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

euphemism --- 1656, from Gk. euphemismos "use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one," from euphemizein "speak with fair words," from eu- "good" + pheme "speaking," from phanai "speak" (see fame). In ancient Greece, the superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies, or substitutions such as Eumenides "the Gracious Ones" for the Furies (see also Euxine). In Eng., a rhetorical term at first; broader sense of "choosing a less distasteful word or phrase than the one meant" is first attested 1793.

euphony --- 1591 (as euphonia), from Gk. euphonia, from euphonos "well-sounding," from eu- "good" + phone "sound, voice," related to phanai "speak" (see fame). Hence, euphonium (1865), the musical instrument.

euphoria --- 1727, a physician's term for "condition of feeling healthy and comfortable (especially when sick)," from Gk. euphoria "power of bearing easily, fertility," from euphoros, lit. "bearing well," from eu- "well" + pherein "to carry" (see infer). Non-technical use, now the main one, dates to 1882.

Euphrates --- O.E. Eufrate, from Gk. Euphrates, from O.Pers. Ufratu, perhaps from Avestan huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford." But Kent says "probably a popular etymologizing in O.P. of a local non-Iranian name" ["Old Persian," p.176]. In Akkadian, purattu.

Eurasian --- 1844, from Eur(opean) + Asian. Originally of children of British-East Indian marriages; sense of "of Europe and Asia considered as one continent" is from 1868. Eurafrican, similarly formed, was coined 1890 by anthropologist D.G. Brinton to designate a "race" of dark-skinned people inhabiting both sides of the Mediterranean; it was used 1920s to describe the "colored" population of S.Africa, and 1960s with ref. to political situations involving both continents.

eureka --- 1603, from Gk. heureka "I have found (it)," first pers. sing. perfect active indicative of heuriskein "to find." Supposedly shouted by Archimedes (c.287-212 B.C.E.) when he solved a problem that had been set to him: determining whether goldsmiths had adulterated the metal in the crown of Hiero II, king of Syracuse.

European --- 1603, from L. Europa "Europe," from Gk. Europe, often explained as "broad face," from eurys "wide" + ops "face." Klein suggests a possible Sem. origin in Akkad. erebu "to go down, set" (in reference to the sun) which would parallel orient (q.v.). Another suggestion along those lines is Phoen. 'ereb "evening," hence "west."

eurypterid --- fossil swimming crustacean of the Silurian and Devonian, from euros "broad" + pteron "feather, wing" (see petition); so called from their swimming appendages.

eurythmic --- 1831, "harmonious," from Gk. eurythmia "rhythmical order," from eurythmos "rhythmical," from eu- "well" + rhythmos "rhythm."

Eustace --- proper name, from L. Eustachius, probably from Gk. eustakhos "fruitful," from eu- "well" + stakhys "ear (of grain)." Eustachian tubes, in anatomy, so called for It. physician Bartolomeo Eustachia (d.1574), who discovered the passages from the ears to the throat.

Euterpe --- muse of music, from Gk., lit. "pleasing," from eu- "well" + terpein "to delight, please."

euthanasia --- 1606, from Gk. euthanasia "an easy or happy death," from eu- "good" + thanatos "death." Sense of "legally sanctioned mercy killing" is first recorded in Eng. 1869.

Euxine --- archaic name for the Black Sea, from L. Pontus Euxinus, from Gk. Pontos Euxenios, lit. "the hospitable sea," a euphemism for Pontos Axeinos, "the inhospitable sea." According to Room, The O.Pers. name for the sea was akhshaena, lit. "dark," probably in ref. to the sudden, dangerous storms that make the sea perilous to sailors and darken its face. The Greeks took this untranslated as Pontos Axeinos, which was interpeted as the similar-sounding Gk. word axenos "inhospitable." Thus the modern Eng. name reflects the original.

evacuate --- c.1400 (implied in evacuation), from L. evacuatus, pp. of evacuare "empty," used by Pliny in reference to the bowels, used figuratively in L.L. for "clear out," from ex- "out" + vacuus "empty." Earliest sense in Eng. is medical. Meaning "remove inhabitants to safer ground" is from 1934.

evade --- 1513, from M.Fr. evader, from L. evadere "to escape, get away," from ex- "away" + vadere "to go, walk" (see vamoose).

evaluation --- 1755, from Fr. evaluation, from evaluer "to find the value of," from ex- "out" + value (see value). Evaluate is an 1842 back-formation.

