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

ingenuous --- 1598, from L. ingenuus "with the virtues of freeborn people, of noble character, frank," originally "native, freeborn," from in- "in" + gen-, root of gignere "beget, produce" (see genus). Sense of "artless, innocent" is 1673, from notion of "honorably straightforward."

ingest --- 1617, from L. ingestus, pp. of ingerere "to carry into, put into," from in- "into" + gerere "to carry."

ingle --- fireplace, 1508, from Scot., probably from Gael. aingeal "fire," of uncertain origin.

inglorious --- 1573, from L. ingloriosus, from in- "not" + gloriosus (see glory).

ingot --- c.1386, "mold in which metal is cast," probably from in- "in" + O.E. goten, pp. of geotan "to pour." Sense of "mass of cast metal" first attested 1423.

ingrain --- 1766, see engrain. Fig. use, of qualities, habits, etc., attested from 1851 (in ingrained).

ingrate --- 1393, originally an adj. meaning "unfriendly," from L. ingratus "unpleasant, ungrateful," from in- "not" + gratus "pleasing, beloved, dear, agreeable" (see grace). The noun meaning "ungrateful person" dates from 1672.

ingratiate --- 1622, from It. ingraziare "to bring (oneself) into favor," from L. in gratiam "for the favor of," from in- "in" + gratia "favor, grace."

ingratitude --- 1340, from O.Fr. ingratitude (13c.), from L. ingratitudinem (nom. ingratitudo), from ingratus (see ingrate).

ingredient --- c.1460, from L. ingredientem (nom. ingrediens) "that which enters into" (a compound, recipe, etc.), prp. of ingredi "go in, enter," from in- "in" + gradi "to step, go."

ingress --- c.1420, from L. ingressus "entrance," from pp. stem of ingredi "to step into, enter" (see ingredient).

ingrown --- 1670, "native, innate," from in + grown, pp. of grow (q.v.). Of nails, "that has grown into the flesh," 1878.

inguinal --- 1681, from L. inguinalis "of the groin," from inguen (gen. inguinis) "groin."

inhabit --- c.1374, from O.Fr. enhabiter "dwell in" (12c.), from L. inhabitare, from in- "in" + habitare "to dwell," freq. of habere "hold, have" (see habit). Inhabitant first recorded 1462. Inhabitable was used in two opposite senses: "not habitable" (c.1400, from in- "not" + habitable) and "capable of being inhabited" (1601, from inhabit + -able).

inhale --- 1623 (implied in inhalation), from L. inhalare "breathe upon," from in- "upon" + halare "breathe." Taken in Fr. and Eng. as the opposite of exhale. Slang sense of "eat rapidly" is recorded from 1924.

inherent --- 1578, from L. inhærentem (nom. inhærens), prp. of inhærere "be closely connected with, adhere to," from in- "in" + hærere "to stick" (see hesitation).

inherit --- 1304, "to make (someone) an heir," from O.Fr. enheriter "make heir, appoint as heir," from L.L. inhereditare "to appoint as heir," from L. in- "in" + hereditare "to inherit," from heres (gen. heredis) "heir." Sense of "receive inheritance" arose c.1340; original sense is retained in disinherit. First record of inheritance "that which is inherited" is from 1473.

inhibition --- c.1375, from O.Fr. inibicion, from L. inhibitionem (nom. inhibitio) "a restraining," from stem of inhibere "hold in, restrain, hinder," from in- "in, on" + habere "to hold" (see habit). Psychological sense of "involuntary check on an expression of an impulse" is from 1876.

inhospitable --- 1570, from M.Fr. inhospitable (15c.), from M.L. inhospitabilis (equivalent of L. inhospitalis), from in- "not" + M.L. hospitabilis (see hospitable).

inhuman --- c.1477 (implied in inhumanity), from L. inhumanus "inhuman, savage, cruel," from in- "not" + humanus "human." Spelled inhumane till 18c. (see humane).

inhumane --- 1481, from L. inhumanus (see inhuman). Originally a variant spelling and pronunciation of inhuman, it appears to have died out 17c. but been revived c.1822 as a negative form of humane (q.v.).

inhume --- 1610 (implied in inhumed), from L. inhumare "to bury," lit. "to put into the ground," from in- "in" + humus "earth, soil."

