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

piecemeal --- 1297, from piece + O.E. mælum "at a time," dative plural of mæl "appointed time, food served" (see meal (1)).

pied --- 1382, as if it were the pp. of a verb form of M.E. noun pie "magpie" (see pie (2)), in ref. to the bird's black and white plumage. Earliest use is in reference to the pyed freres, an order of friars who wore black and white. Also in pied piper (1845, in Browning's poem based on the Ger. legend; used allusively from 1942).

pied à terre --- small town house or rooms used for short residences, 1829, from Fr., lit. "foot on the ground."

piedmont --- name given to the fertile upland region along the eastern slope of the Appalachians, 1755, originally piemont, from It. Piemonte, lit. "mountain foot," name of a region in northern Italy, from piede "foot" + monte "mountain." With -d- added by 1855. Applied to similar features of other mountain ranges by 1860.

piepowder --- 1220, "wayfarer, itinerant merchant, etc.," folk etymology alteration of M.L. pede-pulverosus, lit. "dusty-footed."

pier --- c.1150, "support of a span of a bridge," from M.L. pera, of unknown origin, perhaps from O.N.Fr. pire "a breakwater," from V.L. *petricus, from L. petra "rock." Meaning "solid structure in a harbor, used as a landing place for vessels," is attested from 1453.

pierce --- 1297, from Anglo-Fr. perser, O.Fr. percier (11c.), probably from V.L. *pertusiare, freq. of L. pertusus, pp. of pertundere "to thrust or bore through," from per- "through" + tundere "to beat, pound," from PIE base *(s)tud- "to beat, strike, push, thrust." Piercing in ref. to cold, sound, etc. is recorded from 1423.

Pierian --- 1591, from L. Pierius "Pieria," from Gk. Pieria, district in northern Thessaly, reputed home of the Muses.

Pieta --- Virgin holding the dead body of Christ is 1644, from It., from L. pietatem (see piety).

piety --- 1195, from O.Fr. piete (12c.), from L. pietatem (nom. pietas) "dutiful conduct, kindness, piety," from pius "kind" (see pious). Pietism (1697), is from Ger. Pietismus, originally applied in derision to the movement to revive personal piety in the Lutheran Church, begun in Frankfurt c.1670 by Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705).

piffle --- 1847, of unknown origin, perhaps an alteration of trifle, by influence of piddle, etc. Or perhaps onomatopoeic of a puff of air, with a dim. suffix.

pig --- probably from O.E. *picg, found in compounds, ultimate origin unknown. Originally "young pig" (the word for adults was swine). Another O.E. word for "pig" was fearh, related to furh "furrow," from PIE *perk- "dig, furrow" (cf. L. porc-us "pig," see pork). "This reflects a widespread IE tendency to name animals from typical attributes or activities" [Lass]. Synonyms grunter, porker are from sailors' and fishermen's euphemistic avoidance of uttering the word pig at sea, a superstition perhaps based on the fate of the Gadarene swine, who drowned. The meaning "oblong piece of metal" is first attested 1589, on the notion of "large mass." The derogatory slang meaning "police officer" has been in underworld slang since at least 1811; pig out "eat like a pig" is 1979; pig-headed is 1620; pigskin as slang for "football" is from 1894, though as word for saddle leather it is from 1855. Pig Latin first recorded 1937. Pigsty is from 1591; fig. use for "miserable, dirty hovel" is attested from 1820.

pigeon --- 1211, from O.Fr. pijon "young dove," probably from V.L. *pibionem, dissimilation from L.L. pipionem "squab, young chirping bird" (3c.), acc. of L. pipio "chirping bird," from pipire "to peep, chirp," of imitative origin. Modern spelling is from later Fr. pigeon. Replaced culver (O.E. culufre, from V.L. *columbra, from L. columbula) and native dove. Pigeonhole (1577) was originally a small recess for pigeons to nest in. The verb sense of "label mentally" is from 1870. Pigeon-toed first recorded 1801 (of horses).

piggyback --- 1838, probably a folk-etymology alteration of pick pack (1565), which perhaps is from pick, a dial. variant of pitch (v.).

pigment --- 1398, from L. pigmentum "coloring matter, pigment, paint," from root of pingere "to color, paint" (see paint). Variants of this word may have been known in O.E. (e.g. 12c. pyhmentum).

