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

hollow (adj.) --- O.E. holh (n.) "hollow place, hole," from P.Gmc. *holhwo-, related to hol "hole" (see hole). The noun sense of "lowland, valley, basin" is 1553. The verb is from M.E. holowen. The figurative sense of "insincere" is attested from 1529. To carry it hollow "take it completely" is first recorded 1668, of unknown origin or connection.

holly --- c.1150, shortening of O.E. holegn "holly," from P.Gmc. *khuli- (cf. O.H.G. hulis, O.N. hulfr, M.Du. huls, Ger. hulst "holly"), cognate with M.Ir. cuilenn, Welsh celyn, Gael. cuilionn "holly," probably all from PIE base *qel- "to prick" (cf. O.C.S. kolja "to prick," Rus. kolos "ear of corn"). Fr. houx "holly" is from Frank. *huls.

hollyhock --- c.1265, holihoc, from holi "holy" + hokke "mallow," from O.E. hocc, of unknown origin. The first element is probably of hagiological origin; another early name for the plant was caulis Sancti Cuthberti "St. Cuthbert's cole."

Hollywood --- region near Los Angeles, named for the ranch that once stood there, which was named by Deida Wilcox, wife of Horace H. Wilcox, Kansas City real estate man, when they moved there in 1886. They began selling off building lots in 1891 and the village was incorporated in 1903. Once a quiet farming community, by 1910 barns were being converted into movie studios. The name was used generically for "American movies" from 1926, three years after the giant sign was set up, originally Hollywoodland, another real estate developer's promotion.

holm --- from O.N. holmr "small island, especially in a bay or river," also "meadow by a shore," or cognate O.Dan. hulm "low lying land," from P.Gmc. *hul-maz, from PIE base *kel- "to rise, be elevated" (see hill). Obsolete, but preserved in place names. Cognate O.E. holm (only attested in poetic language) meant "sea, ocean, wave."

holocaust --- c.1250, "sacrifice by fire, burnt offering," from Gk. holokauston, neut. of holokaustos "burned whole," from holos "whole" (see safe (adj.)) + kaustos, verbal adj. of kaiein "to burn." Originally a Bible word for "burnt offerings," given wider sense of "massacre, destruction of a large number of persons" from 1833. The Holocaust "Nazi genocide of European Jews in World War II," first recorded 1957, earlier known in Heb. as Shoah "catastrophe." The word itself was used in Eng. in ref. to Hitler's Jewish policies from 1942, but not as a proper name for them. "Auschwitz makes all too clear the principle that the human psyche can create meaning out of anything." [Robert Jay Lifton, "The Nazi Doctors"]

Holocene --- epoch that began 10,000 years ago and continues today, 1897, from Fr. holocène (1867), from Gk. holo-, comb. form of holos "whole" (see safe (adj.)) + kainos "new, recent."

hologram --- 1949, coined by Hungarian-born British scientist Dennis Gabor, 1971 Nobel prize winner in physics for his work in holography, from Gk. holos "whole" (in sense of three-dimensional) + -gram. Holography "process of using holograms" coined 1964 from hologram on analogy of telegraphy/telegram.

holograph --- document written entirely by the person from whom it proceeds, 1623 from L.L. holographus, from Gk. holographos "written entirely by the same hand," lit. "written in full," from holos "whole" (see safe (adj.)) + graphos "written," from graphein "to write."

Holstein --- breed of cattle, 1865; so called because originally raised in Friesland.

holster --- leather case for a pistol, 1663, probably from O.E. heolster, earlier helustr "concealment, hiding place," from P.Gmc. *khelus-/*khulis- (cf. O.H.G. huluft "cover, case, sheath," O.N. hulstr "case, sheath," M.Du. holster, Ger. Holfster "holster"), from PIE *kel- "to cover, to hide" (see cell). Intermediate forms are wanting, and the modern word may as well be from the O.N. or M.Du. cognates.

holt --- O.E. holt "woods," common in place names, from P.Gmc. *khulto- (cf. O.Fris., M.Du. holt, Ger. Holz "wood"), from PIE *kldo- (cf. O.C.S. klada "beam, timber," Gk. klados "twig," O.Ir. caill "wood").