Inigo --- masc. proper name, from Sp. Iñigo, probably from L. Ignatius.

inimical --- 1643, from L.L. inimicalis "hostile," from L. inimicus "unfriendly, an enemy" (see enemy).

inimitable --- 1531, from L. inimitabilis "that cannot be imitated," from in- "not" + imitabilis (see imitation).

iniquity --- c.1300, from O.Fr. iniquité, from L. iniquitatem (nom. iniquitas) "unequalness, injustice," noun of quality from iniquus "unjust, unequal," from in- "not" + æquus "just, equal."

initial (adj.) --- 1526, "of or pertaining to a beginning," from L. initialis "initial, incipient," from initium "a beginning, an entrance," from pp. stem of inire "to go into, enter upon, begin," from in- "into, in" + ire "to go" (see ion). Meaning "standing at the beginning of a word, sentence, etc." (1622) led to noun sense of "initial letter of a name or surname" (1627). The verb meaning "to mark or sign with initials" is from 1864.

initiation --- 1583, from L. initiationem (nom. initiatio) "participation in secret rites," from initiatus, pp. of initiare "originate, initiate," from initium (see initial). Initiate (v.) is 1603, from L. initiatus, pp. of initiare. The noun meaning "one who has been initiated" is first recorded 1811.

initiative --- 1793, "that which begins," also "power of initiating," from Fr. initiative (1567), from L. initiatus (see initiation). First attested in Eng. in writings of William Godwin. Phrase take the initiative first recorded 1856.

inject --- 1601, from L. injectus, pp. of injicere "to throw in or on," from in- "in" + -icere, comb. form of jacere "to throw." Injection "forcing a fluid into a body" (with a syringe, etc.) is recorded from 1541.

in-joke --- 1964, from in (q.v.) + joke.

injudicious --- 1649, from in- "not" + judicious (q.v.).

Injun --- 1812, spelling representing Amer.Eng. colloquial pronunciation of Indian (q.v.). Honest Injun as an asseveration of truthfuless first recorded 1876 (in "Tom Sawyer"), perhaps from the notion of assurance extracted from Indians of their lack of duplicity. The term honest Indian is attested from 1676.

injunction --- c.1425, from L.L. injunctionem (nom. injunctio) "a command," from L. injunctus, pp. of injungere "impose, attach to" (see enjoin).

injury --- 1382, from Anglo-Fr. injurie "wrongful action," from L. injuria "wrong, hurt," noun use of fem. of injurius "wrongful, unjust," from in- "not" + jus (gen. juris) "right, law" (see jurist). Injure (v.) is a back-formation first recorded 1583; the earlier verb was injury (c.1484).

injustice --- 1390, from Fr. injustice, from L. injustitia, from injustus "unjust, wrongful, oppressive," from in- "not" + justus "just" (see just (adj.)).

ink --- the black liquor with which men write [Johnson], c.1250, from O.Fr. enque "dark writing fluid," from L.L. encaustum, from Gk. enkauston "purple or red ink," used by the Roman emperors to sign documents, originally a neut. adj. form of enkaustos "burned in," from stem of enkaiein "to burn in," from en- "in" + kaiein "to burn" (see caustic). The word is from a Gk. method of applying colored wax and fixing it with heat. The verb meaning "to mark or stain in ink" is from 1562. Inky "as black as ink" is attested from 1593.

inkhorn --- 1382, "small portable vessel (originally made of horn) for holding ink," from ink + horn. Used attributively as an adj. for things (especially vocabulary) supposed to be beloved by scribblers and bookworms (1543).

inkling --- c.1400, apparently from the gerund of M.E. verb inclen "utter in an undertone" (c.1340), which perhaps is related to O.E. inca "doubt, suspicion."

inlaid --- 1598, from in + laid, pp. of lay. The verb inlay is recorded from 1596.