pigmy --- 1384, Pigmei, "member of a fabulous race of dwarfs," described by Homer and Herodotus and said to inhabit Egypt and India, from L. Pygmaeus, from Gk. Pygmaios, from an adj. meaning "dwarfish," lit. "of the length of a pygme" -- forearm and fist, measure of distance from the elbow to the knuckles, related to pyx "with clenched fist" and to L. pugnus "fist." Applied 19c. to the central African people now known by that name.

pigsney --- (obsolete), c.1386, endearing form of address to a girl or woman, apparently from M.E. pigges eye "pig's eye," with excrescent -n- from min eye, an eye, etc.

pigtail --- 1688, "tobacco in a twisted roll," from pig + tail. So called from resemblance. Meaning "braid of hair" is from 1753, when it was a fashion among soldiers and sailors.

pike (1) --- highway, 1837 shortening of turnpike (q.v.). Originally it meant the toll booth; it came to mean the road itself 1852.

pike (2) --- weapon, c.1511, from M.Fr. pique "a spear, pikeman," from piquer "to pick, prick, pierce," from O.Fr. pic "sharp point or spike," perhaps ult. from a Gmc. or Celtic source. Alternate explanation traces O.Fr. word to L. picus "woodpecker." Also developed from O.E. pic "pointed object, pickaxe." Pike, pick, and pitch were formerly used indifferently in Eng. Pike position in diving, gymnastics, etc., attested from 1928, on same notion as jack-knife.

pike (3) --- voracious freshwater fish, 1314, probably short for pike-fish, a special use of pike (2) in reference to the fish's long, pointed jaw (cf. Fr. brochet "pike" (fish), from broche "a roasting spit").

piker --- miserly person, 1872, formerly "poor migrant to California" (1860), earlier pike (1854), perhaps originally "vagrant who wanders the pike (1)" (which is the notion in Sussex dial. piker "vagrant, tramp, gypsy," 1838), but Barnhart and others say the Amer.Eng. word ultimately is a reference to people from Pike County, Missouri.

pilaf --- oriental dish of rice boiled with meat, 1612, from Turk. pilav, from Pers. pilaw. Spelling infl. by Mod.Gk. pilafi, from the Turkish word.

pilaster --- a square column, 1575, from M.Fr. pilastre (1545), from It. pilastro, from M.L. pilastrum (1341), from pila, "buttress, pile" (from L. pila, see pillar) + L. -aster, suffix expressing "incomplete resemblance."

Pilate --- c.1400 as a term of reproach, from the Roman surname, esp. that of Pontius, a governor of Judaea, from L. Pilatus, lit. "armed with javelins," from pilum "javelin" (see pile (2)).

pilchard --- fish of the herring family, 1542, earlier pilcher (1530), of unknown origin.

pile (1) --- mass, heap, c.1410, "pillar, pier of a bridge," from L. pila "stone barrier." Sense development in L. from "pier, harbor wall of stones," to "something heaped up." In Eng., sense of "heap of things" is attested from 1440 (the verb in this sense is recorded from c.1358). The meaning "large building" (c.1378) is probably also derived from this word. Pile on "attack vigorously" is from 1894, Amer.Eng. Pile-up "multi-vehicle crash" first recorded 1929.

pile (2) --- heavy pointed beam, from O.E. pil "stake," also "arrow," from L. pilum heavy javelin of the Roman foot soldier, lit. "pestle" (source of O.N. pila, Ger. Pfeil "arrow"). Pile-driver in the fig. sense of "very strong hit" is recorded from 1958.

pile (3) --- soft, raised surface upon cloth, c.1340, from Anglo-Norm. pyle or M.Du. pijl, both from L. pilus "hair." Phonological evidence rules out transmission via O.Fr. cognate peil, poil.

pileated --- 1728, from L. pileatus "capped," from pileus "felt cap without a brim," from Gk. pilos. Applied in natural history to certain birds and sea urchins.

piles --- hemorrhoids, c.1400, from M.L. pili "piles," probably from L. pila "ball" from shape.

pilfer --- c.1400 (n.), from O.Fr. pelfre "booty, spoils" (11c.), of unknown origin, possibly related to pelf. The verb is first recorded 1548.

