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

resin --- 1388, from O.Fr. resine, from L. resina "resin," from Gk. rhetine "resin of the pine," of unknown origin.

resist --- c.1374, from O.Fr. resister, from L. resistere "to resist, to stand back, withstand," from re- "against" + sistere "take a stand, stand firm" (see assist). Resistance is attested from 1417, from O.Fr. resistence, from L.L. resistentia, from L. resistentem (nom. resistens), prp. of resistere. Sense of "organized covert opposition to an occupying power" first recorded 1940 in reference to Fr. opposition to Nazi rule. Since applied to similar organizations (e.g. anti-Soviet fighters in Afghanistan, 1980s). Electromagnetic sense is from 1860.

resolution --- 1412, "a breaking into parts," from L. resolutionem (nom. resolutio) "process of reducing things into simpler forms," from pp. stem of resolvere "loosen" (see resolve). Originally sense of "solving" (as of mathematical problems) first recorded 1548, that of "holding firmly" (in resolute) 1533, and that of "decision or expression of a meeting" is from 1604.

resolve (v.) --- c.1374, from L. resolvere "to loosen, undo, settle," from re-, intensive prefix, + solvere "loosen" (see solve). Same sense evolution as in resolution. The noun meaning "determination" is first recorded 1592.

resonance --- 1491, from M.Fr. resonance (15c.), from L. resonantia (echo) "echo," from resonare (see resound). Resonate is first recorded 1873, from L. resonatum, pp. of resonare.

resorb --- 1640, from L. resorbere "to suck back," from re- "back, again" + sorbere "to suck" (see absorb).

resort (n.) --- c.1374, "that to which one has recourse for aid or assistance," from O.Fr. resort "resource, help," back-formation from resortir "to resort," lit. "to go out again," from re- "again" + sortir "go out" (see sortie). Meaning "place people go for recreation" is first recorded 1754. The verb is recorded from c.1460. Phrase in the last resort (1672) translates Fr. en dernier ressort, originally of legal appeals.

resound --- c.1374, resownen, from O.Fr. resoner, from L. resonare "sound again, resound, echo," from re- "back, again" + sonare "to sound" (see sound (n.1)). Spelling influenced by sound.

resource --- 1611, "means of supplying a want or deficiency," from Fr. resourse, from fem. pp. of O.Fr. resourdre "to rally, raise again," from L. resurgere "rise again" (see resurgent). Resources "a country's wealth" first recorded 1779.

respect (n.) --- c.1300, from L. respectus "regard," lit. "act of looking back at one," pp. of respicere "look back at, regard, consider," from re- "back" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)). The verb is 1542, from the noun. Meaning "treat with deferential regard or esteem" is from 1560; respectable "worthy of respect" is from 1586 (implied in respected).

respective --- 1525, "regardful, attentive," from M.L. respectivus "having regard for," from L. respectus (see respect). Respectively "relatively to each singly" is from 1626.

respire --- 1387, from O.Fr. respirer, from L. respirare "breathe again, breathe in and out," from re- "again" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit). Respiration is recorded from c.1430. Respirator is first attested 1836, invented by Julius Jeffreys.

respite --- c.1290, from O.Fr. respit "delay, respect," from L. respectus "consideration, recourse, regard" (see respect).

resplendent --- 1448, from L. resplendentem (nom. resplendens) "brilliant, radiant," prp. of resplendere "to glitter, shine," from re-, intensive prefix, + splendere "to shine, be splendid" (see splendid).

respond --- c.1300, respound, from O.Fr. respondere "respond, correspond," from L. respondere "respond, answer to, promise in return," from re- "back" + spondere "to pledge" (see spondee). Modern spelling and pronunciation is from c.1600.

response --- c.1300, from L. responsum "answer," prop. neut. pp. of respondere "to respond" (see respond). Responsive is from L.L. responsivus, from L. responsus, pp. of respondere.

