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

abstemious --- 1610, from L. abstemius "sober, temperate," from ab(s)- "from" + stem of temetum "strong drink," related to temulentus "drunken." Technically, of liquor, but extended in L. to temperance in living generally.

abstention --- 1521, from Fr., from L. abstentionem (nom. abstentio) "the act of retaining," from abstentus, pp. of abstinere (see abstain).

abstinence --- c.1300, "forbearance in indulgence of the appetites," from L. abstinentem, prp. of abstinere (see abstain). Specifically of sexual appetites from 1340.

abstract --- 1387, from L. abstractus "drawn away," pp. of abstrahere, from ab(s)- "away" + trahere "draw" (see tract (1)). Meaning "withdrawn or separated from material objects or practical matters" is from 1557; specifically in ref. to the arts, it dates from 1915; abstract expressionism from 1952. Meaning "summary of a document" is from 1528. The verb is first recorded 1542.

abstruse --- 1599, from L. abstrusus, pp. of abstrudere "conceal," lit. "to thrust away," from ab- "away" + trudere "to thrust, push" (see extrusion).

absurdity --- 1528, from M.Fr. absurdité, from L. absurditatem (nom. absurditas) "dissonance, incongruity," from absurdus "out of tune, senseless," from ab- intens. prefix + surdus "dull, deaf, mute" (see susurration). The main modern sense is a fig. one, "out of harmony with reason or propriety."

abundance --- 1340, from O.Fr. abundance, from L. abundantia "fullness," noun of state from abundantem (nom. abundans), prp. of abundare "to overflow" (see abound).

abuse (v.) --- 1413, from M.Fr. abuser, from V.L. *abusare, from L. abusus, pp. of abuti "use up," also "misuse," from ab- "away" + uti "use" (see use). Specifically of drugs, from 1968. The noun is first recorded 1439.

abut --- c.1230, from O.Fr. abouter "join end to end," from à "to" + bout "end." The architectural abutment is first attested 1793.

abysmal --- 1656, formed in Eng. from obsolete abysm "bottomless gulf, greatest depths" (c.1300), from O.Fr. abisme, from V.L. *abyssimus, superl. of L. abyssus (see abyss). Weakened sense of "extremely bad" is first recorded 1904.

abyss --- 1398, earlier abime (c.1300), from L.L. abyssus, from Gk. abyssos "bottomless," from a- "without" (see a- (2)) + byssos "bottom," possibly related to bathos "depth." Abyssal is first recorded 1691, used especially of the zone of ocean water below 300 fathoms.

Abyssinia --- old name for "Ethiopia," 1638, from Mod.L., from Arabic Habasah, the name for the region.

AC/DC --- bisexual, 1959, said to have been in use orally from c.1940, from electronics abbreviation of alternating current/direct current.

acacia --- 1543, from L. acacia, from Gk. akakia "thorny Egyptian tree," probably related to Gk. ake "point, thorn," from PIE base *ak- "sharp" (see acrid).

academy --- 1474, from L. academia, from Gk. Akademeia "grove of Akademos," a legendary Athenian of the Trojan War tales (his name apparently means "of a silent district"), whose estate, six stadia from Athens, was the enclosure where Plato taught his school. Sense broadened 16c. into any school or training place. Poetic form Academe first attested 1588 in sense of "academy;" 1849 with meaning "the world of universities and scholarship," from phrase the groves of Academe, translating Horace's silvas Academi; in this sense, Academia is recorded from 1956. Academic "relating to an academy" first recorded 1586; sense of "not leading to a decision" (like university debates or classroom legal exercises) is from 1886. Academy awards (1941) so called for their distributor, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Acadian --- 1705, from Acadia, Latinized form of Acadie, Fr. name of Nova Scotia, probably from Archadia, the name given to the region by Verrazano in 1524, from Gk. Arkadia, emblematic in pastoral poetry of a place of rural peace; the name may have been suggested to Europeans by the Micmac Indian word akadie "fertile land." The Acadians, expelled by the English in 1755, settled in large numbers in Louisiana (see Cajun, which is a corruption of Acadian).

acanthus --- 1616, from L. acanthus, from Gk. akanthos, from ake "point, thorn" + anthos "flower" (see anther). So called for its large spiny leaves. A conventionalized form of the leaf is used in Corinthian capitals.