pilgrim --- c.1200, pilegrim, from O.Fr. pelegrin (11c.), from L. peregrinus "foreigner," from peregre (adv.) "from abroad," from per- "beyond" + agri, locative case of ager "country" (see acre). Change of first -r- to -l- in Romance languages by dissimilation. Pilgrimage is c.1250. Pilgrim Fathers "English Puritans who founded Plymouth colony" is first found 1799 (they called themselves Pilgrims from c.1630, in allusion to Heb. xi.13).

pill --- 1484, from M.Du. or M.L.G. pille, from L. pilula "pill," lit. "little ball," dim. of pila "ball." Slang meaning "boring person" is recorded from 1871. The pill "contraceptive pill" is from 1957. Pill-box "box for holding pills" is first attested 1730; as a small round concrete machine gun nest, it came into use in WWI. As a type of hat, attested from 1958.

pillage --- 1390, "act of plundering" (especially in war), from O.Fr. pillage (n.) "plunder," from piller "to plunder," possibly from V.L. *piliare "to plunder," probably from a fig. use of L. pilare "to strip of hair," perhaps also meaning "to skin" (cf. fig. extension of verbs pluck, fleece). The verb is first recorded c.1592.

pillar --- c.1225, from O.Fr. piler, from M.L. pilare, from L. pila "pillar, stone barrier." Fig. sense of "prop or support of an institution or community" is first recorded c.1325. Phrase pillar to post is c.1600, originally of tennis, exact meaning obscure.

pillory (n.) --- 1274 (attested in Anglo-L. from c.1189), from O.Fr. pellori (1168), from M.L. pilloria, of uncertain origin, perhaps a dim of L. pila "pillar, stone barrier." The verb is first attested 1600.

pillow --- O.E. pyle, from W.Gmc. *pulwi(n) (cf. M.Du. polu, O.H.G. pfuliwi, Ger. Pfühl), an early borrowing (2c. or 3c.) from L. pulvinus "cushion," of uncertain origin. The verb is first recorded 1629. Slang pillow talk first recorded 1939.

pilot (n.) --- 1512, "one who steers a ship," from M.Fr. pillot, from It. piloto, O.It. pedoto, usually said to be from Medieval Gk. *pedotes "rudder, helmsman," from Gk. pedon "steering oar," related to pous (gen. podos) "foot" (see foot). Change of -d- to -l- in L. parallels that in odor/olfactory. Sense extended 1848 to "one who controls a balloon," and 1907 to "one who flies an airplane." The verb is first recorded 1693.

pilsner --- 1877, after Pilsen, Ger. town in Bohemia (Czech Plzen) where it was first brewed. Now designating a type, not an origin; pilsner from Plzen is Pilsner Urquell, from Ger. Urquell "primary source." The place name is from O.Czech plz "damp, moist."

Piltdown --- village in Sussex, England, site where a fossil humanoid skull was said to have been found (1912), proved a fraud in 1953.

Pima --- Uto-Aztecan people of Arizona, from Sp., probably from native pi ma:c "(I) don't know," given in answer to some question long ago and mistaken by the Spanish as a tribal name.

pimento --- 1690, from Sp. pimiento "green or red pepper," also pimienta "black pepper," from L.L. pigmenta, pl. of pigmentum "vegetable juice," from L. pigmentum "pigment," from stem of pingere "to paint" (see paint). So called because it added a dash of color to food or drink.

pimp --- 1607, perhaps from M.Fr. pimper "to dress elegantly" (16c.), prp. of pimpant "alluring in dress, seductive." Weekley suggests M.Fr. pimpreneau, defined in Cotgrave (1611) as "a knave, rascall, varlet, scoundrell." The word also means "informer, stool pigeon" in Australia and New Zealand and in S.Africa, where by early 1960s it existed in Swahili form impimpsi. The verb is attested from 1636. Pimpmobile first recorded 1973.

pimpernel --- c.1400, from O.Fr. pimprenelle, earlier piprenelle (12c.), from M.L. pipinella "a medicinal plant," perhaps from *piperinus "pepper-like" (so called because its fruits resemble peppercorns), a derivative of L. piper "pepper" (see pepper). "The Scarlet Pimpernel" was the code name of the hero in an adventure novel of that name published 1905.

pimple --- c.1400, of unknown origin, perhaps related to O.E. pipligende "having shingles."

