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

elevate --- 1497, from L. elevatus, pp. of elevare "lift up, raise," from ex- "out" + levare "lighten, raise," from levis "light" in weight (see lever). Elevator in the mechanical sense is from 1825, originally for grain. Elevator music is from 1970s. El, Amer.Eng. abbrev. of "elevated railroad" is first recorded 1906 in O. Henry. Elevator shoes patented 1940.

eleven --- O.E. endleofan, lit. "one left" (over ten), from P.Gmc. *ainlif- (cf. Goth. ain-lif), a compound of *ain "one" + PIE *leikw- "leave, remain" (cf. Gk. leipein "to leave behind;" see relinquish). Viking survivors who escaped an Anglo-Saxon victory were daroþa laf "the leavings of spears," while hamora laf "the leavings of hammers" was an O.E. kenning for "swords" (both from "The Battle of Brunanburgh"). Eng. twelve reflects the same formation; outside Gmc. the only instance of this formation is in Lith., which uses it all the way to 19 (vienio-lika "eleven," dvy-lika "twelve," try-lika "thirteen," keturio-lika "fourteen," etc.) Phrase eleventh hour is from Matthew xx:1-16. FIREFLY: Give me a number from 1 to 10. CHICOLINI: eleven! FIREFLY: Right!

elf --- race of powerful supernatural beings in Gmc. folklore, O.E. elf, ælf, from P.Gmc. *albiz, origin unknown, possibly from PIE *albho- "white." A popular component in Anglo-Saxon names, many of which survive as modern given names and surnames, cf. Ælfræd "Elf-counsel" (Alfred), Ælfwine "Elf-friend" (Alvin), Ælfric "Elf-ruler" (Eldridge), also women's names such as Ælfflæd "Elf-beauty." Elf Lock hair tangled, especially by Queen Mab, "which it was not fortunate to disentangle" [according to Robert Nares' glossary of Shakespeare] is from 1592. Elvish (adj.) attested from c.1340.

Elgin Marbles --- 1809, sculptures and marbles (especially from the frieze of the Parthenon) brought to England and sold to the British government by Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin (1766-1841).

Eli --- male proper name, in O.T., name of a high priest of Israel, teacher of Samuel, from Heb., lit. "high."

elicit --- 1624, from L. elicitus, pp. of elicere "draw forth," from ex- "out" + -licere, comb. form of lacere "to entice."

elide --- 1593, a legal term, "to annul, do away with," from M.Fr. elider, from L. elidere "strike out," from ex- "out" + -lidere, comb. form of laedere "to strike." Phonological sense is first recorded 1796.

eligible --- 1561, from M.Fr. eligible "fit to be chosen," from L.L. eligibilis "that may be chosen," from L. eligere "choose" (see election).

Elijah --- name of the great O.T. prophet, from Heb. Elijjah, lit. "the Lord is God." The Gk. form is Elias.

eliminate --- 1568, from L. eliminatus, pp. of eliminare "thrust out of doors, expel," from ex limine "off the threshold," from ex "off, out" + limine, abl. of limen "threshold." Used literally at first; sense of "exclude" first attested 1714; sense of "expel waste from the body" is c.1795.

Eliot --- surname is O.Fr. dim. of Elias (Elie + -ot, from Gk. Elias, the Gk. form of Heb. Elijah, q.v.), absorbing O.E. proper name Æðelgeat, also Ælfweald "Elf-ruler."

Elisha --- male proper name, from Heb., lit. "God is salvation," from El "God" + yesha "salvation."

elite --- 1823, from Fr. élite "selection, choice," from O.Fr. fem. pp. of elire, elisre "pick out, choose," from L. eligere "choose" (see election). Borrowed in M.E. as "chosen person," esp. a bishop-elect, died out c.1450, re-introduced by Byron's "Don Juan." As a typeface, first recorded 1920. Elitist, elitism are first attested 1950 (the original examples were Freud, Nietzsche, and Carlyle).

elixir --- 1266, from M.L. elixir "philosopher's stone," believed by alchemists to transmute baser metals into gold and/or to cure diseases and prolong life, from Ar. al-iksir, probably from late Gk. xerion "powder for drying wounds," from xeros "dry." General sense of "strong tonic" is 1597; used for quack medicines from at least 1631.