Acapulco gold --- 1965, local grade of potent marijuana grown around resort town of Acapulco de Juarez, western Mexico, which is from Nahuatl (Aztec) acapulco "place of the large canes," from aca(tl) "cane (plant)" + -pul "large" + -co "place."

accede --- 1432, from L. accedere "approach, enter upon," from ad- "to" + cedere "go, move" (see cede). Latin ad- usually became ac- before "k" sounds.

accelerate --- c.1525, from L. acceleratus, pp. of accelerare "quicken," from ad- "to" + celerare "hasten," from celer "swift" (see celerity). Accelerator in motor vehicle sense is first recorded 1900.

accent --- 1538, "particular mode of pronunciation," from M.Fr. accent, from O.Fr. acent, from L. accentus "song added to speech," from ad- "to" + cantus "a singing," pp. of canere "to sing" (see chant). Loan-translation of Gk. prosoidia, from pros- "to" + oide "song," which apparently described the pitch scheme in Gk. verse. The decorating sense of "something that emphasizes or highlights" is from 1972. The verb meaning "to pronounce with accent or stress" is first recorded 1530.

accentuate --- 1731, from M.L. accentuatus, pp. of accentuare "to accent," from L. accentus (see accent).

accept --- c.1360, "to take what is offered," from O.Fr. accepter from L. acceptare "take or receive willingly," freq. of acceptus, pp. of accipere "receive," from ad- "to" + capere "to take" (see capable).

access --- c.1325, "an attack of fever," from O.Fr. acces "onslaught," from L. accessus "a coming to, an approach," pp. of accedere "approach" (see accede). Meaning "habit or power of getting into the presence of (someone or something)" is from 1382. As a verb, first recorded 1962. Accessible "easy to reach" first recorded 1642; meaning "easy to understand" is from 1961 (a term not needed in the years before writing or art often deliberately was made not so). Accessory/accessary first attested 1414 as a legal term in the criminal sense; 1896 as "woman's smaller articles of dress," hence accessorize (1939). Accession "act of coming to a position," especially of a throne, is 1769 (first recorded in Burke).

accidence --- part of grammar dealing with inflection, 1509, from misspelling of accidents, from L. accidentia (used as a term in grammar by Quintilian), prp. of accidere (see accident). So called because they change in accordance with use.

accident --- c.1374, "an occurrence, incident, event," from O.Fr. accident, from L. accidentum (nom. accidens, gen. accidentis), prp. of accidere "happen, fall out," from ad- "to" + cadere "fall" (see case (1)). Meaning grew from "something that happens, an event," to "something that happens by chance," then "mishap."

acclamation --- 1541, from L. acclamationem (nom. acclamatio, gen. acclamationis), from acclamare "shout approval or disapproval of, cry out at," from ad- "toward" + clamare "cry out" (see claim).

acclimate --- 1792, from Fr. acclimater, from à "to" (from L. ad) + climat (see climate). The extended form acclimatize (1836) is now more common.

acclivity --- 1614, from L. acclivitatem "steepness," from acclivis "mounting upwards, ascending," from ad- "up" + clivus "hill, a slope," from PIE *klei-wo-, suffixed form of *klei "to lean" (see lean (v.)).

accolade --- 1623, from Fr., from Prov. acolada from V.L. *accollare, from L. ad- "to" + collum "neck" (see collar). The original sense is of an embrace about the neck or the tapping of a sword on the shoulders to confer knighthood. Extended meaning "praise, award" is from 1852.

accommodate --- 1531, from L. accomodatus "suitable," pp. of accomodare "fit one thing to another," from ad- "to" + commodare "make fit," from commodus "fit" (see commode). Accommodation "lodgings and entertainment" first recorded 1604.

accompany --- 1426, from M.Fr. accompagner, from O.Fr. acompaignier "take as a companion," from à "to" + compaignier, from compaign (see companion). First record of accompanist "performer who takes the accompanying part in music" is from 1833.