PIN --- acronym for personal identification number, 1981, from the first ref. used with redundant number.

pin (n.) --- late O.E. pinn "peg, bolt," from P.Gmc. *penn- "jutting point or peak" (cf. O.N. pinni "peg, tack," M.Du. pin "pin, peg," O.H.G. pfinn, Ger. Pinne "pin, tack") which may be via L. pinna "wing, feather," also used for "pointed peak," from PIE *bend- "something protruding." The modern slender wire pin is first attested by this name c.1380. Transferred sense of "leg" is recorded from 1530. The verb is recorded from c.1300; sense of "to hold someone or something down so he or it cannot escape" is attested from 1740. Pin-up (adj.) is from 1941 (first in ref. to Dorothy Lamour); the noun is recorded from 1943. Pinwheel is from 1696, "a wheel in the striking train of a clock in which pins are fixed to lift the hammer;" fireworks sense is from 1869. Pinhead "person of small intelligence" is first attested 1896. Pin-stripe is attested from 1896. Pin-money "annual sum allotted to a woman for personal expenses on dress, etc." is attested from 1621.

piña colada --- 1975, from Sp., lit. "strained pineapple." First element from L. pinea (see pineapple). For second element, see colander.

pinafore --- sleeveless apron worn by children, 1782, from pin (v.) + afore "on the front." So called because it was originally pinned to a dress front.

pinata --- from Mex.Sp. piñata, in Sp. lit. "jug, pot," utl. from L. pinea "pine cone," from pinus (see pine (n.)).

pinball --- game played on a sloping surface, 1911, from pin + ball. Earlier it meant "a pincushion" (1803).

pince-nez --- folding eyeglasses, 1876, from Fr., lit. "pinch-nose," from pincer "to pinch" + nez "nose."

pincers --- 1338, from O.Fr. pinecure "pincers," from pincier "to pinch" (see pinch).

pinch (v.) --- c.1230, from O.N.Fr. *pinchier, var. of O.Fr. pincier, possibly from V.L. *punctiare "to pierce" (from L. punctum "point"), and *piccare "to pierce." Meaning "to steal" is from 1656. Sense of "to be stingy" is recorded from early 14c. Noun meaning "critical juncture" (as in baseball pinch hitter, attested from 1912) is from 1489; older than the literal sense of "act of pinching" (1591).

Pindaric --- 1640, pertaining to or in the style of Pindar, from Gk. Pindaros, Gk. lyric poet (c.522-443 B.C.E.).

pine (n.) --- coniferous tree, O.E. pintreow, the first element from L. pinus, from PIE *pei- "fat, sap, pitch" (cf. Skt. pituh "juice, sap, resin," pitudaruh "pine tree," Gk. pitys "pine tree," L. pinguis "fat"). Pine-top "cheap illicit whiskey," first recorded 1858, Southern U.S. slang.

pine (v.) --- O.E. pinian "torture, torment, afflict, cause to suffer," from *pine "pain, torture, punishment," possibly ult. from L. poena "punishment, penalty," from Gk. poine (see penal). A Latin word that rode into Germanic (cf. M.Du. pinen, O.H.G. pinon, O.N. pina) with Christianity. Intransitive sense of "to languish, waste away" is first recorded c.1440.

pineal --- 1681, in ref. to the gland in the brain, from Fr. pinéal, lit. "like a pine cone," from L. pinea "pine cone," from pinus "pine tree" (see pine (n.)).

pineapple --- 1398, "pine cone," from pine (n.) + apple. The reference to the fruit of the tropical plant (from resemblance of shape) is first recorded 1664, and pine cone emerged 1695 to replace pineapple in its original sense. For "pine cone," O.E. also used pinhnyte "pine nut."

ping (n.) --- 1835, imitative of the sound of a bullet striking something sharply. Meaning "short, high-pitched electronic pulse" is attested from 1943. Verb use, in computer sense, is from at least 1981.

ping-pong (n.) --- 1900, as Ping-Pong, trademark for table tennis equipment (Parker Brothers). Both words are imitative of the sound of the ball hitting the paddle; from ping (q.v.) + pong, attested from 1823. The verb is from 1901; in the figurative sense, 1952.