Elizabeth --- fem. proper name, Biblical name of the wife of Aaron, from Heb. Elishebha "God is an oath," the second element said by Klein to be related to shivah (fem. sheva) "seven," and to nishba "he swore," originally "he bound himself by (the sacred number) seven."

Elizabethan (adj.) --- 1807 (Elizabethean); Coleridge (1817) has Elizabethian, and Carlyle (1840) finally attains the modern form. "Belonging to the period of Queen Elizabeth I" (1558-1603). The noun is first attested 1881. See Elizabeth.

elk --- late O.E., from O.N. elgr or O.E. elh, eolh, or possibly M.H.G. elch, all from P.Gmc. *elkh-, related to the general word for "deer" in Gk. and Balto-Slavic, from PIE *ol-/*el- "red, brown" (in animal and tree names) perhaps with reference to the reddish color (cf. Skt. harina- "deer," from hari- "reddish-brown"). Gk. alke and L. alces are Gmc. loan-words. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks founded N.Y.C. 1868, originally a society of actors and writers.

ell --- O.E. eln "unit of measure of 45 inches," originally "length of the arm," from PIE *el- "elbow, forearm" (cf. Gk. olene "elbow," L. ulna, Arm. uln "shoulder," Skt. anih "part of the leg above the knee," Lith. alkune "elbow"). The exact distance varied, depending on whose arm was used as the base and whether it was measured from the shoulder to the fingertip or the wrist: the Scot. ell was 37.2 inches, the Flem. 27 inches. L. ulna also was a unit of linear measure. "Whereas shee tooke an inche of liberty before, tooke an ell afterwardes" [1580]. Sense of "building extension" is Amer.Eng. 1773, for resemblance to the shape of the alphabet letter.

Ella --- fem. proper name, when not a dim. of Eleanor, it is from O.H.G. Alia, from al "all."

Ellen --- fem. proper name, an older form of Helen (q.v.).

ellipse --- 1656 (implied in ellpitical), from Fr. ellipse, from L. ellipsis "ellipse," also, "a falling short, deficit," from Gk. elleipsis (see ellipse), because the conic section of the cutting plane makes a smaller angle with the base than does the side of the cone, hence, a "falling short." First applied by Apollonius of Perga (3c. B.C.E.).

ellipsis --- 1570, from L. ellipsis, from Gk. elleipsis "a falling short, defect, ellipse," from elleipein "to fall short, leave out," from en- "in" + leipein "to leave" (see relinquish). Grammatical sense first recorded 1612.

Ellis Island --- sandy island in mouth of Hudson River, said to have been called "Gull Island" by local Indians and "Oyster Island" by the Du., renamed "Gull Island" after the British took over, then "Gibbet Island" because pirates were hanged there. Sold to Samuel Ellis in 1785, who made it a picnic spot and gave it his name. Sold by his heirs in 1808 to New York State and acquired that year by the U.S. War Department for coastal defenses. Vacant after the American Civil War until the government opened an immigration station there in 1892 to replace Castle Island.

elm --- O.E. elm, from P.Gmc. *elmaz (cf. Dan. elm, O.N. almr, O.H.G. elme), from PIE root cognate with L. ulmus, O.Ir. lem.

Elmo --- of St. Elmo's Fire, probably from Gk. elene "torch," via an apocryphal saint.

elocution --- 1509, from L.L. elocutionem (nom. elocutio) "voice production, manner of expression," in classical L. "oratorical expression," from eloqui "speak out."

Elohim --- a name of God in the Bible, 1605, from Heb., pl. (of majesty?) of Eloh "God," a word of unknown etymology, perhaps an augmentation of El "God," also of unknown origin. Generally taken as singular, the use of this word instead of Yahveh is taken by biblical scholars as an important clue to authorship in the O.T.

elongation --- 1391, from L.L. elongationem (nom. elongatio), from elongare "remove to a distance," from L. ex- "out" + longus "long" (see long (adj.)). Elongate is c.1540. The Fr. form eloign was borrowed (1535) in the legal sense "to remove to a distance" (esp. to avoid the law).