accomplice --- 1485, from O.Fr. complice "a confederate," with a parasitic a- on model of accomplish, etc., or assimilation of indefinite article in phrase a complice, from L.L. complicem, acc. of complex "partner, confederate," from L. complicare "fold together" (see complicate).

accomplish --- c.1386, from O.Fr. acompliss-, stem of acomplir "to fulfill, fill up, complete," from V.L. *accomplere, from L. ad- "to" + complere "fill up" (see complete). Accomplished "perfect as a result of training" is from 1475. Accomplishment first recorded c.1460.

accord --- 1123, from O.Fr. acorder, from V.L. *accordare "make agree," lit. "be of one heart," from L. ad- "to" + cor (gen. cordis) "heart" (see heart).

accordion --- 1831, from Ger. Akkordion, from Akkord "concord of sounds, be in tune" (cf. It. accordare "to attune an instrument;" see accord) + suffix on analogy of clarion, etc. Invented 1829 by Cyrill Damian of Vienna.

accost --- 1578, from M.Fr. accoster "move up to," from L.L. accostare "come up to the side," from L. ad- "to" + costa "rib, side" (see coast). The original notion is of fleets of warships attacking an enemy's coast.

accoucheur --- 1759, "midwife" (properly, "male midwife"), agent noun from Fr. accoucher "to go to childbed, be delivered," from O.Fr. culcher "to lie," from L. collocare, from com- "with" + locare "to place." The fem. is accoucheuse (1847).

account (n.) --- c.1300, "reckoning of money received and paid;" from O.Fr. acont "account," from à "to" + cont "count," from L.L. computus "a calculation," from L. computare "calculate" (see compute). Sense of "narration" is first attested 1614. The verb meaning "to reckon for money given or received" is from 1393; sense of "to explain" (c.1710) is from notion of "answer for money held in trust." Transf. sense of "value" is from 1377. Modern Fr. differentiates compter "to count" and conter "to tell," but they are cognates. Accountant in the sense of "professional maker of accounts" is recorded from 1539.

accoutrements --- 1549, from M.Fr. accoustrement, from accoustrer, probably from O.Fr. acostrer "arrange," originally "sew up," from *consutura "a sewing," from L. consutus, pp. of consuere "to sew together," from con- + suere "to sew" (see suture).

accredit --- 1620, Fr. accréditer, from à "to" + crédit "credit" (see credit).

accretion --- 1615, from L. accretionem (nom. accretio, gen. accretionis) "a growing larger," from stem of accrescere, from ad- "to" + crescere "grow" (see crescent).

accrue --- 1440, from O.Fr. acreue "growth, increase," from acreu, pp. of acreistre "to increase," from L. accrescere (see accretion).

acculturation --- the adoption and assimilation of an alien culture, 1880, from ad- "to" + culture (q.v.) + -ation.

accumulation --- 1490, from L. accumulationem (nom. accumulatio), from accumulare "to heap up in a mass," from ad- "in addition" + cumulare "heap up," from cumulus "heap" (see cumulus).

accurate --- 1612, from L. accuratus "prepared with care, exact," pp. of accurare "take care of," from ad- "to" + curare "take care of" (see cure). The notion of doing something carefully led to that of being exact (1651).

accursed --- c.1220, acursede "lying under a curse," pp. of obs. acursen "pronounce a curse upon, excommunicate," from a- intens. prefix + cursein (see curse). The extra -c- is 15c., mistaken Latinism. Weakened sense of "worthy of a curse" is from 1591.

accusative --- case whose primary function is to express destination or goal of motion, 1434, from Anglo-Fr. accusatif, from O.Fr. acusatif, from L. casus accusativus "case of accusing," from accusatus, pp. of accusare (see accuse). Translating Gk. ptosis aitiatike "case of that which is caused," on similarity of Gk. aitiasthai "accuse." Gk. aitia is the root of both, and means both "cause" and "accusation," hence the confusion of the Romans. A more correct translation would have been casus causativus.