holy --- O.E. halig "holy," from P.Gmc. *khailagas (cf. O.N. heilagr, Ger. heilig, Goth. hailags "holy"), adopted at conversion for L. sanctus. Primary (pre-Christian) meaning is not impossible to determine, but it was probably "that must be preserved whole or intact, that cannot be transgressed or violated," and connected with O.E. hal (see health) and O.H.G. heil "health, happiness, good luck" (source of the Ger. salutation heil). Use of Holy Land for "western Palestine" dates to 1297. Holy water was in O.E. Holy smoke (1889), holy mackerel (1903), etc., all euphemisms for holy Christ. Phrase holier-than-thou in reference to supercilious sanctimony first recorded 1912 in writings of Theodore Dreiser.

holystone --- soft sandstone used to scrub decks of sailing ships, 1777, so called perhaps because it is full of holes.

homage --- c.1290, from O.Fr. homage "allegiance or respect for one's feudal lord," from homme "man," from L. homo (gen. hominis). Fig. sense of "reverence, honor shown" is from 1390.

hombre --- a man (especially one of Sp. descent), 1846, from Sp., from L. hominem, acc. of homo "man."

homburg --- type of soft felt had with a curled brim and a dented crown, 1894, from Homburg, resort town in Prussia, where it was first made. Introduced to England by Edward VII.

home --- O.E. ham "dwelling, house, estate, village," from P.Gmc. *khaim- (cf. O.Fris. hem "home, village," O.N. heimr "residence, world," heima "home," Ger. heim "home," Goth. haims "village"), from PIE base *kei- "to lie, settle down" (cf. Gk. kome, Lith. kaimas "village;" O.C.S. semija "domestic servants"). " 'Home' in the full range and feeling of NE home is a conception that belongs distinctively to the word home and some of its Gmc. cognates and is not covered by any single word in most of the IE languages." [Buck] The verb meaning "to be guided to a destination by radio signals, etc. (of missiles, aircraft, etc.) is from 1920; it had been used earlier in ref. to homing pigeons (1875). Home stretch (1841) is originally a reference from horse racing. Homebody is from 1821. Homeroom in the U.S. schools sense is first recorded 1915. Home-made is from 1659. Homeland first recorded 1670. Homeless is from 1615. Home economics first attested 1899. Homespun is from 1590 in the literal sense of "spun at home; 1600 in the fig. sense of "plain, homely." Home page first attested 1993. Slang phrase make (oneself) at home "become comfortable in a place one does not live" dates from 1892. To keep the home fires burning is from a song title from 1914.

homeboy --- person from one's hometown, 1940s, Amer.Eng., black slang, also originally with overtones of "simpleton." With many variants (cf. homebuddy, homeslice, both 1980s, with meaning shading toward "good friend"). The word had been used by Ruskin (1886) with the sense "stay-at-home male," and it was Canadian slang for "boy brought up in an orphanage or other institution" (1913). Short form homie attested by 1970s; in New Zealand slang this meant "English or British immigrant" (1927).

homecoming --- c.1385 in literal sense of "a coming home;" 1935 in U.S. high school sense. Used earlier in Britain in ref. to the annual return of native to the Isle of Man.

homely --- c.1300, "of or belonging to home or household, domestic," from M.E. hom "home." Sense of "plain, unadorned, simple" is c.1380, and extension to "having a plain appearance" took place before 1400, but now survives chiefly in U.S., esp. in New England, where it is the usual term for "physically unattractive;" ugly being typically "ill-tempered."

homeopathy --- 1830, from Ger. Homöopathie, coined 1824 in Ger. by Ger. physician Samuel Friedrich Hahnemann (1755-1843) from Gk. homoios "like, similar, of the same kind" (an expanded form of homos "same;" see same) + -patheia "effect," from pathos "suffering" (see pathos).