responsible --- 1599, "answerable (to another, for something)," from Fr. responsible, from L. responsus, pp. of respondere "to respond" (see respond). Meaning "morally accountable for one's actions" is attested from 1836. Retains the sense of "obligation" in the Latin root word. Responsibility is from 1787.

rest (1) --- sleep, O.E. ræste, reste "rest, bed, intermission of labor, mental peace," from P.Gmc. *rastjo, *rasto. Original sense seems to be a measure of distance (cf. O.H.G. rasta "league of miles," O.N. rost "league, distance after which one rests," Gothic rasta "mile, stage of a journey"), perhaps a word from the nomadic period. The meaning "support, thing upon which something rests" is attested from 1590. The verb is O.E. ræstan, restan "to rest." At rest "dead" is from 1338. Rest room first attested 1899; rest stop is from 1973. Rested "refreshed by sleep" is attested from c.1400. Phrase rest you merry is from 1548 (God rest you merry, gentlemen, often is mis-punctuated). Colloquial expression to give (something) a rest "to stop talking about it" is first recorded 1927, Amer.Eng.

rest (2) --- remainder, c.1420, from M.Fr. reste "remnant," from rester "to remain," from L. restare "stand back, be left," from re- "back" + stare "to stand" (see stet). Related M.E. verb resten (1463) is in rest assured.

restaurant --- 1827, from Fr. restaurant "a restaurant" (said to have been used in Paris c.1765 by Boulanger), originally "food that restores," noun use of prp. of restaurer "to restore or refresh," from O.Fr. restorer (see restore). Restaurateur is 1796, from Fr. restaurateur, agent noun from restaurer "to restore," on model of L.L. restaurator "restorer."

restitution --- c.1300, from L. restitutionem (nom. restitutio) "a restoring," from restitutus, pp. of restituere "restore, rebuild, replace," from re- "again" + statuere "to set up" (see statute).

restive --- c.1410, restyffe "not moving forward," from M.Fr. restif (fem. restive) "motionless," from rester "to remain" (see rest (2)). Sense of "unmanageable" (1687) evolved via notion of a horse refusing to go forward.

restless --- O.E. restleas "deprived of sleep," from rest (1) + -leas "-less." A general Gmc. compound (cf. Fris. restleas, Ger. rastlos, Dan. rastlös, Du. rusteloos). Meaning "stirring constantly, desirous of action" is attested from c.1475.

restore --- 1297, "to give back," also, "to build up again, repair," from O.Fr. restorer, from L. restaurare "repair, rebuild, renew," from re- "back, again" + -staurare, as in instaurare "restore." The Restoration in Eng. history was the re-establishment of the monarchy with the return of Charles II in 1660. As a period in Eng. theater, attested from 1898.

restrain --- c.1340, from stem of O.Fr. restraindre, from L. restringere "draw back tightly, confine, check" (see restriction). Restraint "action of restraining" is recorded from c.1400, from O.Fr. restrainte, prop. fem. pp. of restraindre. Meaning "means of restraint" is recorded from 1421.

restriction --- c.1412, from L.L. restrictionem (nom. restrictio) "limitation," from L. restrictus, pp. of restringere "restrict, bind fast, restrain," from re- "back" + stringere "draw tight" (see strain (v.)). Restrict (v.) is attested from 1535; regarded 18c. as a Scottishism. Restricted "limited" is attested from 1830; of documents, etc., "secret, not for public release" it is recorded from 1944. In U.S., restricted was a euphemism for "off-limits to Jews" (1947).

restructure --- 1951, from re- "back, again" + structure (v.).

result (v.) --- 1432, from M.L. resultare "to result," in classical L. "to spring forward, rebound," frequentative of pp. of resilire "to rebound" (see resilience). The noun is 1626, from the verb.

resume (n.) --- 1804, "a summary," from Fr. résumé, noun use of pp. of M.Fr. resumer "to sum up," from L. resumere (see resume (v.)). Meaning "biographical summary of a person's career" is 1940s.

resume (v.) --- 1404, from L. resumere "take again, assume again," from re- "again" + sumere "take up" (cf. assume). Resumption (1449) is from L. resumptionem, noun of action from resumere.