elope --- 1596, from Anglo-Fr. aloper "run away from a husband with one's lover" (1338), from O.Fr es- + M.E. lepen "run, leap," or M.Du. (out)lopen "run away." Sense of "lovers who run from parents to marry secretly" is 19c. The oldest Gmc. word for "wedding" is represented by O.E. brydlop (cf. O.H.G. bruthlauft, O.N. bruðhlaup), lit. "bridal run," the conducting of the woman to her new home.

eloquence --- c.1382, from O.Fr. eloquence, from L. eloquentia, from eloquentem (nom. eloquens), prp. of eloqui "speak out," from ex- "out" + loqui "speak."

else --- O.E. elles "other, otherwise, different," from P.Gmc. *aljaz (cf. Goth. aljis "other," O.H.G. eli-lenti, O.E. el-lende, both meaning "in a foreign land;" see also Alsace), an adverbial genitive of the neut. of PIE base *al- "beyond" (cf. Gk. allos "other," L. alius; see alias). Synonym of other, the nuances of usage are often arbitrary. Elsewhere is O.E. elles hwær. It survived, but elsewhen (1418), elsewhat (O.E.), elsewho (c.1542) did not.

elucidate --- 1568, from L.L. elucidatus, pp. of elucidare "make clear," from ex- "out, away" + lucidus "clear" (see lucid).

elude --- 1538, "delude, make a fool of," from L. eludere "escape from, make a fool of, win from at play," from ex- "out, away" + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Sense of "evade" is first recorded 1612. Elusive first attested 1725.

Elysian --- 1579, from Gk. Elysion pedion "Elysian field," where heroes and the virtuous live after death, from a pre-Gk. word of unknown origin.

'em --- M.E., now taken as an abbreviation of them, but originally a form of hem, dative and accusative of the third person plural pronoun.

em- --- from Fr. assimilation of en- to following labial; also from L. ex-, assimilated to following -m-. Also a prefix used to form verbs from adjectives and nouns.

emaciate --- 1646, from L. emaciatus, pp. of emaciare "make lean, waste away," from ex- "out" + macies "leanness," from macer "thin" (see macro-).

email --- a type of pottery design pattern, c.1877, from Fr., lit. "enamel" (see enamel).

e-mail --- 1982, short for electronic mail.

emanation --- 1570, from L.L. emanationem (nom. emanatio), from L. emanare "flow out, arise, proceed," from ex- "out" + manare "to flow."

emancipate --- 1605, from L. emancipatus, pp. of emancipare "declare (someone) free, give up one's authority over," in Roman law, the freeing of a son or wife from the legal authority (patria potestas) of the pater familias, to make his or her own way in the world; from ex- "out, away" + mancipare "deliver, transfer or sell," from mancipum "ownership," from manus "hand" (see manual) + capere "take" (see capable). Adopted in the cause of religious toleration (17c.), then anti-slavery (1776). Also used in ref. to women who free themselves from conventional customs (1850). Emancipation in the slavery sense is from 1785.

emasculate --- 1607, from L. emasculatus, pp. of emasculare "castrate," from ex- "out, away" + masculus "male" (see masculine). Originally and usually in the fig. sense.

embalm --- c.1340, from O.Fr. embaumer "preserve (a corpse) with spices," from en- "cause to be" + baume "balm" (see balm) + -er verbal suffix. The -l- inserted in Eng. 1500s in imitation of L.

embankment --- 1786, from embank "to enclose with a bank" (1576).

embargo --- c.1593, from Sp. embargo "seizure, embargo," noun of action from embargar "restrain impede," from V.L. *imbarricare, from in- "into, upon" + *barra (see bar).

embark --- 1550, from M.Fr. embarquer, from barque "small ship" (see bark (n.)).

embarrass --- 1672, "perplex, throw into doubt," from Fr. embarrasser, lit. "to block," from embarras "obstacle," from It. imbarrazzo, from imbarrare "to bar," from in- "into, upon" + V.L. *barra "bar." Meaning "make (someone) feel awkward" first recorded 1828. Original sense preserved in embarras de richesse (1751), from Fr. (1726), the condition of having more wealth than one knows what to do with.