accuse --- 1297, from O.Fr. acuser, from L. accusare "to call to account," from ad- "against" + causari "give as a cause or motive," from causa "reason." Accusatory is first attested 1601, from L. accusatorius.

accustom --- 1422, from M.Fr. acostumer, from à "to" + costume (see costume).

ace --- c.1300, from O.Fr. as "one at dice," from L. as (gen. assis) "a unit," from the name of a small Roman coin, perhaps originally Etruscan and related to Gk. eis "one." It meant the side of the die with only one mark before it meant the playing card. Since this was the lowest roll at dice, ace was used metaphorically in M.E. for "bad luck;" but as the ace is often the highest playing card, the extended senses based on "excellence, good quality" arose 18c. as card-playing became popular. Meaning "outstanding pilot" dates from 1917 (technically, in WWI aviators' jargon, one who has brought down 10 enemy planes, though originally in ref. to 5 shot down), from Fr. l'ace (1915), which, according to Bruce Robertson (ed.) "Air Aces of the 1914-1918 War" was used in prewar Fr. sporting publications for "top of the deck" boxers, cyclists, etc. Sports meaning of "point scored" (1819) led to that of "unreturnable serve" (1889). The verb meaning "to score" (in sports) is first attested 1923, and led to the extended student slang sense of "get high marks" (1959). Ace in the hole "concealed advantage" is attested from 1915.

-acea --- suffix denoting orders and classes in zoology, from L. -acea, neut. pl. of -aceus "belonging to, of the nature of" (enlarged from adj. suffix -ax, gen. -acis); neut. pl. because of a presumed animalia, a neuter plural noun. Thus, crustacea "shellfish" are *crustacea animalia "crusty animals." In botany, the suffix is -aceae, from the fem. pl. of -aceus, with reference to L. plantae, which is a fem. plural.

Aceldama --- 1382, potter's field near Jerusalem purchased with the blood-money given to Judas Iscariot, lit. "place of bloodshed," from Gk. Akeldama, from an Aramaic phrase akin to Syr. haqal dema "the field of blood."

acerbity --- 1572, from M.Fr. acerbité, from L. acerbitatem (nom. acerbitas) "bitterness," from acerbus "bitter, sharp, tart" (related to acer "sharp"),from PIE *ak- "sharp" (see acrid). Earliest use in Eng. is figurative, of "sharp and bitter" persons. Acerbic in the fig. sense of "sour, harsh, severe" (of speech, manners, etc.) is from 1865.

acetate --- 1827, "salt formed by combining acetic acid with a base," from acetic (q.v.). As a type of synthetic material, it is attested from 1920, short for acetate silk, etc.

acetic --- 1808, from Fr. acétique "pertaining to vinegar," from L. acetum "vinegar" (properly vinum acetum "wine turned sour;" see vinegar), originally pp. of acere "be sour," related to acer "sharp" (see acrid).

acetone --- 1839, colorless volatile liquid, from L. acetum "vinegar" (see acetic) + Gk. suffix -one "female descendant."

acetylene --- 1864, coined by Fr. chemist Marcelin-Pierre-Eugene Berthelot (1823-1907) from acetyl (coined from acetic in 1839 by Ger. chemist Justus von Liebig) + chemical ending -ene.

Achates --- armor-bearer and faithful friend of Aeneas in the "Aeneid," hence sometimes used figuratively for "faithful friend." The name is from Gk. akhates "agate."

ache (v.) --- O.E. acan "to ache, suffer pain," from P.Gmc. *akanan, perhaps from a PIE base *ag-es- "fault, guilt," represented also in Skt. and Gk., perhaps imitative of groaning. The noun is M.E. æche, from O.E. æce, from P.Gmc. *akiz. The verb was pronounced "ake," the noun "ache" (by i-mutation, as in speak-speech) but while the noun changed pronunciation to conform to the verb, the spelling of both was changed to ache c.1700 on a false assumption of a Gk. origin (Gk. akhos "pain, distress").