Evan --- masc. proper name, Welsh form of John, form influenced perhaps by Welsh ieuanc "young man" (cognate of L. juvenis), from Celt. *yowanko-, from PIE *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor" (see young).

evanescent --- 1717, from L. evanescentem (nom. evanescens), prp. of evanescere "disappear, vanish," from ex- "out" + vanescere "vanish."

evangelist --- c.1175, "Matthew, Mark, Luke or John," from L.L. evangelista, from Gk. evangelistes "preacher of the gospel," lit. "bringer of good news," from evangelizesthai "bring good news," from eu- "good" + angellein "announce," from angelos "messenger." In early Gk. Christian texts, the word was used of the four supposed authors of the narrative gospels. Meaning "itinerant preacher" was another early Church usage, revived in M.E. (1382). Evangelical as a school or branch of Protestantism is from 1747.

evaporation --- 1398, from L. evaporationem (nom. evaporatio), from evaporare "disperse in vapor or steam," from ex- "out" + vapor "steam" (see vapor).

evasion --- c.1425, from L.L. evasionem (nom. evasio), from stem of L. evadere "to escape" (see evade). Evasive (in reference to actions, utterances) is from 1744.

eve --- evening, O.E. æfen, with pre-1200 loss of terminal -n, which was mistaken for an inflexion; from P.Gmc. *æbando- (cf. O.Fris. ewnd, O.H.G. aband, Ger. abend, O.N. aptann), of uncertain origin. Now superseded in its original sense by evening (q.v.). Meaning "day before a saint's day or festival" is from c.1290.

Eve --- fem. proper name, from Biblical first woman, from Heb. Hawwah, lit. "a living being."

even --- O.E. efen "level," also "equal" (as in efeneald "of the same age"), from P.Gmc. *ebnaz (cf. Ger. eben, Goth. ibns). Etymologists are uncertain whether the original sense was "level" or "alike." Of numbers, from 1557. Modern adverbial sense (introducing an extreme case of something more generally implied) seems to have arisen 16c. from use of the word to emphasize identity ("Who, me?" "Even you," etc.) Sense of "on an equal footing" is from 1637; rhyming reduplication phrase even steven is attested from 1866; even break first recorded 1911.

evening --- from O.E. verb æfnung "grow toward evening," from æfnian "become evening," from æfen "evening" (see eve). As a synonym of even (n.), it dates from c.1440 and now entirely replaces the older word in this sense. Another O.E. noun for "evening" was cwildtid.

event --- 1573, from M.Fr. event, from L. eventus "occurrence, issue," from evenire "to come out, happen, result," from ex- "out" + venire "to come" (see venue). Eventually "ultimately" first recorded c.1680; eventuality is 1828, originally "the power of observing in phrenology." Eventful is from 1600. Event horizon in astrophysics is from 1969.

ever --- O.E. æfre, no cognates in any other Gmc. language; perhaps a contraction of a in feore, lit. "ever in life" (the expression a to fore is common in O.E. writings). First element is almost certainly related to O.E. a "always, ever," from P.Gmc. *aiwo, from PIE *aiw- "vital force, life, long life, eternity." Evermore is O.E. æfre ma; in ref. to trees and shrubs, evergreen is from 1644, figurative sense from 1796; Everglades is from 1827, U.S., perhaps from sense of "interminable."