inland --- O.E. inn lond "land around the mansion of an estate," from in + land. Meaning "interior parts of a country, remote from the sea or borders" is from 1557.

in-law --- 1894, "anyone of a relationship not natural," abstracted from father-in-law, etc.

inlet --- 1570, "narrow opening into a coast, arm fo the sea," a special use of M.E. inleten "to let in" (c.1300). Originally a Kentish term.

inmate --- 1589, "one allowed to live in a house rented by another" (usually for a consideration), from in "inside" + mate "companion." Sense of "one confined to an institution" is first attested 1834.

inn --- O.E. inn "lodging, dwelling, house," probably from inne (adv.) "inside, within." Meaning "public house with lodging" is possibly 12c., definitely by c.1400. Meaning "lodging house or residence for students" is 1214 in Anglo-L., obsolete except in names of buildings that were so used (e.g. Inns of Court, 1436).

innards --- 1825, dial. variant of inwards "the bowels."

innate --- c.1412, from L. innatus "inborn," pp. of innasci "to be born in, originate in," from in- "in" + nasci "to be born" (Old L. gnasci).

inner --- c.1400, from O.E. inra, comp. of inne (adv.) "inside" (see in). Inner city, in ref. to poverty and crime, is attested from 1968.

inning --- O.E. innung "a taking in, a putting in," ger. of innian "get within, put or bring in," from inn (adv.) "in" (see in). Meaning of "a team's turn in a game" first recorded 1738, usually pl. in cricket, sing. in baseball.

innocent (adj.) --- 1340, "doing no evil, free from sin or guilt," from O.Fr. innocent (11c.), from L. innocentem (nom. innocens) "not guilty, harmless, blameless," from in- "not" + nocentem (nom. nocens), prp. of nocere "to harm" (see noxious). Meaning "free from guilt of a crime or charge" is from 1382. The earliest use was as a noun, "person who is innocent of sin or evil" (c.1200).

innocuous --- 1598, from L. innocuus "harmless," from in- "not" + nocuus "hurtful," from root of nocere "to injure, harm," from *nok-s-, suffixed form of PIE base *nek- "death" (see noxious).

innovate --- 1548, from L. innovatus, pp. of innovare "to renew or change," from in- "into" + novus "new."

innuendo --- 1678, "oblique hint, indiscreet suggestion," usually a depreciatory one, from L. innuendo "by meaning, pointing to," lit. "giving a nod to," abl. of ger. of innuere "to mean, signify," lit. "to nod to," from in- "at" + nuere "to nod." Originally a legal phrase (1564) from M.L., with the sense of "to wit." It often introduced the derogatory meaning alleged in libel cases, which influenced its broader meaning.

Innuit --- 1765, from Inupik Eskimo inuit "people," pl. of inuk "man."

innumerable --- 1340, from L. innumerabilis, from in- "not" + numerabilis "able to be numbered" (see number).

inoculate --- c.1420, "implant a bud into a plant," from L. inoculatus, pp. of inoculare "graft in, implant," from in- "in" + oculus "bud," originally "eye." Meaning of "implant germs of a disease to produce immunity" first recorded (in inoculation) 1714, originally in ref. to smallpox. After 1799, often used in sense of "to vaccine inoculate."

inopportune --- 1533, from L.L. inopportunus "unfitting," from in- "not" + opportunus (see opportune). A rare word before 19c.

inordinate --- c.1386, from L. inordinatus "unordered," from in- "not" + ordinatus, pp. of ordinare "to set in order" (see order). Sense of "immoderate, excessive" is from notion of "not kept within orderly limits."

input --- 1793, "a sum (of cash) put in," from in + put. Computing sense of "data fed into a machine" is from 1948; the verb in the computing sense is attested from 1946. There was an obs. Scottish verb input (1498) meaning "to put in (prison, etc.)," but it died out long before this.

inquest --- c.1290, an-queste, "legal or judicial inquiry," from O.Fr. enqueste "inquiry," from fem. pp. of V.L. *inquirere "inquire" (see inquire).