resurface --- 1886, "to provide with a fresh surface," from re- "back, again" + surface (q.v.). Meaning "to come to the surface again" is recorded from 1953.

resurgent (adj.) --- 1808, from obs. verb resurge "to rise again" (1575), from L. resurgere "rise again," from re- "again" + surgere "to rise" (see surge). Modern verb resurge (1887) is a back-formation.

resurrection --- c.1290, from Anglo-Fr. resurrectiun, O.Fr. resurrection, from L.L. resurrectionem (nom. resurrectio) "a rising again from the dead," from pp. stem of L. resurgere "rise again" (see resurgent). Replaced O.E. æriste. Originally a Church festival commemorating Christ's rising from the dead; generalized sense of "revival" is from 1649. Also used in M.E. of the rising again of the dead on the Last Day (c.1300). Resurrect is a 1772 back-formation. Resurrection pie (1869) was schoolboy slang for a pie made from leftovers of previous meals. Resurrectionist, euphemism for "grave-robber" is attested from 1776.

resuscitate --- 1532, earlier resuscit (c.1375), from L.L. resuscitationem, from L. resuscitatus, pp. of resuscitare "rouse again, revive," from re- "again" + suscitare "to raise, revive," from sub "(up from) under" + citare "to summon" (see cite).

ret --- to soak, c.1440, probably from M.Du. roten (or an unrecorded cognate O.N. word), related to O.E. rotian "to rot" (see rot).

retail (v.) --- 1365 (implied in retailing), from O.Fr. retaillier "to cut off, pare, clip, divide," from re- "back" + taillier "to cut, trim" (see tailor). Sense of "recount, tell over again" is first recorded 1594. The noun meaning "sale in small quantities" is from 1433, from M.Fr. retail "piece cut off, shred, scrap, paring."

retain --- c.1386, from O.Fr. retenir, from L. retinere "hold back," from re- "back" + tenere "to hold" (see tenet). Meaning "keep (another) attached to one's person, keep in service" is from 1450; specifically of lawyers, 1548.

retainer (1) --- fee to secure services, 1453, "act of keeping for oneself" from retain (perhaps infl. by M.Fr. retenir, infinitive used as a noun). Meaning "fee paid to an attorney to secure his services" is from 1818.

retainer (2) --- servant, 1540, from retain (v.). Meaning "dental structure used to hold a bridge in place" is recorded from 1887.

retake --- 1436, "to take back," from re- "back, again" + take (v.). Meaning "to recapture" is recorded from 1645; sense of "to record a second time" is attested from 1962.

retaliation --- 1581, from L.L. retaliare "pay back in kind," from re- "back" + L. talio "exaction of payment in kind," from talis "suchlike." Originally used both in good and evil senses.

retardation --- 1426, "fact or action of making slower in movement or time," from L. retardationem, from retardare "to make slow, delay, keep back, hinder," from re-, intensive prefix, + tardare "to slow" (see tardy). Retarded "mentally slow" first recorded 1895. Retard (v.) first recorded 1489, from O.Fr. retarder (13c.); offensive noun meaning "stupid person" (with accent on first syllable) is from 1960s slang.

retch --- 1548, originally "to clear the throat, to cough up phlegm," from O.E. hræcan "to cough up, spit" (related to hraca "phlegm"), from P.Gmc. *khrækijanan (cf. O.H.G. rahhison "to clear one's throat"), of imitative origin (cf. Lith. kregeti "to grunt"). Meaning "to make efforts to vomit" is from 1850; sense of "to vomit" is first attested 1888.

retell --- 1593, from re- "back, again" + tell (v.).

retention --- c.1400, from L. retentionem (nom. retentio) "a retaining, a holding back," from pp. stem of retinere (see retain). Retentive is attested from c.1375, from O.Fr. retentif.

rethink --- 1700, from re- "back, again" + think (q.v.).