embassy --- 1579, from M.Fr. embassee "mission, charge, office of ambassador," from It. ambasciata, from O.Prov. ambaisada "office of ambassador," from Gaul. *ambactos "dependant, vassal," lit. "one going around."

embattle --- 1393, "prepare for a fight," from O.Fr. embataillier "to prepare for battle," from en- + bataille (see battle). Originally of armies; of individuals as well since 1596 (first attested in Spenser). Embattled "under attack" is from 1961.

embed --- 1778, from en- + bed. Originally a geological term, in ref. to fossils in rock; fig. sense is from 1835; meaning "place a journalist within a military unit at war" is 2003.

embellish --- c.1340, "to render beautiful," from O.Fr. embelliss-, pp. stem of embellir "make beautiful, ornament," from bel "beautiful," from L. bellus. Meaning "dress up (a narration) with fictitious matter" is from 1447.

ember --- O.E. æmerge "ember," merged with or infl. by O.N. eimyrja, both from P.Gmc. *aim-uzjon "ashes" (cf. Ger. Ammern), from *aima- "ashes" + *uzjo "to burn," from PIE base *ai- "to burn." The -b- is intrusive.

ember days --- O.E., 12 days of the year (divided into four seasonal periods, hence L. name quatuor tempora) set aside by the Church for fasting and prayers, from O.E. ymbren "recurring," corruption of ymbryne "a circuit," lit. "a running around," from ymb "round" (cognate with Gk. amphi, L. ambo) + ryne "course, running." Perhaps influenced by a corruption of the L. name (cf. Ger. quatember).

embezzle --- 1469, from Anglo-Fr. embesiler "to steal, cause to disappear" (1305), from O.Fr. besillier "torment, destroy, gouge," of unknown origin. Sense of "to dispose of fraudulently" is first recorded 1585.

embitter --- c.1603, from en- + bitter (q.v.). Now rare in its literal sense; fig. meaning first attested 1634.

emblazon --- inscribe conspicuously, also "extol," 1592, from en- + blazon.

emblem --- c.1430, from Fr. embleme "symbol," from L. emblema "inlaid ornamental work," from Gk. emblema (gen. emblematos) "embossed ornament," lit. "insertion," from emballein "to insert," lit. "to throw in," from em- "in" + ballein "to throw."

embody --- c.1652, in ref. to a soul or spirit invested with a physical form; of principles, ideas, etc., from 1663; from en- "in" + body.

embolism --- 1387, "intercalation of days into a calendar," from O.Fr. embolisme, from L.L. embolismus "insertion of days in a calendar to correct errors," from Gk. embolimos, embolme "insertion," or embolos "a plug, wedge." Medical sense of "obstruction of a blood vessel" is first recorded in Eng. 1855.

embonpoint --- plumpness, from Fr., from O.Fr. en bon point, lit. "in good condition."

emboss --- c.1386, from O.Fr. embocer, from boce "knoblike mass" (see boss (2)).

embouchure --- 1792, from Fr. embouchure "river mouth, mouth of a wind instrument," from en- "in" + bouche "mouth" (11c.), from L. bucca, lit. "cheek," which in L.L. replaced os (see oral) as the word for "mouth" (cf. It. bocca, Sp. boca).

embrace --- c.1300, from O.Fr. embracer "clasp in the arms, enclose," from en- "in" + brace "the arms," from L. bracchium (neut. pl. brachia). Replaced O.E. clyppan, also fæðm.

embrasure --- 1702, from Fr. embrasure, from O.Fr. embraser "to cut at a slant, make a groove or furrow in a door or window," from en- "in" + braser "to cut at a slant."

embroider --- c.1400, from Anglo-Norm. enbrouder, from en- "in" + broisder "embroider," from Frank. *brozdon, from P.Gmc. *bruzdajanan. Influenced by O.E. brogden, pp. of bregad "to weave" (see braid). First record of embroidery is 1393.

embroil --- 1603, from Fr. embrouillier (cognate with It. imbrogliare), from en- "in" + brouiller "confuse," from O.Fr. brooillier (see broil (2)). Sense of "involve in a quarrel" is first attested 1610.

embryo --- c.1350, from M.L. embryo, from Gk. embryon, in Homer, "young animal," later, "fruit of the womb," lit. "that which grows," from en- "in" + bryein "to swell, be full."

