Etymology dictionary
true (v.) — tumulus (n.)
true (v.)
"make true in position, form, or adjustment," 1841, from true (adj.) in the sense "agreeing with a certain standard." Related: Trued; truing.
truffle (n.)
type of edible underground fungus, 1590s, from French trufle (14c.), probably from Old Provençal trufa, metathesized from Late Latin tufera (plural), cognate of Latin tuber "edible root." Another theory notes Italian tartuffo (Milanese tartuffel) "potato," supposedly from terræ tuber. Extended 1926 to powdered, round chocolates that look like truffles.
truism (n.)
"self-evident truth," 1708, from true (adj.) + -ism; first attested in Swift.
truly (adv.)
Old English treowlice, from treowe (see true (adj.)). Similar formation in Dutch treuwelijk, German getreulich, Swedish troligen.
trull (n.)
"a low prostitute or concubine; a drab, strumpet, trollop" [OED], 1510s, from German trulle "trollop, wench, hussy," perhaps cognate with troll (n.), or perhaps from troll (v.), compare Middle High German trolle "awkward fellow," Swabian trull "a thick, fat woman."
Truman
surname, attested by 1215, literally "faithful man, trusty man."
trumeau (n.)
1883, in architecture, "piece of a wall between two openings," as the central pillar of a great doorway," from French trumeau, literally "calf of the leg" (12c.), from a Germanic source (compare German Trumm "end, stump," Swedish dialectal tromm "stump, end of a log").
trump (n.1)
"playing card of a suit ranking above others," 1520s, alteration of triumph (n.), which also was the name of a card game.
trump (v.2)
"fabricate, devise," 1690s, from trump "deceive, cheat" (1510s), from Middle English trumpen (late 14c.), from Old French tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin. Apparently from se tromper de "to mock," from Old French tromper "to blow a trumpet." Brachet explains this as "to play the horn, alluding to quacks and mountebanks, who attracted the public by blowing a horn, and then cheated them into buying ...." The Hindley Old French dictionary has baillier la trompe "blow the trumpet" as "act the fool," and Donkin connects it rather to trombe "waterspout," on the notion of turning (someone) around. Connection with triumph also has been proposed. Related: Trumped; trumping. Trumped up "false, concocted" first recorded 1728.
trump (v.1)
"surpass, beat," 1580s, from trump (n.). Related: Trumped; trumping.
trump (n.2)
"trumpet," c. 1300, from Old French trompe "long, tube-like musical wind instrument" (12c.), cognate with Provençal tromba, Italian tromba, all probably from a Germanic source (compare Old High German trumpa, Old Norse trumba "trumpet"), of imitative origin.
trumpery (n.)
mid-15c., "deceit, trickery," from Old French tromperie (14c.), from tromper "to deceive," of uncertain origin (see trump (v.2), which has influenced the spelling in English). Meaning "showy but worthless finery" is first recorded c. 1600.
trumpet (v.)
1520s, from trumpet (n.). Figurative sense of "to proclaim, extol" is attested from 1580s. Related: Trumpeted; trumpeting.
trumpet (n.)
late 14c., from Old French trompette "trumpet," diminutive of trompe (see trump (n.2)).
truncation (n.)
early 15c., from Late Latin truncationem (nominative truncatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of truncare (see truncate).
truncate (v.)
late 15c., from Latin truncatus "cut off," past participle of truncare "to maim, mutilate, cut off," from truncus "maimed, mutilated," also "trunk of a tree, trunk of the body," of uncertain origin, probably originally "mutilated, cut off," and perhaps from PIE root *tere- (2) "cross over, pass through, overcome." Related: Truncated; truncating.
truncated (adj.)
late 15c., past-participle adjective from truncate. Originally in heraldry; modern senses are post-1700.
truncheon (n.)
c. 1300, "shaft of a spear," also "short stick, cudgel," from Old North French tronchon, Old French tronchon (11c., Modern French tronçon) "a piece cut off, thick stick, stump," from Vulgar Latin *truncionem (nominative *truncio), from Latin truncus "trunk of a tree" (see trunk (n.1)). Meaning "staff as a symbol of office" is recorded from 1570s; sense of "policeman's club" is recorded from 1816.
trundle (v.)
1590s (transitive), from trundle (n.). Intransitive use from 1620s. Related: Trundled; trundling.
trundle (n.)