reticence --- 1603, from Fr. réticence, from L. reticentia "silence," from reticere "keep silent," from re-, intensive prefix, + tacere "be silent" (see tact). "Not in common use until after 1830" [OED]. Adjective form reticent is from 1834.

reticulate --- 1658, from L. reticulatus "having a net-like pattern," from reticulum "little net," dim. of rete "net," which probably is cognate with Lith. retis "sieve," and from either the root of L. rarus "thin" or another PIE root meaning "twist, bind." Reticular is attested from 1597.

retina --- 1392, from M.L. retina, probably from V.L. (tunica) *retina, lit. "net-like tunic," on resemblance to the network of blood vessels at the back of the eye, and ult. from L. rete "net." The V.L. phrase may be Gerard of Cremona's 12c. translation of Ar. (tabaqa) sabakiva "netlike layer," itself a translation of Gk. amphiblestroeides (khiton).

retinue --- c.1375, from O.Fr. retenue "group of followers, state of service," lit. "that which is retained," from fem. pp. of retenir "to employ, to retain, hold back" (see retain).

retire --- 1533, of armies, "to retreat," from M.Fr. retirer "to withdraw (something)," from re- "back" + O.Fr. tirer "to draw" (see tirade). Meaning "to withdraw to some place for the sake of seclusion" is recorded from 1538; sense of "leave an occupation" first attested 1648 (implied in retirement). Meaning "to leave company and go to bed" is from 1670. Baseball sense of "to put out" is recorded from 1874. Retiree is attested from 1945.

retool --- 1866, "to shape again with a tool," from re- "back, again" + verb form of tool (q.v.). Meaning "to furnish a factory with new equipment" is recorded from 1940.

retort (v.) --- c.1557, from L. retortus, pp. of retorquere "turn back," from re- "back" + torquere "to twist" (see thwart). The noun is 1600, from the verb.

retouch --- 1650, from Fr. retoucher (13c.) "to touch again" (with a view to improving)," from re- "again" + toucher (see touch).

retrace --- 1697, from Fr. retracer "to trace again," from M.Fr. retracier, from re- "again" + tracier "to trace" (see trace).

retraction --- c.1386, from L. retractionem (nom. retractio), from L. retractus, pp. of retractare "revoke, cancel," from re- "back" + tractere "draw violently," frequentative of trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Originally the title of a book by St. Augustine, correcting his former writings. Meaning "recantation of opinion with admission of error" is from 1548. Retract first attested 1432, "to draw (something) back;" sense of "to revoke, withdraw" is attested from 1545.

retrain --- 1934, from re- "back, again" + train (v.).

retread (v.) --- to put a new tread on (a tire), 1908, from re- "back, again" + tread (q.v.). The noun is attested from 1914; in World War I it was Australian slang for "a re-enlisted soldier."

retreat (n.) --- c.1300, from O.Fr. retret, noun use of pp. of retrere "draw back," from L. retrahere "draw back," from re- "back" + trahere "to draw" (see tract (1)). Meaning "place of seclusion" is from 1423; sense of "establishment for mentally ill persons" is from 1797. The verb is first attested 1422.

retrench --- 1598, "dig a new trench as a second line of defense," from Fr. retrencher "to cut off," from re- "back" + O.Fr. trenchier "to cut." Sense of "cut down, reduce (expenses, etc.)" is from 1625.

retribution --- 1382, "repayment," from L. retributionem (nom. retributio) "recompense, repayment," from retributus, pp. of retribuere "hand back, repay," from re- "back" + tribuere "to assign, allot" (see tribute). Sense of "evil given for evil done" is from day of retribution (1526) in Christian theology, the time of divine reward or punishment.

retrieve --- c.1410, retreve, from M.Fr. retruev-, stem of O.Fr. retrouver "find again," from re- "again" + trouver "to find," probably from V.L. *tropare "to compose" (see trove). Altered 16c. to retrive; modern form is from c.1650. Retriever "dog used for retrieving game" first recorded 1486.