Everest --- mountain between Nepal and Tibet, named 1865 for Sir George Everest (1790-1866), surveyor-general of India. The Tibetan name is Chomolangma "mother goddess of the world."

every --- O.E. æfre ælc "each of a group," lit. "ever each" (Chaucer's everich) with ever added for emphasis, as the word is still felt to need emphasis (Mod.Eng. every last ..., every single ..., etc.). Everybody is from c.1530, everyone is in M.E., everything is c.1385, everywhere is O.E. æfre gehwær. The word everywhen is attested from 1843, but never caught on; neither did everyhow (1837). Everyday (adj.) is attested from 1632 in the sense of "worn on ordinary days," as opposed to Sundays or high days; extended sense of "to be met with every day, common" is from 1763. Everyman was the name of the leading character in a 15c. morality play. Slang phrase every Tom, Dick, and Harry dates from at least 1734, from common Eng. given names.

evict --- 1447, "recover property," from L. evictus, pp. of evincere "recover property, overcome and expel, conquer," from ex- "out" + vincere "conquer" (see victor). Sense of "expel by legal process" first recorded in Eng. 1536.

evident --- 1382, from L. evidentem (nom. evidens) "perceptible, clear, obvious," from ex- "fully, out of" + videntem (nom. videns), prp. of videre "to see" (see vision). Evidence (c.1300) is L.L. evidentia "proof," originally "distinction." After c.1500 it began to oust witness in legal senses.

evil --- O.E. yfel (Kentish evel) "bad, vicious," from P.Gmc. *ubilaz (cf. O.Saxon ubil, Goth. ubils), from PIE *upelo-, giving the word an original sense of "uppity, overreaching bounds" which slowly worsened. "In OE., as in all the other early Teut. langs., exc. Scandinavian, this word is the most comprehensive adjectival expression of disapproval, dislike or disparagement" [OED]. Evil was the word the Anglo-Saxons used where we would use bad, cruel, unskillful, defective (adj.), or harm, crime, misfortune, disease. The meaning "extreme moral wickedness" was in O.E., but did not become the main sense until 18c. Evil eye (L. oculus malus) was O.E. eage yfel.

evince --- 1608, from Fr. evincer "disprove, confute," from L. evincere "conquer, elicit by argument, prove," from ex- "out" + vincere "overcome" (see victor). Not clearly distinguished from evict until 18c.

eviscerate --- 1607, from L. evisceratus, pp. of eviscerare, from ex- "out" + viscera "internal organs." Sometimes used 17c. in fig. sense of "to bring out the deepest secrets of."

evocation --- 1574, from L. evocationem (nom. evocatio), from evocare "call out, rouse, summon," from ex- "out" + vocare "to call" (see voice). Evoke is from 1623, often more or less with a sense of "calling spirits," or being called by them. Evocation was used of the Roman custom of petitioning the gods of an enemy city to abandon it and come to Rome; it was also used to translate the Platonic Gk. anamnesis "a calling up of knowledge acquired in a previous state of existence."

evolve --- 1641, "to unfold, open out, expand," from L. evolvere "unroll," from ex- "out" + volvere "to roll" (see vulva). Evolution (1622), originally meant "unrolling of a book;" it first was used in the modern scientific sense 1832 by Scot. geologist Charles Lyell. Charles Darwin used the word only once, in the closing paragraph of "The Origin of Species" (1859), and preferred descent with modification, in part because evolution already had been used in the 18c. homunculus theory of embryological development (first proposed under this name by Bonnet, 1762), in part because it carried a sense of "progress" not found in Darwin's idea. But Victorian belief in progress prevailed (along with brevity), and Herbert Spencer and other biologists popularized evolution.

ewe --- O.E. eowu, fem. of eow "sheep," from P.Gmc. *awi, gen. *awjoz (cf. M.Du. ooge, O.H.G. ouwi, Goth. aweþi "flock of sheep"), from PIE *owi- (cf. Skt. avih, Gk. ois, Lith. avis "sheep," O.C.S. ovica "ewe").

ewer --- c.1325, from Anglo-Fr. ewiere, from O.Fr. eviere "water pitcher," parallel form of aiguiere, from fem. of L. aquarius "of or for water," from aqua "water."

ewigkeit --- 1877, from Ger., lit. "eternity."