pinguid --- 1635, from L. pinguis "fat," from stem of pinguere, from PIE *pei- "fat, sap, juice" (see pine (n.)).

pinion (1) --- wing joint, c.1440, from M.Fr. pignon (c.1400), from V.L. *pinnionem, from L. penna "wing" (see pen (1)). Verb meaning "disable by binding the arms" is from 1558, older than lit. sense "cut the pinions of a wing to prevent a bird from flying" (1577).

pinion (2) --- small gear with teeth (as in rack and pinion), 1659, from Fr. pignon, from O.Fr. pignon "crenellation, battlement," aug. of L. pinna "battlement, pinnacle;" confused with (but perhaps ult. a variant of) penna "wing, feather, peak" (see pen (1)).

pink (n., adj.) --- 1573, common name of Dianthus, a garden plant of various colors. Attribution to "pale rose color" first recorded 1733 (pink-coloured is recorded from 1681). The plant name is perhaps from pink (v.) via notion of "perforated" petals, or from Du. pink "small" (see pinkie), from the term pinck oogen "half-closed eyes," lit. "small eyes," which was borrowed into Eng. (1575) and may have been used as a name for Dianthus, which sometimes has pale red flowers. The flower meaning led to a fig. use for "the flower" or finest example of anything (e.g. Mercutio's "Nay, I am the very pinck of curtesie," Rom. & Jul. II.iv.61). Pink slip "discharge notice" is first recorded 1915. Pink-eye "contagious eye infection" first recorded 1882, Amer.Eng. Pink collar in reference to jobs generally held by women first attested 1977. To see pink elephants "hallucinate from alcoholism" first recorded 1913 in Jack London's "John Barleycorn."

pink (v.) --- c.1307, "pierce, stab, make holes in," perhaps from a Romanic stem *pinc- (cf. Fr. piquer, Sp. picar), from L. pungere "to pierce, prick." Mainly in pinking shears.

Pinkerton --- semi-official detective, 1888, from the detective agency begun in U.S. 1850 by Allan Pinkerton.

pinkie --- the little finger, 1808, in Scottish, from Du. pinkje, dim. of pink "little finger," of uncertain origin.

pinko --- 1936, derogatory slang form of pink, used of people whose social or political views "have a tendency toward 'red,' " a metaphor that had existed since at least 1837.

pinnacle --- c.1300, from O.Fr. pinacle (1261), from L.L. pinnaculum "gable," dim. of pinna "peak, point," often confused with penna "wing, feather." Fig. use is attested from c.1400.

pinniped --- 1842, from Mod.L. pinnipedia, suborder of aquatic carnivorous mammals (seals and walruses), lit. "having feet as fins," from L. pinna "fin" + pes, gen. pedis "foot" (see foot).

pinochle --- 1864, Peaknuckle, perhaps from Swiss dialect Binokel (Ger.), binocle (Fr.), from Fr. binocle "pince-nez," from M.L. binoculus "binoculars." Taken as a synonym for bésigue "bezique," the card game, and wrongly identified with besicles "spectacles," probably because the game is played with a double deck. Pinochle was popularized in U.S. late 1800s by Ger. immigrants.

pinot --- type of grape vine used in wine-making, 1912, Amer.Eng. variant spelling of Fr. pineau (attested in Eng. from 1763), from pin "pine (tree)" + dim. suffix -eau. So called from the shape of the grape clusters.

pinpoint (v.) --- locate precisely, 1917, from pin + point; originally aviators' slang.

pinscher --- 1926, from Ger. Pinscher, probably from Eng. pinch, in reference to its "clipped" ears.

pint --- 1384, from O.Fr. pinte (13c.), from V.L. *pincta (cf. O.Prov., Sp., It. pinta), perhaps ult. from L. picta "painted," fem. pp. of pingere (see paint), on notion of a painted mark on a vessel indicating this measure. Used elliptically for "pint of ale" (or beer) from 1742. Pint-sized "small" (esp. in ref. to children) is recorded from 1938.

pinto --- 1860, "marked black and white," from Amer.Sp. pinto, lit. "painted, spotted," from Sp., from V.L. *pinctus, from L. pictus "painted," pp. of pingere "to paint" (see paint). Pinto bean is attested from 1916.

