-
Feb 1, 1200
Handicraft
O.E. handcræft "skill of the hand," from hand (n.) + craft. Later hændecraft (c.1200), perhaps from influence of handiwork. -
Jan 1, 1215
Foster
O.E. *fostrian "to supply with food, nourish, support," from fostor "food, nourishment, bringing up," from P.Gmc. *fostrom, from root *foth-/*fod- (see food). Meaning "to bring up a child with parental care" is from c.1200; that of "to encourage or help grow" is early 13c. of things; 1560s of feelings, ideas, etc. O.E. also had the adj. meaning "in the same family but not related," in fostorfæder, etc. Related: Fostered; fostering. -
Jan 1, 1250
Countenance
mid-13c., from O.Fr. contenance "demeanor, bearing, conduct," from L. continentia "restraint, abstemiousness, moderation," lit. "way one contains oneself," from continentem, prp. of continere (see contain). Meaning evolving M.E. from "appearance" to "facial expression betraying a state of mind," to "face" itself (late 14c.). The verb is late 15c., "to behave or act;" sense of "to favor, patronize" is from 1560s, from notion of "to look upon with sanction or smiles." Related: Countenanced; counte -
Jan 1, 1280
Enchant
late 13c., agent noun from enchant or from O.Fr. enchanteor. -
Jan 1, 1400
Magnitude
c.1400, from L. magnitudo "greatness, bulk, size," from magnus "great" (see magnate) + -tudo, suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives and participles. -
Jan 1, 1400
Massive
c.1400, from M.Fr. massif (fem. massiv) "bulky, solid," from O.Fr. masse "lump" (see mass (1)). Massive retaliation, U.S. Cold War strategy outlined by J.F. Dulles, is from early 1954. -
Jan 1, 1415
Diminish
early 15c., from merger of two obsolete verbs, diminue and minish. Diminue is from O.Fr. diminuer "make small," from L. diminuere "break into small pieces," variant of deminuere "lessen, diminish," from de- "completely" + minuere "make small," from root of minus (see minus). Minish is from O.Fr. menuisier, from L. minuere. Related: Diminished; diminishes; diminishing. -
Jan 1, 1475
Maternal
late 15c., from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother). -
Jan 1, 1540
Pall
"become tiresome," 1700, from M.E. pallen "to become faint, fail in strength" (late 14c.), aphetic form of appallen "to dismay, fill with horror or disgust" (see appall). Related: Palled; palling.
O.E. pæll "rich cloth, cloak, altar cloth," from L. pallium "cloak, covering," in Tertullian, the garment worn by Christians instead of the Roman toga; related to pallo "robe, cloak," palla "long upper garment of Roman women," perhaps from the root of pellis "skin." Notion of "cloth spread over a coffi -
Jan 1, 1560
Agitation
1560s, "mental tossing to and fro," from Fr. agitation, from L. agitationem (nom. agitatio) "motion, agitation," noun of action from pp. stem of agitare "move to and fro," frequentative of agere in its sense of "to drive" (see act). -
Jan 1, 1570
Blurt
1570s, probably echoic. Related: blurted; blurting. As a noun, 1570s, probably from the verb. -
Grovel
1590s, Shakespearian back formation of groveling (M.E.), regarded as a prp. but really an adverb, from O.N. grufe "prone" + obsolete adverbial suffix -ling (which survives also as the -long in headlong, sidelong); first element from O.N. a grufu "on proneness." Perhaps related to creep. Related: Groveled; grovelled; groveling; grovelling. -
Chronological
"arranged in order by time," 1610s, from chronology + -ical. Chronological order is attested by 1754. Related: Chronologically -
Fluctuate
1630s, from L. fluctuatus, pp. of fluctuare "to undulate" (see fluctuation). Related: Fluctuated; fluctuates; fluctuating. -
Ignite
1660s, from L. ignitus, pp. of ignire "set on fire," from ignis “fire” (see igneous). Attested earlier as an adjective (1550s). Related: Ignited; igniting -
Revere
1660s, from Fr. révérer, from L. revereri (see reverence, which also was the earlier form of the verb). Related: Revered; revering -
Reputable
1670s; see repute + -able. -
Saga
1709, an antiquarians' revival to describe the medieval prose narratives of Iceland and Norway, from O.N. saga "saga, story," cognate with O.E. sagu "a saying" (see saw (2)). Properly, a narrative composition of Iceland or Norway in the Middle Ages, or one that has their characteristics. -
Hilarious
1823, "cheerful," from L. hilaris "cheerful, of good cheer" (see hilarity) + -ous. Meaning "boisterously joyful" is from 1830s. Related: Hilariously -
Stodgy
1823, "of a thick, semi-solid consistency," from stodge "to stuff" (1670s), of unknown origin, perhaps somehow imitative. Meaning "dull, heavy" developed by 1874 from noun sense of stodge applied to food (1825).