emcee --- 1933, abbrev. of master of ceremonies.

emend --- c.1400, from L. emendare "to free from fault," from ex- "out" + mendum (nom. menda) "fault, blemish."

emerald --- c.1300, from O.Fr. emeraude, from M.L. esmaraldus, from L. smaragdus, from Gk. smaragdos "green gem," from Sem. baraq "shine" (cf. Heb. bareqeth "emerald," Arabic barq "lightning"). Skt. maragdam "emerald" is from the same source, as is Pers. zumurrud, whence Turk. zümrüd, source of Rus. izumrud "emerald." "In early examples the word, like most other names of precious stones, is of vague meaning; the mediæval references to the stone are often based upon the descriptions given by classical writers of the smaragdus, the identity of which with our emerald is doubtful." [OED]

emerge --- 1563, from M.Fr. emerger, from L. emergere "rise out or up," from ex- "out" + mergere "to dip, sink" (see merge). The notion is of rising from a liquid by virtue of buoyancy. Emergency "unforeseen occurrence" is c.1631. Emergent (adj.) was first recorded c.1450.

emeritus --- 1602, from L. emeritus "veteran soldier who has served his time," pp. of emerere "serve out, complete one's service," from ex- "out" + merere "to serve, earn." First used of retired professors 1794 in Amer.Eng.

emery --- 1481, from M.Fr. emeri, from O.Fr. emmery, from It. smeriglo, from V.L. *smyrilium, from Gk. smyris "abrasive powder," perhaps from a Sem. source.

emetic --- 1657, from Fr. emetique, from Gk. emetikos "causing vomiting," from emesis "vomiting," from emein "to vomit," from PIE *wem- "to spit, vomit."

-emia --- medical suffix, "condition of the blood," from comb. form of Gk. haima (gen. haimatos) "blood," possibly from PIE base *sai- "thick liquid."

emigration --- 1649, from L.L. emigrationem (nom. emigratio) "removal from a place," from L. emigrare "move away, depart from a place," from ex- "out" + migrare "to move" (see migration). Emigrant first recorded 1754.

emigré --- 1792, from Fr. émigré, pp. of émigrer "emigrate," from L. emigrare (see emigration). Originally used of royalist refugees from the French Revolution.

Emil/Emily --- male/fem. personal name, from Fr., from L. Aemilius, name of a Roman gens, from aemulus "imitating, rivaling" (see emulation).

eminent --- c.1420, from L. eminentem (nom. eminens), prp. of eminere "stand out, project," from ex- "out" + minere, related to mons "hill" (see mount). Eminence is first attested 1621; as a title of honor (now only of cardinals) it is attested from 1653.

emir --- 1595, from Fr. emir, colloquial pronunciation of Arabic amir "commander" (see admiral).

emissary --- 1601, from L. emissarius, lit. "that is sent out," from emissus, pp. of emittere "send forth" (see emit).

emission --- 1607, from L. emissionem (nom. emissio) "a sending out," from emiss-, stem of emittere "send out" (see emit).

emit --- 1623, from L. emittere "send forth," from ex- "out" + mittere "to send."

Emmanuel --- male personal name, from Gk. form of Heb. Immanu'el, lit. "God is with us."

emmer --- species of wheat, 1908, from Ger. emmer, from O.H.G. amer.

emmet --- ant, from O.E. æmete (see ant), surviving as a dial. word in parts of England; also, in Cornwall, a colloquial name for holiday tourists.

Emmy --- statuette awarded by the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 1949, said to be an alteration of Immy, from image.

emollient --- 1643, from Fr. emollient, from L. emollientem (nom. emolliens), prp. of emollire "soften," from ex- "out" + mollire "soften," from mollis "soft."

emolument --- 1435, from L. emolumentum "profit, gain," perhaps originally "payment to a miller for grinding corn," from emolere "grind out," from ex- "out" + molere "to grind."

emotion --- 1579, "a (physical) moving, stirring, agitation," from M.Fr. emotion, from O.Fr. emouvoir "stir up," from L. emovere "move out, remove, agitate," from ex- "out" + movere "to move" (see move). Sense of "strong feeling" is first recorded 1660; extended to "any feeling" 1808. Emote is a 1917 back-formation. Emotional "liable to emotion" is from 1857.