Acheron --- 1590, fabled river of the Lower World in Gk. mythology. The name probably means "marsh-like" (cf. akherousai "marshlike water"); the derivation from akhos "woe" is considered folk etymology.

achieve --- c.1325, from O.Fr. achever "finish," from phrase à chef (venir) "at an end, finished," or V.L. *accapare, from L.L. ad caput (venire); both the O.Fr. and L.L. phrases meaning lit. "to come to a head," from L. caput "head" (see head).

Achilles tendon --- from Mod.L. tendo Achillis, first used by Ger. surgeon Heister and so-called in reference to the one vulnerable spot of the great Gk. hero, son of Thetis and Peleus, whose mother held him by the heel when she dipped him in the River Styx to render him invulnerable. Earlier Achilles' sinew, from Mod.L. chorda Achillis, coined 1693 by Du. anatomist Philip Verheyden when dissecting his own amputated leg.

acid --- 1626, from Fr. acide, from L. acidus "sour," adj. of state from acere "to be sour," from PIE base *ak- "sharp, pointed" (see acrid). Applied to intense colors from 1916. Slang meaning "LSD-25" first recorded 1966 (see LSD); acid rock (type played by or listen to by people using LSD) is also from 1966; acid house dance music style is 1988, probably from acid in the hallucinogenic sense + house, "dance club DJ music style," probably from the Warehouse, a Chicago nightclub where the style originated. Acid test is Amer.Eng., 1892, from the frontier days, when gold was distinguished from similar metals by application of nitric acid. Acid rain is first recorded 1859 in ref. to England.

acidophilus --- 1921, used of milk fermented by acidophilic bacteria, a hybrid word, from L. acidus "acidic" + Gk. philos "loving;" the bacteria so called because they stain easily with acid.

acidulous --- 1769, "sub-acidic," used figuratively for "sour-tempered;" from L. acidulus "slightly sour," a dim. of acidus (see acid).

ack-ack --- 1939, representing A.A., the military abbreviation for anti-aircraft.

acknowledge --- 1553, a blend of M.E. aknow (from O.E. oncnawan "understand," from on + cnawan "recognize;" see know) and M.E. verb knowlechen "admit." Somehow, in the merger, a parasitic -c- slipped in, so that, while the knc- became a simple "n" sound, the -c- stepped up to the plate to preserve, in this word, the ancient "kn-" sound.

acme --- 1570, from Gk. akme "(highest) point," from PIE base *ak- "sharp" (see acrid). Written in Gk. letters until c.1620.

acne --- 1835, from Mod.L., borrowed from aknas, a 6c. L. misreading of Gk. akmas, acc. pl. of akme "point" (see acme). The "pointed" pimples are the source of the medical use.

acolyte --- c.1315, "inferior officer in the church," from M.L. acolytus, from Gk. akolouthos "following, attending on," lit. "having one way," from a- copulative prefix + keleuthose "a way," from PIE *qeleu- (cf. Lith. kelias "way").

aconite --- poisonous plant (also known as monk's hood and wolf's bane), 1578, from Fr. aconit, from L. aconitum, from Gk. akoniton, of unknown origin.

acorn --- O.E. æcern "nut," common Gmc. (cf. O.N. akarn, Du. aker, Low Ger. ecker "acorn," Goth. akran "fruit"), originally the mast of any forest tree, and ultimately related to related (via notion of "fruit of the open or unenclosed land") to O.E. æcer "open land," Goth. akrs "field," O.Fr. aigrun "fruits and vegetables" (from a Gmc. source); see acre. The sense gradually restricted in Low Ger., Scand. and Eng. to the most important of the forest produce for feeding swine, the mast of the oak tree. Spelling changed by folk etymology from oak (O.E. ac) + corn.

acoustic --- 1605, from Fr. acoustique, from Gk. akoustikos "pertaining to hearing," from akoustos "heard, audible," from akouein "to hear," from copulative prefix a- + koein "to mark, perceive, hear," from PIE base *(s)keu- "to notice, observe" (see caveat). Acoustics is attested from 1683. Acoustic guitars (as opposed to electric) first attested 1966.