Homer --- name of the supposed author of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," from L. Homerus, from Gk. Homeros. The name first occurs in a fragment of Hesiod. It is identical to Gk. homeros "hostage."

homesickness --- 1756, translating Ger. heimweh, from Heim "home" + Weh "woe, pain;" the compound is from Swiss dialect, expressing the longing for the mountains. The word was introduced to other European languages 17c. by Swiss mercenaries.

homestead (n.) --- O.E. hamstede "home, town, village," from home + stead (q.v.). In U.S. usage, "a lot of land adequate for the maintenance of a family" (1693), defined by the Homestead Act of 1862 as 160 acres. Hence, the verb, first recorded 1872. Homesteader also is from 1872.

homework --- 1683, "work done at home," as opposed to work done in the shop or factory; in sense of "lessons studied at home," it is attested from 1889.

homicide --- killing, c.1230, from O.Fr. homicide, from L. homicidium, from homo "man" + -cidium "act of killing." The meaning "person who kills" is also from O.Fr., from L. homicida, from -cida "killer."

homily --- c.1386, from O.Fr. omelie (12c.), from Church L. homilia "a homily, sermon," from Gk. homilia "conversation, discourse," used in N.T. Gk. for "sermon," from homilos "a crowd," from homou "together" + ile "troop" (cognate with Skt. melah "assembly," L. miles "soldier"). Hence homiletic, from Gk. homiletikos "of conversation, affable," from homelein "associate with," from homilos.

hominid --- 1889, "family of mammals represented by man," from Mod.L. Hominidæ the biological family name, coined 1825 from L. homo (gen. hominis) "man." Hominoid "man-like" is from 1927.

hominy --- 1629, first recorded by Capt. John Smith, probably from Powhatan (Algonquian) appuminneonash "parched corn," probably lit. "that which is ground or beaten." See grits.

homo- --- the same, prefix commonly used to form modern words, from Gk. homos "one and the same," also "belonging to two or more jointly," from PIE *somos (cf. Skt. samah "even, the same;" Lith. similis "like," Goth. sama "the same," samana "together;" see same).

Homo sapiens --- 1802, in William Turton's translation of Linnæus, coined in Mod.L. from L. homo "man" (technically "male human," but in logical and scholastic writing "human being") + sapiens, prp. of sapere "be wise." Used since in various L. or pseudo-L. combinations intended to emphasize some aspect of humanity, cf. Henri Bergson's Homo faber "man the tool-maker," in "L'Evolution Créatrice" (1907). Homo as a genus of the order Primates is first recorded 1797.

homogeneous --- 1641, from M.L. homogeneus, from Gk. homogenes "of the same kind," from homos "same" (see same) + genos "kind, gender, race, stock" (see genus). Earlier in this sense was homogeneal (1603). Homogenize "make similar" formed in Eng. 1886; its sense of "render milk uniform in consistency" is from 1904.

homologous --- 1660, from Gk. homologos "agreeing, of one mind," from homos "same" (see same) + logos "relation, reasoning, computation," related to legein "reckon, select, speak" (see lecture).

homonym --- 1621 (implied in homonymous), from L. homonymum (Quintilian), from Gk. homonymos, from homos "same" (see same) + onyma, dial. form of onoma "name" (see name).

homophone --- 1843, from Gk. homos "same" (see same) + phone "sound" (see fame).

homosexual (adj.) --- 1892, in C.G. Chaddock's translation of Krafft-Ebing's "Psychopathia Sexualis," from homo-, comb. form of Gk. homos "same" (see same) + Latin-based sexual (see sex). " 'Homosexual' is a barbarously hybrid word, and I claim no responsibility for it." [H. Havelock Ellis, "Studies in Psychology," 1897] The noun is first recorded 1912 in Eng., 1907 in French. In technical use, either male or female; but in non-technical use almost always male. Slang shortened form homo first attested 1929. The alternative homophile (1960) was coined in ref. to the homosexual regarded as a person of a particular social group, rather than a sexual abnormality. Homo-erotic first recorded 1916; homophobia is from 1969.

homunculus --- 1656, from L., lit. "little person," from homo(gen. hominis) "man, human being" + -culus, dim. suffix, source of Eng. -cle.

honcho --- 1947, Amer.Eng. "officer in charge," from Japanese hancho "group leader," from han "corps, squad" + cho "head, chief." Picked up by U.S. servicemen in Japan and Korea, 1947-1953.