"small wheel to support heavy weights," 1540s (implied in trundle bed "low bed on small wheels"), possibly from Middle English trendle "wheel, suspended hoop" (early 14c.), from Old English trendel "ring, disk" (see trend (v.)). Also probably in part from Old French trondeler "to roll down, fall down," which is of Germanic origin.
trunk (n.1)
mid-15c., "box, case," from Old French tronc "alms box in a church," also "trunk of a tree, trunk of the human body, wooden block" (12c.), from Latin truncus "trunk of a tree, trunk of the body," of uncertain origin, probably originally "mutilated, cut off," and perhaps from PIE root *tere- (2) "cross over, pass through, overcome."
The meaning "box, case" is likely to be from the notion of the body as the "case" of the organs. English acquired the "main stem of a tree" and "torso of the body" senses from Old French in late 15c. The sense of "luggage compartment of a motor vehicle" is from 1930. Railroad trunk line is attested from 1843; telephone version is from 1889.
trunk (n.2)
"elephant's snout," 1560s, apparently from trunk (n.1), perhaps from confusion with trump (n.2), short for trumpet.
trunnion (n.)
"either of two round projections of a cannon," 1620s, from French trognon "core of fruit, stump, tree trunk," from Old French troignon (14c.), probably from Latin truncus (see trunk (n.1)).
truss (v.)
c. 1200, "to load, load up," from Anglo-French trusser, Old French trusser, torser "to load, fill, pack, fasten" (11c.), from Old French trousse, torse (see truss (n.)). Related: Trussed; trussing.
truss (n.)
c. 1200, "collection of things bound together," from Old French trousse, torse "parcel, package, bundle," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *torciare "to twist," from Late Latin torquere "to twist" (from PIE root *terkw- "to twist"). Meaning "surgical appliance to support a rupture, etc." first attested 1540s. Sense of "framework for supporting a roof or bridge" is first recorded 1650s.
trustful (adj.)
1570s, "trustworthy," from trust (n.) + -ful. Meaning "trusting" attested from 1832. Related: Trustfully, trustfulness.
trust (n.)
c. 1200, "reliance on the veracity, integrity, or other virtues of someone or something; religious faith," from Old Norse traust "help, confidence, protection, support," from Proto-Germanic abstract noun *traustam (source also of Old Frisian trast, Dutch troost "comfort, consolation," Old High German trost "trust, fidelity," German Trost "comfort, consolation," Gothic trausti "agreement, alliance").
This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *treuwaz, source of Old English treowian "to believe, trust," and treowe "faithful, trusty" (from PIE root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast;" compare trow (v.), true (adj.)).
It is attested from c. 1300 as "reliability, trustworthiness; trustiness, fidelity, faithfulness;" from late 14c. as "confident expectation" and "that on which one relies."
It is recorded from early 15c. in the legal sense of "confidence placed in a one who holds or enjoys the use of property entrusted to him by its legal owner;" and by mid-15c. as "condition of being legally entrusted."
The meaning "businesses organized to reduce competition" is recorded from 1877. Trust-buster is recorded from 1903.
trust (v.)
c. 1200, from Old Norse treysta "to trust, rely on, make strong and safe," from traust (see trust (n.)). Related: Trusted; trusting.
trustee (n.)
"person who is responsible for the property of another," 1640s, from trust (v.) + -ee.
trusteeship (n.)
trusty (adj.)
early 13c., "trusting," from trust (n.) + -y (2). Old English expressed this idea by treowful. Meaning "reliable, to be counted on" is from early 14c. The noun meaning "trustworthy person" is from 1570s; specifically as "a prisoner granted special privileges as reward for good conduct" by 1855.
trustworthy (adj.)
1791, from trust (n.) + worthy. Related: Trustworthiness.
truth (n.)
Middle English truþ, from Old English triewð (West Saxon), treowð (Mercian) "faith, faithfulness, fidelity, loyalty; veracity, quality of being true; pledge, covenant," from Germanic abstract noun *treuwitho, from Proto-Germanic treuwaz "having or characterized by good faith." This is reconstructed to be from PIE *drew-o-, a suffixed form of the root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast." With Germanic abstract noun suffix *-itho (see -th (2)).