retro --- 1974, from Fr. rétro (1973), short for rétrograde, supposedly first used of a revival c.1968 of Eva Peron-inspired fashions (see retrograde). There is an isolated use in Eng. from 1768.

retro- --- prefix meaning "backwards, behind," from L. retro (prep.) "backward, back, behind," probably originally the ablative form of *reteros, based on re- "back." Common in combinations in post-classical Latin.

retroactive --- 1611, from Fr. rétroactif (fem. rétroactive) "casting or relating back," from L. retroactus, pp. of retroagere "drive or turn back," from retro- "back" + agere "to drive, set in motion" (see act).

retrofit --- 1954, from retro(active) + (re)fit.

retrograde --- 1392, originally of the apparent motions of planets, from L. retrogradus "going backward," from retrogradi "move backward," from retro- "backward" + gradi "to go, step." General sense of "tending to revert" is recorded from c.1530.

retrogression --- 1646, formed on model of progression from L. retrogressus, pp. of retrogradi "move backward" (see retrograde).

retrospect --- 1602, from L. retrospectum, pp. of retrospicere "look back," from retro- "back" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)). Retrospective (adj.) is attested from 1664; as a noun, it is recorded from 1964, short for retrospective exhibition (1919), etc.

retrovirus --- 1977, earlier retravirus (1974), from re(verse) tra(nscriptase) + virus. So called because it contains reverse transcriptase, an enzyme that uses RNA instead of DNA to encode genetic information, which reverses the usual pattern. Remodeled by infl. of retro- "backwards."

return --- c.1366, "to come back," from O.Fr. retorner "turn back, return," from re- "back" + torner "to turn" (see turn). Transitive sense is attested from c.1420. The noun is first attested c.1390, "act of coming back;" in the tennis sense, it is from 1886. Meaning "official report of election results" is attested from 1459. Meaning "a yield, a profit" is recorded from 1626. Many happy returns of the day was used by Addison, 1716.

Reuben --- masc. proper name, O.T. eldest son of Jacob and name of the tribe descended from him, from Gk. Rouben, from Heb. Reubhen, probably lit. "Behold a son," from reu, imper. of ra'ah "he saw" + ben "a son." The reuben sandwich (1956) is "not obviously connected" with the sense in rube [OED].

reunion --- 1610, from re- "back, again" + union (q.v.). Cf. Fr. réunion (1549). The island of Reunion was so named by a convention in 1793, "without any particular reason."

reunite --- 1591, from adj. reunit "reunited" (c.1450), from M.L. reunitus, pp. of reunire "unite again," from L. re- "again" + unire "join together" (see unite).

re-up --- to re-enlist, 1906, U.S. armed forces slang, from re- "back, again" + up "enlist."

reusable --- 1959, first attested in a Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue (in ref. to plastic bags for paper plates), from re- "back, again" + usable (see use). The verb reuse is first attested 1843.

Reuter --- news service begun in London 1851 by Baron Paul Julius von Reuter (1816-99), founder of a telegraph office and pigeon post bureau in Aachen in 1849.

rev (v.) --- 1916, from earlier noun (1901), shortening of revolution, in reference to the internal combustion engine.

revamp --- 1850, from re- "again" + vamp "patch up, replace the upper front part of a shoe" (see vamp (v.)).

revanchist --- one seeking to avenge Germany's defeat in World War I and recover lost territory, 1926 (on model of Fr. revanchiste), from revanche "revenge, requital" (1858), esp. in ref. to a national policy seeking return of lost territory, from Fr., lit. "revenge," from M.Fr. revenche, back-formation from revenchier (see revenge).

reveal --- c.1375, from O.Fr. reveler (14c.), from L. revelare "reveal, uncover, disclose," lit. "unveil," from re- "opposite of" + velare "to cover, veil," from velum "a veil" (see veil). Revealed religion, as opposed to natural religion, is attested from 1719.