hone (n.) --- O.E. han "stone, rock," in M.E. "whetstone" (c.1325), from P.Gmc. *khaino (cf. O.N. hein "hone"). The verb is 1788, from the noun.

honest --- c.1300, "respectable, decent, of neat appearance," also "free from fraud," from O.Fr. honeste (12c.), from L. honestus "honorable, respected," from honos (see honor). Main modern sense of "dealing fairly, truthful" is c.1400, as is sense of "virtuous." Phrase to make an honest woman of "marry a woman after seduction" is from 1629.

honesty --- c.1330, from O.Fr. honesté, from L. honestatem (nom. honestas) "honor, honesty," from honestus (see honest). In Eng., the word originally had more to do with honor than honest.

honey --- O.E. hunig, from W.Gmc. *khunaga- (cf. O.N. hunang, Swed. honung, Ger. Honig "honey"); perhaps cognate with Skt. kancanum, Welsh canecon "gold." The more common IE word is represented by Goth. miliþ (from PIE *melith "honey"). A term of endearment from at least 1350. Honeycomb is O.E. hunigcamb (see comb). Honey-bee is from c.1566.

honeydew --- sticky sweet substance found on trees and plants, 1577, from honey + dew; honeydew melon first recorded 1916, a cross between cantaloupe and a South African melon.

honeymoon --- 1546, hony moone, but probably much older, from honey in reference to the new marriage's sweetness, and moon in reference to how long it would probably last, or from the changing aspect of the moon: no sooner full than it begins to wane. Fr. has cognate lune de miel, but Ger. version is flitterwochen (pl.), from flitter "tinsel."

honeysuckle --- c.1265, from O.E. hunigsuge "honey-suck," + dim. suffix -le. So called because "honey" can be sucked from it.

honi soit qui mal y pense --- M.Fr., "shame on him who thinks evil of it;" proverbial expression recorded from c.1300, used as motto of the Order of the Garter.

honk --- 1843, of the cry of a pig, 1854 of geese (first recorded in Thoreau), Amer.Eng., imitative. The verb sense of "sound a horn," especially on an automobile, first recorded 1895 in Amer.Eng.

honky --- derogatory slang word for "white person," 1967, black slang, of unknown origin, perhaps from late 19c. hunky "East-Central European immigrant," a colloquial shortening of Hungarian. Honky in the sense of "factory hand" is attested from 1946.

honky-tonk --- cheap night club, 1924, earlier honk-a-tonk (1894), of unknown origin. As a type of music played in that sort of low saloon, it is attested from 1933.

Honolulu --- chief city of Hawaii, from Hawaiian hono "port" + lulu "calm."

honor (n.) --- c.1200, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-Fr. honour, from O.Fr. honor, from L. honorem (nom. honos) "honor, dignity, office, reputation," of unknown origin. Till 17c., honour and honor were equally frequent; the former now preferred in England, the latter in U.S. by infl. of Noah Webster's spelling reforms. Meaning "a woman's chastity" first attested 1390. The verb is recorded from c.1290 in sense of "to do honor to;" in the commercial sense of "accept a bill due, etc.," it is recorded from 1706. Honorarium "honorary reward" (1658), was, in L., "bribe paid to get appointed to an honorary post."

honour --- See honor.

hooch --- cheap whiskey, 1897, shortened form of Hoochinoo (1877) "liquor made by Alaskan Indians," from the name of a native tribe in Alaska whose distilled liquor was a favorite with miners in 1898 Klondike gold rush; the tribe's name is from Tlingit Hutsnuwu, lit. "grizzly bear fort."

hoochy koochy --- erotic suggestive women's dance (involving a lot of hip-grinding), 1898, of obscure origin, usually associated, without evidence, with the Chicago world's fair of 1893 and belly-dancer Little Egypt (who may not even have been there), but the word itself is attested from 1890, as the stage name of minstrel singer "Hoochy-Coochy Rice," though its meaning there is unclear, perhaps a nonsense word.