The sense of "something that is true" is recorded by mid-14c. The meaning "accuracy, correctness" is from 1560s. Truth squad in the U.S. political sense is attested in the 1952 U.S. presidential election campaign.
Compare troth, truce, trust, tree (n.). English and most other IE languages do not have a primary verb for "speak the truth," as a contrast to lie (v.).
truthful (adj.)
"habitually speaking truth," 1590s, from truth + -ful. Related: Truthfully; truthfulness.
truthiness (n.)
"act or quality of preferring concepts or facts one wishes to be true, rather than those known to be true," a catch word popularized in this sense by U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert (b.1964), declared by American Dialect Society to be "2005 Word of the Year." It was used in 1832 in a sense "habit of telling the truth," from truthy "characterized by truth" (1800), from truth (n.) + -y (2).
try (v.)
c. 1300, "examine judiciously, discover by evaluation, test;" mid-14c., "sit in judgment of," also "attempt to do," from Anglo-French trier (13c.), from Old French trier "to pick out, cull" (12c.), from Gallo-Roman *triare, of unknown origin. The ground sense is "separate out (the good) by examination." Sense of "subject to some strain" (of patience, endurance, etc.) is recorded from 1530s. To try on "test the fit of a garment" is from 1690s; to try (something) on for size in the figurative sense is recorded by 1946. Try and instead of try to is recorded from 1680s.
trying (adj.)
"distressing," 1718, present-participle adjective from try (v.). Related: Tryingly.
-try
extended form of -ry sometimes used in forming modern abstract nouns, often for humorous effect, based on the many -try words where the -t- is part of the Latin stem (geometry, idolatry, industry, pedantry, etc.).
try (n.)
late 15c., "screen for sifting," from try (v.). From 1832 as "an effort, an attempt."
tryout (n.)
also try-out, by 1900, from phrase to try out "to examine, test," attested by 1785.
trypsin (n.)
chief digestive enzyme of pancreatic juice, 1876, coined 1874 by German physiologist Wilhelm Friedrich Kühne (1837-1900), apparently from Greek tripsis "rubbing, friction" (from tribein "to rub, rub down, wear away," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn") + chemical suffix -in (2). Said to be so called because it first was obtained (in 1862) by rubbing the pancreas with glycerin.
tryptic (adj.)
1877, from trypsin + -ic (compare pepsin/peptic).
tryptophan (n.)
also tryptophane, complex amino acid, 1890, coined in German (1876) from trypto-, taken as a combining form of tryptic "by trypsin" (see trypsin) + Greek phainein "bring to light, cause to appear, show" (from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine").
tryst (n.)
late 14c., "appointment to meet at a certain time and place," from Old French tristre "waiting place, appointed station in hunting," probably from a Scandinavian source such as Old Norse treysta "to trust, make firm," from Proto-Germanic *treuwaz "having or characterized by good faith," from PIE *drew-o-, a suffixed form of the root *deru- "be firm, solid, steadfast." The notion would be "place one waits trustingly." As a verb, late 14c. Related: Trysting.
tsar (n.)
1660s, the more correct Latinization of Russian czar, from prehistoric Slavic *tsesar, from a Germanic source, ultimately from Latin Caesar. See czar. Related: Tsardom; tsarevich; tsarina; tsarevna.
tsetse (n.)
fly of tropical Africa, 1849, probably via South African Dutch, from a Bantu language (compare Setswana tsetse, Luyia tsiisi "flies").
T-shirt (n.)
1920, from T + shirt (n.), so called in reference to the shape it makes when laid flat. The form t-shirt is thus incorrect.
tsk
sound expressing commiseration or disapproval, 1947; as a verb, tsk-tsk is recorded from 1967.
Tso
in Chinese restaurant dishes, a reference to General Tso Tsungtang (1812-1885), military leader during the late Qing dynasty who crushed the Taiping rebels in four provinces. The chicken dish that bears his name (for no apparent reason) in Chinese restaurants apparently is modified from a traditional Hunan chung ton gai and may have been named for the general c. 1972 by a chef in New York City during the time Hunan cuisine first became popular among Americans.
tsunami (n.)
"large wave which rolls over and inundates the land," 1896, in reference to the one that struck Japan that year on June 15, from Japanese tsunami, from tsu "harbor" + nami "waves."
tuatara (n.)