inquire --- c.1290, from O.Fr. enquerre, from V.L. *inquærere, from L. in- "into" + quærere "ask, seek" (see query). Respelled 14c. on L. model, but half-Latinized enquire still persists.

inquisition --- 1382, "act or process of inquiring," from O.Fr. inquisition, from L. inquisitionem (nom. inquisitio) "a searching into, legal examination," from inquisitus, pp. of inquirere (see inquire). In Church history, inquisitors were appointed from 382 C.E. to root out heretics, and the Inquisition refers to the ecclesiastical court (Congregation of the Holy Office) appointed 13c. by Innocent III to suppress heresy. It never operated in Britain. The capital letter form appeared in Eng. only after 1502, and usually refers to the office's reorganization 1478-83 in Spain as what is commonly called the Spanish Inquisition.

inquisitive --- c.1386, from O.Fr. inquisitif, from L.L. inquisitivus "making inquiry," from L. inquisitus, pp. of inquirere (see inquire).

inroad --- 1548, "hostile incursion, raid, foray," from in- "in," second element is road in the obsolete sense of "riding;" related to raid.

insane --- 1560, from L. insanus "mad, insane, outrageous, excessive, extravagant," from in- "not" + sanus (see sane). Originally only of persons; of actions, from 1842. Cf. lunatic; and It. pazzo "insane," originally a euphemism, from L. patiens "suffering." Ger. verrückt, lit. pp. of verrücken "to displace," "applied to the brain as to a clock that is 'out of order' " [Buck].

insatiable --- c.1420, from L.L. insatiabilis, from in- "not" + satiabilis (see satiate (v.)).

inscription --- c.1400, from L. inscriptionem (nom. inscriptio) "a writing upon, inscription," from inscriptus, pp. of inscribere "inscribe, to write on or in anything," from in- "in" + scribere "to write" (see script).

inscrutable --- c.1450, from L.L. inscrutabilis, from in- "not" + scrutari "examine, ransack" (see scrutiny).

insect --- 1601, from L. insectum (animal) "(animal) with a notched or divided body," lit. "cut into," from neut. pp. of insectare "to cut into, to cut up," from in- "into" + secare "to cut" (see section). Pliny's loan-translation of Gk. entomon "insect" (see entomology), Aristotle's term for this class of life, in ref. to their "notched" bodies. First in Eng. 1601 in Holland's translation of Pliny. Translations of Aristotle's term also form the usual word for "insect" in Welsh (trychfil, from trychu "cut" + mil "animal"), Serbo-Cr. (zareznik, from rezati "cut"), Rus. (nasekomoe, from sekat "cut"), etc. Insecticide first recorded 1865.

insecure --- 1649, "unsafe," from M.L. insecurus, from in- "not" + L. securus (see secure). Psychological sense dates from 1935; insecurity in this sense dates from 1917.

inseminate (v.) --- 1623, "to cast as seed," from L. inseminatus, pp. of inseminare "to sow, implant," from in- "in" + semen (gen. semenis) "seed." Meaning "to impregnate with semen" is attested from 1923.

insensate --- 1519, from L.L. insensatus "irrational, foolish," from L. in- "not" + sensatus "gifted with sense." Insensate means "not capable of feeling sensation," often "inanimate;" insensible means "lacking the power to feel with the senses," hence, often, "unconscious;" insensitive (1610), from M.L. sensitivus, means "having little or no reaction to what is perceived by one's senses," often "tactless."

insensible --- c.1380, "lacking the power to feel with the senses," from L. insensibilis "that cannot be felt," from in- "not" + sensibilis, from sentire "to feel." Meaning "unconscious" is attested from 1426. See insensate.

insensitive --- 1610, "having little or no reaction to what is perceived by one's senses," from in- "not" + sensitive. See insensate.

inseparable --- 1398, from L. inseparabilis "that cannot be separated," from in- "not" + separabilis (see separate).

insert (v.) --- 1529, from pp. of M.E. inseren, from L. inserere "to put in," from in- "in" + serere "join together" (see series). The noun meaning "something inserted" is from 1893.

