Fr. *perceivre, O.Fr. perçoivre, from L. percipere "obtain, gather," also, metaphorically, "to grasp with the mind," lit. "to take entirely," from per "thoroughly" + capere "to grasp, take" (see capable). Replaced O.E. ongietan. Both the L. senses were in O.Fr., though the primary sense of Mod.Fr. percevoir is literal, "to receive, collect" (rents, taxes, etc.), while Eng. uses the word almost always in the metaphorical sense.

percent --- 1568, per cent, from Mod.L. per centum "by the hundred" (see per and hundred). Until early 20c. often treated as an abbreviation and punctuated accordingly. Percentage is first recorded 1789; sense of "profit, advantage" is from 1862; percentile is from 1889.

perception --- 1483, "receiving, collection," from L. perceptionem (nom. perceptio) "perception, apprehension, a taking," from percipere "perceive" (see perceive). First used in the more literal sense of the L. word; in secondary sense, "the taking cognizance of," it is recorded in Eng. from 1611. Meaning "intuitive or direct recognition of some innate quality" is from 1827.

perch (1) --- where a bird rests, c.1290, "a pole, rod, stick, stake," from O.Fr. perche "unit of linear measurement" (5.5 yards), also "measuring rod, pole, bar" used to measure this length (13c.), from L. pertica "pole, long staff, measuring rod," related to Oscan perek "pole," Umbrian perkaf "twigs, rods." Meaning "a bar fixed horizontally for a hawk or tame bird to rest on" is attested from c.1386; this led to general sense of "any thing that any bird alights or rests on" (1470). Fig. sense of "an elevated or secure position" is recorded from 1526. The verb is first recorded c.1384, from the noun. The "land-measuring rod" sense also was in M.E., hence surviving meaning "measure of land equal to a square lineal perch" (usually 160 to the acre), 1442.

perch (2) --- spiny-finned freshwater fish, c.1300, from O.Fr. perche, from L. perca "perch," from Gk. perke, from PIE base *perk-/*prek- "speckled, spotted" (cf. Skt. prsnih "speckled, variegated;" Gk. perknos "dark-colored," perkazein "to become dark").

perchance --- 1340, parchaunce, from O.Fr. par cheance, lit. "by chance." With L. per substituted c.1400 for Fr. cognate par.

Percheron --- 1875, from Fr., adj. formed from le Perche, region south of Normandy where the horses were bred that were strong, light, and fast.

percolation --- 1613, from L. percolationem (nom. percolatio), noun of action from percolare "to strain through, filter," from per- "through" + colare "to strain," from colum "a strainer," of unknown origin.

percussion --- 1544, "a striking, a blow," from L. percussionem (nom. percussio), from percussus, pp. of percutere "to strike," from per- "through" + quatere "to strike, shake." Reference to musical instruments is first recorded 1776. Percussionist "player of a percussion instrument" is recorded from 1950.

perdition --- c.1340, "fact of being lost or destroyed," from O.Fr. perdiciun (11c.), from L.L. perditionem (nom. perditio) "ruin, destruction," from L. perditus, pp. of perdere "do away with, destroy, lose, throw away," from per- "through" (here perhaps with intensive or completive force, "to destruction") + -dare "to put" (see date (1)). Special theological sense of "condition of damnation, spiritual ruin, state of souls in Hell" (1382) has gradually extinguished the general use of the word.

pere --- 1619, "a French priest," from Fr. père "father," from L. patrem (nom. pater), see father. Attached to a name, to distinguish father from son of the same name, from 1802.

peregrination --- 1528, from O.Fr. peregrination (12c.), from L. peregrinationem (nom. peregrinatio) "a journey," from peregrinatus, pp. of peregrinari "to journey or travel abroad," from peregrinus "from foreign parts, foreigner," from peregre "abroad," properly "that found outside Roman territory," from per- (q.v.) + agri, loc. of ager "field, territory, land, country" (see acre).

peregrine --- type of falcon, 1555, short for peregrine falcon (c.1386), from O.Fr. faulcon pelerin (c.1263), from M.L. falco peregrinus (see peregrination). Sense may have been a bird "caught in transit," as opposed to one taken from the nest.

peremptory --- decisive, 1513, legal term, from Anglo-Fr. peremptorie, from M.Fr. peremtoire, from L. peremptorius "destructive, decisive, final," from peremptor "destroyer," from perimpere "destroy, cut off," from per- "away entirely, to destruction" + emere "to take" (see exempt). Of persons or their words, "certain, assured, brooking no debate," 1586.

perennial --- 1644, "evergreen," formed in Eng. from L. perennis "lasting through the year (or years)," from per- "through" + annus "year" (see annual). Botanical sense of "Remaining alive through a number of years" is attested from 1672; fig. meaning of "enduring, permanent" is from 1750.

perestroika --- 1981, from Rus., lit. "rebuilding, reconstruction, reform" (of Soviet society, etc.), from pere- "re-" + stroika "building, construction." First proposed at the 26th Party Congress (1979); popularized in Eng. 1985 during Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership of the U.S.S.R.

perfect (adj.) --- c.1225 (implied in perfectiun), from O.Fr. parfit (11c.), from L. perfectus "completed," pp. of perficere "accomplish, finish, complete," from per- "completely" + facere "to perform" (see factitious). Often used in Eng. as an intensive (perfect stranger, etc.). The verb meaning "to bring to full development" is recorded from 1398. Perfectionist is 1657, originally theological, "one who believes moral perfection may be attained in earthly existence;" sense of "one only satisfied with the highest standards" is from 1934.

perfecta --- 1971, from Amer.Sp. perfecta, shortened from quiniela perfecta "perfect quiniela," a bet in horseracing, originally "a game of chance," from O.Sp. quina "game of dice," from L. quini "five each."

perfervid --- 1856, as if from L. *perfervidus, from per- "completely" + fervidus (see fervid).

perfidy --- 1592, from M.Fr. perfidie, from L. perfidia "falsehood, treachery," from perfidus "faithless," from phrase per fidem decipere "to deceive through trustingness," from per "through" (see per) + fidem, acc. of fides "faith" (see faith). The adj. perfidious is attested from 1598.

perforation --- c.1440, "action of perforating," from L.L. perforationem (nom. perforatio), from L. perforatus, pp. of perforare "bore or pierce through," from per- "through" + forare "to pierce" (see bore). Meaning "hole made through something" is recorded from 1543. Perforate (v.) is attested from 1486 (implied in perforated).

perforce --- c.1330, par force, from O.Fr. par force (12c.), lit. "by force" (see force). With L. per substituted 17c. for Fr. cognate par.

perform --- c.1300, "carry into effect, fulfill, discharge," via Anglo-Fr. performir, altered (by infl. of O.Fr. forme "form") from O.Fr. parfornir "to do, carry out, finish, accomplish," from par- "completely" + fornir "to provide" (see furnish). Theatrical/musical sense is from 1610.

perfume (n.) --- 1533, from M.Fr. parfum, from parfumer "to scent," from Prov. perfumar, from L. per- "through" (see per) + fumare "to smoke" (see fume). Earliest use in Eng. was in reference to fumes from something burning. Meaning "fluid containing agreeable essences of flowers, etc., is attested from 1542. The verb is first recorded 1538.

perfunctory --- 1581, from L.L. perfunctorius "careless, negligent," lit. "like one who wishes to get through a thing," from L. perfungus, pp. of perfungi "discharge, get through," from per- "through" + fungi "perform" (see function).