New Zealand lizard, 1844, from Maori, from tua "on the back" + tara "spine."
Tuatha de Danann
1680s, from Irish Tuatha dé Danann, literally "the people of Danann," from plural of tuath (see Teutonic) + Danann, apparently originally an oblique case of Danu, mother of the gods.
tub (n.)
"open wooden vessel made of staves," late 14c., from Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, or Middle Flemish tubbe, of uncertain origin. Related to Old High German zubar "vessel with two handles, wine vessel," German Zuber. Considered to be unrelated to Latin tubus (see tube (n.)); one theory connects it to the root of two based on the number of handles. Also 17c. slang for "pulpit;" hence tub-thumper (1660s) "speaker or preacher who thumps the pulpit for emphasis."
tuba (n.)
1852 in reference to a modern, large, low-pitched brass musical instrument, from French tuba, from Latin tuba (plural tubae) "straight bronze war trumpet" (as opposed to the crooked bucina), related to tubus (see tube (n.)).
tubby (adj.)
"shaped like a tub, corpulent," 1835, from tub + -y (2). The noun meaning "a fat person" is attested from 1891. Related: Tubbily; tubbiness.
tube (n.)
1610s, from French tube (15c.), from Latin tubus "tube, pipe," a word of unknown origin. The London subway was christened the Twopenny Tube by 1900 (H.D. Browne, in the "Londoner" of June 30); tube for "cylindrical railway tunnel" is attested from 1847. The meaning "TV as a medium" is from 1959, short for cathode ray tube or picture tube. Tube top as a women's clothing style is attested from 1972. Tube steak is attested from 1963 as "frankfurter," slang meaning "penis" is recorded by mid-1980s.
tubing (n.)
recreational pastime of riding a river on a truck tire inner tube, 1975; see tube (n.).
tuber (n.)
"thick underground stem," 1660s, from Latin tuber "edible root, truffle; lump, bump, swelling," from PIE *tubh-, from root *teue- "to swell."
tubercle (n.)
1570s, from Latin tuberculum "a small swelling," diminutive of tuber "lump" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell").
tuberculous (adj.)
"characterized by tubers," 1747, from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle) + -ous.
tubercular (adj.)
1799, "characterized by tubers," from Latin tuberculum (see tubercle) + -ar. From 1898 as "having tuberculosis."
tuberculosis (n.)
1860, "disease characterized by tubercules," a medical Latin hybrid, from Latin tuberculum "small swelling, pimple," diminutive of tuber "lump" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell") + -osis, a suffix of Greek origin. So called in reference to the tubercules which form in the lungs. Originally in reference to any disease characterized by tubercules; since the discovery in 1882 of the tubercule bacillus by German bacteriologist Robert Koch (1843-1910) restricted to disease caused by this. Abbreviation T.B. attested from 1912.
tubular (adj.)
1670s, "having the form of a tube or pipe," from Latin tubulus "a small pipe" (see tube) + -ar. Teen slang sense attested by 1982, Valspeak, apparently from surfers' use of tube as slang for a hollow, curling wave, ideal for riding (1962).
tuck (v.)
late 14c., "to pull or gather up," earlier "to pluck, stretch" (implied in tucker "one who finishes clothes by stretching them on tenters, late 13c. as a surname), probably from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch tucken "pull up, draw up, tug" (cognate with Old English tucian "mistreat, torment," and related to Old English togian "to pull," German zucken; see tow (v.)). Sense of "thrust into a snug place" is first recorded 1580s. Slang meaning "to consume, swallow, put into one's stomach" is recorded from 1784. Related: Tucked; tucking.
tuck (n.)
late 14c., "flattened fold in clothing, pleat," from tuck (v.). As a folded-up diving position, from 1951.
tuckahoe (n.)
edible plant root of eastern U.S., 1610s, American English, from Powhatan (Algonquian) tockawhouge (compare Mohegan tquogh, Shawnee tukwhah), perhaps related to Cree (Algonquian) pitikwaw "made round." From early 19c. a name applied in Virginia to those east of the Blue Ridge Mountains by the settlers west of them, who called themselves Cohees.
tucker (n.)
"piece of lace worn around the neck," 1680s, agent noun from tuck (v.). In Middle English tukere was "one who dresses or finishes cloth," hence the surname.
tucker (v.)