reveille --- 1644, from Fr. réveillez (vous) "awaken!" imperative plural of réveiller "to awaken, to wake up," from M.Fr. re- "again" + eveiller "to rouse," from V.L. *exvigilare, from L. ex- "out" + vigilare "be awake, keep watch" (see vigil).

revel (n.) --- c.1300, "riotous merry-making," from O.Fr. revel, from reveler "be disorderly, make merry," from L. rebellare "to rebel" (see rebel). The verb meaning "to feast in a noisy manner" is first recorded c.1325. The meaning "take great pleasure in" first recorded 1754.

revelation --- c.1303, "disclosure of information to man by a divine or supernatural agency," from O.Fr. revelacion, from L. revelationem (nom. revelatio), from revelatus, pp. of revelare (see reveal). General meaning "disclosure of facts" is attested from c.1375; meaning "striking disclosure" is from 1862. As the name of the last book of the New Testament (Revelation of St. John), it is first attested c.1400 (see apocalypse); as simply Revelations, it is first recorded 1691.

revenge --- 1375, from O.Fr. revengier, from re-, intensive prefix, + vengier "take revenge," from L. vindicare "to lay claim to, avenge, punish" (see vindicate).

revenue --- 1433, "income from property or possessions," from M.Fr. revenue, from O.Fr., "a return," prop. fem. pp. of revenir "come back," from L. revenire "return, come back," from re- "back" + venire "come" (see venue). Meaning "public income" is first recorded 1690. Revenuer "U.S. Department of Revenue agent," the bane of Appalachian moonshiners, first attested 1880.

reverberation --- c.1386, "reflection of light or heat," from O.Fr. reverberation, from M.L. reverberationem (nom. reverberatio), from L. reverberatus, pp. of reverberare "beat back," from re- "back" + verberare "to beat," from verber "whip, lash, rod," related to verbena "leaves and branches of laurel," from PIE *werb- "to turn, bend" (see warp). Sense of "echo" is attested from 1626. Shortened form reverb (n.) is attested from 1961.

reverence --- c.1290, from O.Fr. reverence, from L. reverentia "awe, respect," from revereri "to revere," from re-, intensive prefix, + vereri "stand in awe of, fear," from PIE *wer- "to be or become aware of" (cf. O.E. wær "aware, cautious;" see wary). The verb is first attested c.1300; revere (v.) is from 1661.

reverend --- 1428, "worthy of respect," from M.Fr. reverend, from L. reverendus "(he who is) to be respected," gerundive of revereri (see reverence). As a form of address for clergymen, it is attested from 1485; earlier reverent (c.1380 in this sense). Abbreviation Rev. is attested from 1721, earlier Revd. (1693). Very Reverend is used of deans, Right Reverend of bishops, Most Reverend of archbishops.

reverie --- c.1366, "wild conduct, frolic," from O.Fr. reverie "revelry, raving, delirium," from resver "to dream, wander, rave," of uncertain origin (also the root of rave). Meaning "daydream" is first attested 1657. As a type of musical composition, it is attested from 1880.

reverse (adv./adj.) --- c.1303, from O.Fr. revers "reverse, cross," from L. reversus, pp. of revertere "turn back" (see revert). The verb is attested from c.1315, from O.Fr. reverser (12c.). The noun is first recorded c.1390, "opposite or contrary" (of something); meaning "a defeat, a change of fortune" is from 1526; meaning "back side of a coin" is from 1625. Of gear-shifts in motor cars, from 1875. As a type of sports play (originally rugby) it is recorded from 1921. Reverse angle in film-making is from 1934. Reverse discrimination is attested from 1976.

revert --- c.1300, "to come to oneself again," from O.Fr. revertir, from V.L. *revertire, variant of L. revertere "turn back," from re- "back" + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Of position or property from 1447; application to customs and ideas is from 1612.

review --- 1441, from M.Fr. reveue "a reviewing, review," prop. fem. pp. of reveeir "to see again, go to see again," from L. revidere, from re- "again" + videre "to see" (see vision). The verb is recorded from 1576. Meaning "general account or criticism of a recent literary work" is first attested 1649.