-hood --- state or condition of being, from O.E. -had "condition, position," cognate with Ger. -heit, Du. -heid, all from P.Gmc. *khaidus. Originally a free-standing word, cf. O.E. hed "position, dignity," O.N. heiðr "honor, dignity," Goth. haidus "manner;" it survives in Eng. only in this suffix.

hood (1) --- covering, O.E. hod, from P.Gmc. *khodaz (cf. O.Fris. hod, M.Du. hoet, Ger. Hut "hat," O.Fris. hode "guard, protection"), from PIE *kadh- "cover" (see hat). Modern spelling is early 1400s to indicate a "long" vowel, which is no longer pronounced as such. Little Red Riding Hood (1729) translates Charles Perrault's Petit Chaperon Rouge ("Contes du Temps" 1697).

hood (2) --- gangster, 1930, Amer.Eng., shortened form of hoodlum. As a shortened form of neighborhood it began 1980s in Los Angeles black slang.

hoodlum --- 1871, Amer.Eng. (first in ref. to San Francisco) "young street rowdy, loafer," later (1877) "young criminal, gangster," of unknown origin, though newspapers have printed myriad stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from Ger. dial. (Bavarian) Huddellump "ragamuffin."

hoodoo --- 1875, "one who practices voodoo," Amer.Eng., probably an alteration of voodoo. Meaning "something that causes or brings bad luck" is attested from 1882.

hoodwink --- 1562, "to blindfold," from hood (1) + wink; fig. sense of "mislead, deceive" is 1610.

hooey --- nonsense, foolishness, 1924, of unknown origin.

hoof --- O.E. hof, from P.Gmc. *khofaz (cf. O.Fris. hof, Dan. hov, Du. hoef, Ger. Huf "hof"), from PIE *kopos (cf. Skt. saphah "hoof"). For spelling, see hood. Sense of "to walk" (hoof it) is first attested 1641; "to dance" is 1921 Amer.Eng. (in hoofer).

hook --- O.E. hoc, perhaps related to O.E. haca "bolt," from P.Gmc. *khokaz/*khakan- (cf. Du. haak, Ger. Haken "hook"), from PIE *keg- "bent object" (cf. Rus. kogot "claw"). For spelling, see hood. Boxing sense of "short, swinging blow with the elbow bent" is from 1898. Fig. sense was in M.E. (see hooker); hooked "addicted" is from 1925, originally in ref. to narcotics. By hook or by crook (c.1380) probably alludes to tools of professional thieves. Hook, line, and sinker "completely" is 1838, a metaphor from angling.

hookah --- 1763, from Ar. huqqah "small box, vessel" (through which the smoke is drawn), extended in Urdu to the whole apparatus.

hooker --- prostitute, often traced to the disreputable morals of the Army of the Potomac (American Civil War) under the tenure of Gen. "Fighting Joe" Hooker (1863), and the word probably was popularized by this association at that time. But it is said to have been in use in North Carolina c.1845 ("If he comes by way of Norfolk he will find any number of pretty Hookers in the Brick row not far from French's hotel."). One theory traces it to Corlear's Hook, a disreputable section of New York City. Perhaps related to hooker "thief, pickpocket" (1567), but most likely an allusion to prostitutes hooking or snaring clients. Hook in the figurative sense of "that by which anyone is attracted or caught" is recorded from 1430; and hook (v.) in the figurative sense of "catch hold of and draw in" is attested from 1577; in reference to "fishing" for a husband or a wife, it was in common use from c.1800. All of which makes the modern sense seem a natural step. The family name Hooker (attested from c.975 C.E.) would mean "maker of hooks," or else refer to an agricultural laborer who used a hook (cf. O.E. weodhoc "weed-hook").

hooky --- 1848, Amer.Eng. (New York City), from Du. hoekje "hide and seek," or from hook it, 14c., "make off, run away," originally "depart, proceed."

hooligan --- 1890s, of unknown origin, first found in British newspaper police-court reports in the summer of 1898, almost certainly from the surname Houlihan, supposedly from a lively family of that name in London (who figured in music hall songs of the decade). Internationalized 20c. in communist rhetoric as Rus. khuligan, opprobrium for "scofflaws, political dissenters, etc."