acquaint --- 1297, from O.Fr. acointier from V.L. *accognitare "make known," from L. accognitus, pp. of accognoscere "know well," from ad- "to" + cognitus, pp. of cogniscere "come to know," from com- "with" + gnoscere "know" (see notice). Originally reflective, "to make oneself known;" sense of "to gain for oneself personal knowledge of" is from 1330. Acquaintance "person with whom one is acquainted" first recorded c.1386.

acquiesce --- 1620, from Fr. acquiescer, from L. acquiescere "remain at rest," thus "be satisfied with," from ad- "to" + quiescere "to become quiet," from quies (gen. quietis) "rest, quiet" (see quiet (n.)).

acquire --- c.1435, from O.Fr. aquerre, from L. aequirere (see acquisition).

acquisition --- 1387, "act of obtaining," from L. acquisitionem, from stem of acquirere "get in addition," from ad- "extra" + quærere "to seek to obtain" (see query). Meaning "thing obtained" is from 1477. Acquisitive "given to making acquisitions" is from 1846.

acquit --- c.1230, "to satisfy a debt" (either for oneself or on behalf of another), from O.Fr. acquitter "settle a claim," from à "to" + quite "free, clear" (see quit). Meaning "free from charges" is c.1386. Sense of "to discharge one's duty" is from c.1386.

acre --- O.E. æcer "tilled field, open land," from P.Gmc. *akraz "field, pasture" (cf. O.N. akr, O.Fris. ekkr, O.H.G. achar), from PIE *agros "field" (cf. L. ager "field, land," Gk. agros, Skt. ajras "plain, open country"). Originally in Eng. without reference to dimension; in late O.E. the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plow in a day, afterward defined by statute to a piece 40 poles by 4, or an equivalent shape (5 Edw. I, 31 Edw. III, 24 Hen. VIII). Original sense retained in God's acre "churchyard."

acrid --- 1712, from L. acer (fem. acris) "sharp, pungent, bitter, eager, fierce," from PIE *ak-ri-, from base *ak- "be sharp, rise (out) to a point, pierce" (cf. Oscan acrid "sharply;" Gk. akis "sharp point," akros "at the farthest point, highest, pointed," akantha "thorn," akme "summit, edge;" also oxys "sharp, bitter;" Skt. acri- "corner, edge," acani- "point of an arrow," asrih "edge;" Lith. asmuo "sharpness," akstis "sharp stick;" O.Ir. er "high;" Welsh ochr "edge, corner, border;" O.N. eggja "goad;" O.E. ecg "sword"). The -id suffix probably is in imitation of acid.

acrimony --- 1542, "quality of being acrid," from L. acrimonia "sharpness, pungency of taste," from acer "sharp" (see acrid) + -monia suffix of action, state, condition. Figurative extension to "sharpness of temper" is first recorded 1618.

acrobat --- 1825, from Fr. acrobate, from Gk. akrobates "rope dancer, gymnastic performer," related to akrobatos "going on tip-toe, climbing up high," from akros "topmost, at the point end" (see acrid) + bainein "walk, go" (see come).

acronym --- 1943 coinage from acro-, comb. form of Gk. akros "tip, end" (see acrid) + Eng. -onym "name" (abstracted from homonym; see name). The practice was non-existent before 20c. except in cabalistic esoterica and acrostic poetry.

acrophobia --- morbid fear of heights, 1892, from Gk. akros "at the end, the top" (see acrid) + -phobia (q.v.).

acropolis --- 1662, from Gk. akropolis "citadel" (especially that of Athens), from akros "highest, upper" (see acrid) + polis "city" (see policy (1)).

across --- c.1300, from Anglo-Fr. an cros "in a crossed position," lit. "on cross." Prepositional meaning "from one side to another" is first recorded 1591; meaning "on the other side (as a result of crossing)" is from 1750. Phrase across the board originally from horse-racing, in reference to a bet of the same amount of money on a horse to win, place, or show.

acrostic --- short poem in which the initial letters of the lines, taken in order, spell a word or phrase, 1587, from M.L. acrostichis, from Gk. akrostichis, from akros "at the end, outermost" (see acrid) + stikhos "line of verse," lit. "row" (see stair).