inset --- 1559, influx of water, place where water flows in," from in + set. Meaning "extra pages of a book, etc." is from 1875; that of "small map in the border of a larger one" is from 1881.

inshallah --- 1857, phonetic spelling of Arabic in sha Allah "if Allah wills (it)."

inside --- 1392, ynneside "interior of the body," compound of inne (adv.) + side. The adj. is 1611, from the noun. Insider in the modern sense of "one in possession of special information by virtue of being within some organization" is first recorded 1848, originally in ref. to the stock markets. Inside job "robbery, espionage, etc., committed by or with the help of a resident or servant of a place" is attested from 1908. Inside track "advantage" is metaphoric because those lanes are shorter on a curved track. Inside-out is attested from c.1600; inside of, in ref. to time, is from 1839.

insidious --- 1545, from L. insidiosus "deceitful," from insidiæ (pl.) "plot, snare, ambush," from insidere "sit on, occupy," from in- "in" + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary).

insight --- c.1200, innsihht, "sight with the eyes of the mind," mental vision, understanding," from in + sight. Sense shaded into "penetrating understanding into character or hidden nature" (c.1580).

insignia --- 1648, from L. insignia, neut. pl. of insigne "badge, mark," from in- "in" + signum "mark" (see sign).

insignificant --- 1651, from in- "not" + significant (see significance).

insincere --- 1634, from L. insincerus "not genuine, not pure, adulterated," from in- "not" + sincerus (see sincere).

insinuate --- 1526 (implied in insinuation), from L. insinuatus, pp. of insinuare "bring in by windings and curvings, wind one's way into," from in- "in" + sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," from sinus "a curve, winding." Sense of "to introduce tortuously or indirectly" is from 1647.

insipid --- 1620, "without taste or perceptible flavor," from Fr. insipide, from L.L. inspidus "tasteless," from L. in- "not" + sapidus "tasty," from sapere "have a taste" (also "be wise"). Fig. meaning "uninteresting, dull" first recorded 1649, but it was also a secondary sense in M.L.

insist --- 1586, from L. insistere "persist, dwell upon, stand upon," from in- "upon" + sistere "take a stand" (see assist). Insistence is attested from 1436.

insolent --- c.1386, "proud, disdainful, haughty, arrogant," from L. insolentem (nom. insolens) "arrogant, immoderate," lit. "unusual," from in- "not" + solentem, prp. of solere "be accustomed," which possibly is related to sodalis "close companion," and to suescere "become used to." Meaning "contemptuous of rightful authority" is from 1678.

insoluble --- 1382, "unable to be loosened," from L. insolubilis "that cannot be loosened," from in- "not" + solubilis (see soluble). Fig, use, of problems, etc., is from 1393.

insolvent --- 1591, "unable to pay one's debts," from in- "not" + L. solventem "paying" (see solvent). Originally of one who was not a trader; only traders could become bankrupt.

insomnia --- 1623, Anglicized as insomnie, from L. insomnia "want of sleep," from in- "not" + somnus "sleep" (see somnolence). The modern form is from 1758. Insomniac (n.) is from 1908.

insouciance --- 1799, "carelessness, thoughtlessness, heedlessness," from Fr. insouciant, from in- "not" + se soucier "to care," from L. sollicitare "to agitate" (see solicit).

inspection --- 1390, from O.Fr. inspection, from L. inspectionem (nom. inspectio) "a looking into," from inspectus, pp. of inspicere "look into, inspect, examine," from in- "into" + specere "to look" (see scope (1)). Inspector "overseer, superintendent" is from 1602; as a police ranking between sergeant and superintendent, it dates from 1840.

inspiration --- c.1303, "immediate influence of God or a god," especially that under which the holy books were written, from O.Fr. inspiration, from L.L. inspirationem (nom. inspiratio), from L. inspiratus, pp. of inspirare "inspire, inflame, blow into," from in-"in" + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit). Inspire in this sense is c.1340, from O.Fr. enspirer, from L. inspirare, a loan-transl. of Gk. pnein in the Bible. General sense of "influence or animate with an idea or purpose" is from 1390. Inspirational is 1839 as "influenced by inspiration;" 1884 as "tending to inspire."