ex- --- prefix, in Eng. meaning mainly "out of, from," but also "upwards, completely, deprive of, without," and "former;" from L. ex "out of," from PIE *eghs "out" (cf. Gaul. ex-, O.Ir. ess-, O.C.S. izu, Rus. iz). In some cases also from Gk. cognate ex, ek. It has stood on its own since 1929 as abbreviation for ex-wife, ex-husband, etc.

ex cathedra --- L. "from the (teacher's) chair."

ex libris --- 1880, from L., lit. "out of the books (of)," from ex "out of" + abl. pl. of liber "book."

ex nihilo --- 1573, from L., lit. "out of nothing," from ex "out of" + nihilo, abl. of nihil "nothing" (see nil).

ex officio --- 1532, "in discharge of one's duties," lit. "out of duty," from L. ex "out of" + officio, abl. of officium "duty" (see office).

ex parte --- 1672, legal term, "on the one side only," from L. ex "out of" + parte, abl. of pars "part, side."

ex post facto --- 1632, from M.L. ex postfacto "from what is done afterwards."

exacerbation --- 1582, from L.L. exacerbationem (nom. exacerbatio), from L. exacerbare "exasperate, irritate," from ex- "thoroughly" + acerbus "harsh, bitter," from acer "sharp, keen" (see acrid).

exact (adj.) --- precise, rigorous, accurate, 1533, from L. exactus, pp. of exigere, lit. "to drive or force out," also "demand, finish, measure," from ex- "out" + agere "drive, lead, act" (see act). The verb (1380, implied in exaction) is older in Eng. and represents the literal sense of the Latin. Exacting "too demanding" is from 1583. Elliptical use of exactly for "quite right" not recorded before 1869. Exacta as a type of horse-racing bet is first attested 1964, said to have originated in N.Y.

exaggerate --- 1533, "to pile up, accumulate," from L. exaggeratus, pp. of exaggerare "heighten, amplify, magnify," from ex- "thoroughly" + aggerare "heap up," from agger (gen. aggeris) "heap," from aggerere "bring together, carry toward," from ad- "to, toward" + gerere "carry." Sense of "overstate" first recorded in Eng. 1564.

exalt --- 1389 (implied in exaltation), from L. exaltare "raise, elevate," from ex- "out, up" + altus "high."

examine --- c.1303, from O.Fr. examiner "to test, to try," from L. examinare "to test or try," from examen "a means of weighing or testing," probably ult. from exigere "weigh accurately" (see exact). First record of examination in the sense of "test of knowledge" is from 1612; shortened form exam first attested 1848.

example --- 1382, Latin-zed refashioning of earlier essample, from O.Fr. essample, from L. exemplum "a sample," lit. "that which is taken out," from eximere "take out, remove" (see exempt). Oldest Eng. senses are of "behavior" and "punishment."

exasperate --- 1534, from L. exasperatus, pp. of exasperare "roughen, irritate," from ex- "thoroughly" + asper "rough."

Excalibur --- King Arthur's sword, c.1300, from O.Fr. Escalibor, corruption of Caliburn, in Geoffrey of Monmouth (c.1140) Caliburnus, probably a variant of the legendary Ir. sword name Caladbolg, which may be lit. "hard-belly," i.e. "voracious."

excavate --- 1599, from L. excavatus, pp. of excavare "to hollow out," from ex- "out" + cavare "to hollow," from cavus "cave."

exceed --- c.1374, from O.Fr. exceder, from L. excedere "depart, go beyond," from ex- "out" + cedere "go, yield" (see cede). Exceedingly (c.1470) means "very greatly or very much;" excessively (c.1460) means "too greatly or too much."

excel --- c.1408, from L. excellere "to rise, surpass, be eminent," from ex- "out from" + -cellere "rise high, tower," related to celsus "high, lofty, great," from PIE base *kel-/*kol- "to rise, be elevated" (see hill).

excellent --- c.1340 (implied in excellently), from O.Fr. excellent, from L. excellentem (nom. excellens), prp. of excellere (see excel). First record of excellency "high rank" is c.1200; as a title of honor it dates from c.1325.