Pinyin --- system of Romanized spelling for Chinese, 1963, from Chinese pinyin "to spell, to combine sounds into syllables," from pin "put together" + yin "sound, tone." Adopted officially by the People's Republic of China in 1958.

pioneer --- 1523, "foot soldier who prepares the way for the army," from M.Fr. pionnier, from O.Fr. paonier "foot soldier" (11c.), from peon (see pawn (2)). Fig. sense of "person who goes first or does something first" is from 1605. The verb is first recorded 1780.

pious --- 1602, from L. pius "dutiful, kind, devout," perhaps related to L. purus "pure, clean" (see pure).

pip (1) --- seed of an apple, 1797, shortened form of pipin "seed of a fleshy fruit" (c.1300), from O.Fr. pepin (13c.), probably from a root *pipp-, expressing smallness (cf. It. pippolo, Sp. pepita "seed, kernel").

pip (2) --- disease of birds, c.1420, probably from M.Du. pippe "mucus," from W.Gmc. *pipit (cf. E.Fris. pip, M.H.G. pfipfiz, Ger. pips), an early borrowing from V.L. *pippita, from L. pituita "phlegm."

pip (3) --- spot on a playing card, etc. 1596, peep, of unknown origin. Because of the original form, it is not considered as connected to pip (1).

pipe --- O.E. pipe "musical wind instrument," also "tube to convey water," from V.L. *pipa "a pipe" (cf. It. pipa, Fr. pipe, Ger. Pfeife, Dan. pibe, Du. pijp), a back-formation from L. pipare "to chirp or peep," of imitative origin. All tubular senses ultimately derive from "small reed, whistle." Meaning "device for smoking" first recorded 1594. The verb sense of "to play on a pipe" is from O.E. pipian; the meaning "convey through pipes" is first recorded 1889. A pipe dream (1896) is the sort of improbably fantasy one has while smoking opium. Piping hot is in Chaucer, a reference to hissing of food in a frying pan; to pipe up (c.1425) originally meant "to begin to play" (on a musical instrument). Pipe down "be quiet" first recorded 1900.

pipeline --- 1873, "continuous line of pipes," from pipe + line. Fig. sense of "channel of communication" is from 1921; surfer slang meaning "hollow part of a large wave" is attested by 1963.

pipette --- 1839, from Fr. pipette, from M.Fr. pipette "tube," dim. of O.Fr. pipe, from V.L. *pipa (see pipe).

pippin --- excellent person or thing, 1897, from coveted varieties of apple that were raised from seed (so called since c.1432), from M.E. pipin "seed" (see pip (1)).

pip-pip --- a slangy salutation current in Britain from c.1907-1923, said by Partridge to be in imitation of bicycle horn noise.

pipsqueak --- 1910, from the trivial noise a young or weak creature makes.

piquant --- 1521, from M.Fr. piquant "pricking, stimulating, irritating," from O.Fr. prp. of piquer "to prick, sting, nettle" (see pike (2)).

pique (n.) --- 1532, "fit of ill feeling," from M.Fr. pique "a prick, sting, irritation," from O.Fr. (see pike (2)). The verb, in the sense of "to excite to anger" is attested from 1671.

piracy --- 1419, from M.L. piratia (see pirate).

piranha --- 1869, from Port. piranha, from Tupi (Brazil) pira nya, variant of pira'ya, lit. "scissors."

pirate (n.) --- 1254, from O.Fr. pirate, from L. pirata "sailor, sea robber," from Gk. peirates "brigand, pirate," lit. "one who attacks," from peiran "to attack, make a hostile attempt on, try," from peira "trial, an attempt, attack," from PIE base *per- "try" (cf. L. peritus "experienced," periculum "trial, experiment, risk, danger," see peril). Meaning "one who takes another's work without permission" first recorded 1701; sense of "unlicensed radio broadcaster" is from 1913. The verb is first recorded 1574.

pirogi --- 1854, from Yiddish, from Rus. pl. of pirog "pie," perhaps borrowed from the Turkic language of the Kazan Tatars (cf. Turk. borek).

pirouette --- 1706, from Fr. pirouette, from O.Fr. pirouet "spinning top" (15c.), from Gallo-Romance root *pir- "peg, plug" (cf. It. piruolo "peg top") + dim. suffix -ette.