instability --- c.1422, from M.Fr. instabilite, from L. instabilitatem (nom. instabilitas) "unsteadiness," from instabilis "unsteady," from in- "not" + stabilis (see stable (2)).

install --- 1548, "place in (ecclesiastical) office by seating in an official stall," from M.L. installare, from L. in- "in" + M.L. stallum "stall," from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. stal "standing place;" see stall (1)). Installation "act of setting up" (machinery, etc.) is first recorded 1882.

installment --- act of installing, 1589, from install. Meaning "arrangement of payment by fixed portions at fixed times" is from 1732, alteration of Anglo-Norm. estaler "fix payments," from O.Fr. estal "fixed position," from O.H.G. stal "standing place." Fig. sense of "part of a whole produced in advance of the rest" is from 1823.

Instamatic --- 1962, proprietary name (reg. Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, N.Y.) for a type of self-loading camera.

instance --- c.1340, "urgency," from O.Fr. instance "eagerness, anxiety, solicitation," from L. instantia "presence, earnestness, urgency," lit. "a standing near," from instans (see instant). In Scholastic logic, "a fact or example" (1586), from M.L. instantia, used to translate Gk. enstasis. This led to use in phrase for instance "as an example" (1657), and the noun phrase To give (someone) a for instance (1959, Amer.Eng.).

instant (n.) --- 1398, "infinitely short space of time," from O.Fr. instant (adj.) "assiduous, at hand," from M.L. instantem (nom. instans), from L. instantem "present, pressing, urgent," prp. of instare "to urge, to stand near, be present (to urge one's case)," from in- "in" + stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Elliptical use of the O.Fr. adj. as a noun. New Latinate adj. form instantaneous is attested from 1651.

instead --- 1595, from M.E. ine stede (c.1225, see stead); still often two words until after c.1640. A loan-translation of L. in loco (Fr. en lieu de).

instep --- 1530, apparently from in + step, "though this hardly makes sense" [Weekley].

instigation --- c.1422, from L. instigationem (nom. instigatio), noun of action from instigare "urge on, incite," from in- "in" + *stigare, a root meaning "to prick," from PIE base *steig- "to prick, stick, pierce."

instill --- 1533, "to introduce (feelings, etc.) little by little," from L. instillare "put in by drops," from instillare "to drop, trickle," in- "in" + stilla "a drop." (see distill).

instinct --- 1412, "a prompting," from L. instinctus "instigation, impulse," pp. of instinguere "to incite, impel," from in- "on" + stinguere "prick, goad" (see instigation). Sense of "innate tendency" is first recorded 1568, from notion of "natural prompting."

institute (v.) --- c.1325, "to establish in office, appoint," from L. institutus, pp. of instituere "to set up," from in- "in" + statuere "establish, to cause to stand" (see statute). General sense of "set up, found, introduce" first attested 1483. The noun sense of "organization, society" is from 1828, borrowed from Fr. Institut national des Sciences et des Arts, established 1795 to replace the royal academies.

institution --- 1551, "established law or practice," from O.Fr. institution, from L. institutionem (nom. institutio), noun of state from institutus (see institute). Meaning "establishment or organization for the promotion of some charity" is from 1707. Institutionalize "to put into institutional life" (usually depreciatory) is from 1905.

instruction --- 1412, from O.Fr. instruction, from L. instructionem (nom. instructio) "building, arrangement, teaching," from instructus, pp. of instruere "arrange, inform, teach," from in- "on" + struere "to pile, build" (see structure).

instrument --- c.1290, "musical instrument," from O.Fr. instrument, from L. instrumentem "a tool, apparatus, furniture, dress, document," from instruere "arrange, furnish" (see instruct). Broader sense of "that which is used as an agent in an performance" is from 1340. Instrumental "musical composition for instruments without vocals" is from 1940.