excelsior --- L. excelsior "higher," comp. of excelsus "high," pp. of excellere (see excel), taken 1778 as motto of New York State, where it was apparently mistaken for an adverb. Popularized 1841 as title of a poem by Longfellow. As a trade name for "thin shavings of soft wood used for stuffing cushions, etc.," first recorded 1868, Amer.Eng.

except --- 1377, from L. exceptus, pp. of excipere "take out," from ex- "out" + capere "to take" (see capable). Adjectival function led to use as a preposition, conjunction. To take exception is from excipere being used in Roman law as a modern attorney would say objection. Exceptional was formed 1846.

excerpt (v.) --- 1432, from L. excerptus, pp. of excerpere "pluck out, excerpt," from ex- "out" + carpere "pluck, gather," from PIE *kerp- "to gather, pluck, harvest" (see harvest).

excess --- 1382, from L. excessus "departure, going beyond the bounds of reason or beyond the subject," from stem of excedere "to depart, go beyond" (see exceed).

exchange (n.) --- c.1374, from Anglo-Fr. eschaunge, from O.Fr. eschangier, from V.L. *excambiare, from L. ex- "out" + cambire "barter" (see change). Sense of merchants or lenders meeting to exchange bills of debt led to meaning "building for mercantile business" (1589).

exchequer --- c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. escheker "a chessboard," from M.L. scaccarium (see check). Its government financial sense began under the Norman kings of England and refers to a cloth divided in squares that covered a table on which accounts of revenue were reckoned with counters. Respelled with an -x- based on the mistaken belief that it was originally a L. ex- word.

excise (n.) --- tax on goods, 1494, from M.Du. excijs, apparently altered from accijs "tax" (by infl. of L. excisus "cut out or removed," see excise (v.)), traditionally from O.Fr. acceis "tax, assessment," from V.L. *accensum, ult. from L. ad- "to" + census "tax, census." English got the word, and the idea for the tax, from Holland.

excise (v.) --- cut out, 1490 (implied in excision), from M.Fr. exciser, from L. excisus, pp. of excidere "cut out, removed."

excite --- c.1340, "to move, instigate," from L. excitare "rouse, produce," freq. of exciere "call forth, instigate," from ex- "out" + ciere "set in motion, call" (see cite). Main modern sense of "emotionally agitate" is first attested 1821; excited (1660) meant "magnetically or electrically stimulated" until modern sense appeared in 1855; exciting (1811) originally meant "causing disease," sense of "causing excitement" is 1826.

exclaim --- c.1489, from M.Fr. exclamer, from L. exclamare "cry out loud," from ex- intensive prefix + clamare "cry out, call" (see claim). Spelling influenced by claim.

exclamation --- 1382, from O.Fr. exclamation, from L. exclamationem, from exclamatus, pp. of exclamare "cry out loud" (see exclaim).

exclude --- 1382, from L. excludere "keep out, shut out, hinder," from ex- "out" + claudere "to close, shut" (see close (v.)). Exclusive in social sense of "unwilling to admit outsiders" is from 1822.

excommunication --- 1494, from L.L. excommunicatus, pp. of excommunicare, in Church L. "to expel from communion," lit. "put out of the community," from ex- "out" + communis "common" (see common).

excoriate --- 1447 (implied in excoriation), from L.L. excoriatus, pp. of excoriare "flay, strip off the hide," from L. ex- "off" + corium "hide, skin." Figurative sense of "denounce, censure" first recorded in Eng. 1708.

excrement --- 1533, "waste discharged from the body," from L. excrementum, from stem of excretus, pp. of excernere "to sift out, discharge," from ex- "out" + cernere "sift, separate" (see crisis). Originally any bodily secretion, especially from the bowels; exclusive sense of "feces" is since mid-18c.

excrescence --- 1533, from L. excrescentia (pl.) "abnormal growths," from excrescentem (nom. excrescens), prp. of excrescere "grow out," from ex- "out" + crescere "to grow" (see crescent).

excretion --- 1603, from L. excretus, pp. of excernere "to discharge" (see excrement).