hoop --- c.1175, from O.E. *hop, from P.Gmc. *khopa-, a Low Ger.-Frisian word (cf. O.Fris. hop, Du. hoep "hoop," O.N. hop "a small bay"). Hoop-petticoat is attested from 1711.

hoopla --- 1877, hoop la, Amer.Eng., earlier houp-la, exclamation accompanying quick movement (1870), of unknown origin, perhaps borrowed from Fr. houp-là "upsy-daisy," also a cry to dogs, horses, etc.

hoopoe --- 1668, from L. upupa, imitative of its cry (cf. Gk. epops "hoopoe"). "If anybody smears himself with the blood of this bird on his way to bed, he will have nightmares about suffocating devils." [Cambridge bestiary, 12c.]

hoosegow --- jail, 1911, western U.S., from mispronunciation of Mex.Sp. juzgao "tribunal, court," from juzgar "to judge," used as a noun, from L. judicare "to judge," which is related to judicem (see judge).

Hoosier --- native or resident of Indiana, 1826, Amer.Eng., of unknown origin, perhaps related to Eng. dial. (Cumberland) hoozer, used of anything unusually large.

hoot --- c.1200, "to call or shout in disapproval or scorn," related to houten, huten "to shout, call out" (c.1225), probably imitative. First used of bird cries, especially that of the owl, c.1450. The noun meaning "a laugh, something funny" is first recorded 1942. Slang sense of "smallest amount or particle" (esp. in don't give a hoot) is from 1878.

hootchy kootchy --- see hoochy-coochy.

hootenanny --- informal session of folk musicians, 1940, Amer.Eng., earlier "a gadget" (1927), of unknown origin.

Hoover --- proprietary name for a make of vacuum cleaner (patented 1927); sometimes used generally for "vacuum cleaner."

hooya --- exclamation of triumph or approval, first attested c.1992, perhaps originally U.S. military.

hop (n.1) --- vine, c.1440, from M.Du. hoppe, from P.Gmc. *khup-nan-, of unknown origin.

hop (n.2) --- opium, 1887, from Cantonese nga-pin (pronounced HAH-peen) "opium," a Chinese folk etymology of the Eng. word opium, lit. "crow peelings." Re-folk-etymologized back into Eng. by association with hop (n.1).

hop (v.) --- O.E. hoppian "to spring, dance," from P.Gmc. *khupnojanan (cf. O.N. hoppa, Du. huppen, Ger. hüpfen "to hop"). Slang noun sense of "informal dancing party" is from 1731 (defined by Johnson as "a place where meaner people dance").

hope --- O.E. hopian "wish, expect, look forward (to something)," of unknown origin, a general Low Ger. word (cf. O.Fris. hopia, M.L.G., M.Du. hopen; M.H.G. hoffen "to hope" was borrowed from Low Ger. Some suggest a connection with hop (v.) on the notion of "leaping in expectation."

Hopi --- Pueblo people of the U.S. southwest, from Pueblo hopi, lit. "well-mannered, civilized."

hoplite --- heavy-armed foot soldier of ancient Greece, 1727, from Gk. hoplites "heavy armed," from hoplon "tool, weapon."

hopped (adj.) --- a word that seems to merge the three senses of hop; the meaning "flavored with hops" (hop (n.1)) is first attested 1669; that of "under the influence of drugs" (hop (n.2)) is from 1924; that of "excited, enthusiastic" (perhaps from hop (v.)) is from 1923. Meaning "performance-enhanced" (of an engine, etc.) is from 1945.

hopper --- container with narrow opening at bottom, 1277, perhaps from hop (v.) via notion of grain juggling in a mill hopper.

hopscotch --- l789, from hop (v.) + scotch "scratch," from the lines scored in the dirt to make the squares for the game.

Horace --- masc. proper name, from Fr., from L. Horatius, name of a Roman gens. The poet was Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65-8 B.C.E.). The form Horatio is infl. by the It. version of the name, Orazio.

horde --- 1555, from W. Turkic (cf. Tatar urda "horde," Turkish ordu "camp, army"), to Eng. via Polish, Fr., or Sp. The initial -h- seems to have been attached in Polish.