empanel --- 1487, from Anglo-Fr. empaneller, from en- + panel (q.v.).

empathy --- 1903, translation of Ger. Einfühlung (from ein "in" + Fühlung "feeling"), coined 1858 by Ger. philosopher Rudolf Lotze (1817-81) from Gk. empatheia "passion," from en- "in" + pathos "feeling" (see pathos). A term from a theory of art appreciation. Empathize (v.) was coined 1924; empathic (adj.) is from 1909.

emperor --- c.1225, from O.Fr. empereor (acc.), from L. imperiatorem (nom. imperiator) "commander, emperor," from stem of imperare "to command" (see empire). Originally a title conferred by vote of the Roman army on a successful general, later by the Senate on Julius and Augustus Caesar and adopted by their successors except Tiberius and Claudius. In the Middle Ages, applied to rulers of China, Japan, etc.; only non-historical European application in Eng. was of the Holy Roman Emperors (who in Ger. documents are called kaiser), from 1297, until in 1804 Napoleon took the title "Emperor of the French." Empress is attested from 1154; Queen Victoria in 1876 became "Empress of India."

emphasis --- 1573, from L. emphasis, from Gk. emphasis "significance, indirect meaning," from empha-, root of emphainein "to present, show, indicate," from en- "in" + phainein "to show." In Gk. & L., developed a sense of "extra stress" given to a word or phrase in speech as a clue that it implies something more than literal meaning. Emphasize (v.) first recorded 1828; emphatic (adj.) first attested 1708.

emphysema --- 1661, from Gk. emphysema "swelling," from emphysan "inflate," from en- "in" + physan "to blow," from physa "breath, blast."

empire --- 1297, from O.Fr. empire "imperial rule," from L. imperium "rule, command," from imperare "to command," from im- "in" + parare "to order, prepare" (see pare). The Empire, meaning "the British Empire," first recorded 1772 (it officially devolved into "The Commonwealth" in 1931). Empire style (esp. in ref. to a style of dresses with high waistlines) is 1869, from the Second Empire "rule of Napoleon III of France" (1852-70). New York has been called the Empire State since 1834.

empirical --- 1569, from L. empiricus, from Gk. empeirikos "experienced," from empeiria "experience," from empeiros "skilled," from en- "in" + peira "trial, experiment." Originally a school of ancient physicians who based their practice on experience rather than theory.

emplacement --- 1802, from Fr. emplacement, from en- + placement.

employ --- c.1460, from M.Fr. employer, from O.Fr. empleier, from L. implicare "enfold, involve, be connected with," from in- "in" + plicare "to fold" see ply (v.)). Sense of "hire, engage" first recorded in Eng. 1584, from "involve in a particular purpose." Imply, which is the same word, retains more of the original sense. Employee (mainly U.S.) is attested from 1850, from Fr. employé (fem. employeé), pp. of employer.

emporium --- 1586, from L. emporium, from Gk. emporion, from emporos "merchant, traveler," from en- "in" + poros "passage, voyage," ult. from peirein "to pass through."

empower --- 1654, used by William Penn in 1690, but the modern popularity dates from 1986; from en- + power.

empty --- O.E. æmettig "at leisure, not occupied, unmarried," from æmetta "leisure," from æ "not" + -metta, from motan "to have" (see might). The -p- is a euphonic insertion. Sense evolution from "at leisure" to "empty" is paralleled in several languages, cf. Mod.Gk. adeios "empty," originally "freedom from fear," from deios "fear." "The adj. adeios must have been applied first to persons who enjoyed freedom from duties, leisure, and so were unoccupied, whence it was extended to objects that were unoccupied" [Buck]. The adj. also became the v. in 16c., replacing M.E. empten, from O.E. geæmtigian. Figurative sense of empty-nester first attested 1987. Empty-handed attested from 1613.

empyrean --- 1340 (as empyre), from Gk. empyros "fiery," from pyr "fire;" confused by early writers with imperial. In Gk. cosmology, the highest heaven, the sphere of pure fire; later baptized with a Christian gloss as "the abode of God and the angels."