excruciate --- 1570, from L. excruciatus, pp. of excruciare "to torture, torment," from ex- "out, thoroughly" + cruciare "cause pain or anguish to," lit. "crucify," from crux (gen. crucis) "cross."

exculpate --- 1656, from M.L. exculpatus, pp. of exculpare, from L. ex culpa, from ex "from" + culpa abl. of culpa "blame."

excursion --- 1574, "a deviation in argument," from L. excursionem (nom. excursio) "a running forth, excursion," from excursum, pp. of excurrere "run out," from ex- "out" + currere "to run" (see current). Sense of "journey" first recorded in Eng. 1665.

excuse (v.) --- c.1225, "to clear (someone) from blame," from O.Fr. escuser, from L. excusare "release from a charge," from ex- "out, away" + causa "accusation, legal action" (see cause). Meaning "to obtain exemption or release" is from 1340; that of "to accept another's plea of excuse" is from c.1325. The noun sense of "that which is offered as a reason for being excused" is recorded from c.1500. Excuse me as a mild apology or statement of polite disagreement is from 1606.

execration --- 1382, from L. execrationem, noun of action from execrari "to hate, curse," from ex- "out" + sacrare "to devote to holiness or to destruction, consecrate," from sacer "sacred."

execution --- c.1360, from O.Fr. execution, from L. executionem agent noun from exequi "follow out," from ex- "out" + sequi "follow" (see sequel). Sense of "act of putting to death" is from M.E. legal phrases such as don execution of deth "carry out a sentence of death." Literal meaning "action of carrying something into effect" is from c.1374. John McKay, coach of the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers (U.S. football team), when asked by a reporter what he thought of his team's execution, replied, "I think it would be a good idea." Executor and executioner were formerly used indifferently, since both are carrying out legal orders; the latter in the sense of "headsman" is from 1561.

executive --- 1649, adj., "of the branch of government that carries out the laws," from M.Fr. executif, from L. executivus, from pp. stem of exequi (see execution). The noun in this sense is from 1790. Meaning "businessman" is 1902 in Amer.Eng. Executive privilege is first attested 1940.

exegesis --- 1619, from Gk. exegeisthai "explain, interpret," from ex- "out" + hegeisthai "to lead, guide."

exemplary --- 1589 (exemplar is attested from 1393), from M.Fr. exemplaire, from L. exemplaris "that serves as an example," from exemplum "example." Exemplify is from c.1430.

exempt (adj.) --- c.1374, from L. exemptus, pp. of eximere "release, remove," from ex- "out" + emere "buy," originally "take," from PIE base *em- "to take" (cf. O.C.S. imo "to take," Lith. imui, Skt. yamati "holds, subdues"). For sense shift from "take" to "buy," compare O.E. sellan "to give," source of Mod. Eng. sell "to give in exchange for money;" Heb. laqah "he bought," originally "he took;" and colloquial Eng. I'll take it for "I'll buy it."

exercise (n.) --- c.1340, "condition of being in active operation," from O.Fr. exercice, from L. exercitium, from exercitare, frequentative of exercere "keep busy, drive on," lit. "remove restraint," from ex- "off" + arcere "keep away, prevent, enclose," from PIE *ark- "to hold, contain, guard." Original sense may have been driving farm animals to the field to plow; meaning "physical activity" first recorded in Eng. c.1386. The ending was abstracted for formations such as dancercise (1967); jazzercise (1977); and boxercise (1985).

exert --- 1647, from L. exertus, pp. of exerere "thrust out, put forth," from ex- "out" + serere "attach, join" (see series). Exertion in the sense of "vigorous action" is from 1777.

Exeter --- O.E. Exanceaster, Escanceaster, from L. Isca (c.150), from Celt. river name Exe "the water" + O.E. ceaster "Roman town."

exeunt --- stage direction, 1485, from L., lit. "they go out" (see exit).

exfoliate --- 1612, from L.L. exfoliare "to strip of leaves," from ex- "off" + folium "leaf" (see folio).

exhale --- c.1400, from M.Fr. exhaler, from L. exhalare "breathe out," from ex- "out" + halare "breathe."