"to tire, weary," 1833, New England slang, of uncertain origin, perhaps from tucked (past participle of tuck (v.)), which had, in reference to dogs, a slang sense of "exhausted, underfed." Especially with out. Related: Tuckered; tuckering.
Tucson
city in Arizona, U.S.A., from Spanish Tucson, from O'odham (Piman) cukson "black base," from cuk "black" + son "base."
tude (n.)
teenager slang shortening of attitude, 1970s.
-tude
syllable formed when the word-forming element -ude, making abstract nouns from adjectives and participles, is fixed to a base or to another suffix ending in -t or -te; from French -ude, from Latin -udo (stem -udin-). The equivalent of native -ness.
Tudor
1779 in reference to the English royal family, from Welsh surname Tewdwr, used of the line of English sovereigns from Henry VII to Elizabeth I, descended from Owen Tudor, who married Catherine, widowed queen of Henry V. Applied from 1815 to a style of architecture prevalent during these reigns. The name is the Welsh form of Theodore.
Tuesday (n.)
third day of the week, Old English tiwesdæg, from Tiwes, genitive of Tiw "Tiu," from Proto-Germanic *Tiwaz "god of the sky," the original supreme deity of ancient Germanic mythology, differentiated specifically as Tiu, ancient Germanic god of war, from PIE *deiwos "god," from root *dyeu- "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god." Cognate with Old Frisian tiesdei, Old Norse tysdagr, Swedish tisdag, Old High German ziestag.
The day name (second element dæg, see day) is a translation of Latin dies Martis (source of Italian martedi, French Mardi) "Day of Mars," from the Roman god of war, who was identified with Germanic Tiw (though etymologically Tiw is related to Zeus), itself a loan-translation of Greek Areos hēmera. In cognate German Dienstag and Dutch Dinsdag, the first element would appear to be Germanic ding, þing "public assembly," but it is now thought to be from Thinxus, one of the names of the war-god in Latin inscriptions.
tufa (n.)
type of porous rock, 1770, from Italian tufa "tufa, porous rock," probably from Latin tufus, tophus "loose, porous volcanic rock," said to be an Oscan-Umbrian loan-word. Related: Tufaceous.
tuff (adj.)
advertiser's spelling of tough (adj.), attested by 1940.
tuffet (n.)
1550s, "little tuft," from Old French touffel (with diminutive suffix -et for French -el), diminutive of touffe (see tuft). Obsolete except in the nursery rhyme "Little Miss Muffet" (1843), where it has been felt to mean "hassock, footstool."
tuft (n.)
"bunch of soft and flexible things fixed at the base with the upper ends loose," late 14c., of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old French touffe "tuft of hair" (14c.), which is either from Late Latin tufa "a kind of crest on a helmet" (also found in Late Greek toupha), or from a Germanic source (compare Old High German zopf, Old Norse toppr "tuft, summit;" see top (n.1)). As a verb from 1530s. Related: Tufted.
tug (v.)
c. 1200, from weak grade of Old English teohan "to pull, drag," from Proto-Germanic *teuhan "to pull" (source also of Old High German zucchen "to pull, jerk," German zücken "to draw quickly), from PIE root *deuk- "to lead." Related to tow (v.). Related: Tugged; tugging.
tug (n.)
mid-14c., in reference to some part of a harness;" c. 1500 as "act of pulling or dragging," from tug (v.). Meaning "small, powerful vessel for towing other vessels" is recorded from 1817. Phrase tug of war (1670s) was originally figurative, "the decisive contest, the real struggle," from the noun in the sense "supreme effort, strenuous contest of forces" (1650s). As an actual athletic event, from 1876.
tugboat (n.)
also tug-boat, 1830, from tug (n.) + boat (n.).
Tuileries
former palace in Paris, begun by Catherine de Medici, 1564; so called because it was built on the site of an ancient tile-works, from Old French tieule "tile," from Latin tegula (see tile (n.)). The former residence of the royal court, it was destroyed by fire in 1871 and now is the site of the Jardin des Tuileries.
tuition (n.)
early 15c., "protection, care, custody," from Anglo-French tuycioun (13c.), Old French tuicion "guardianship," from Latin tuitionem (nominative tuitio) "a looking after, a caring for, watching over, protection, guardianship," from tuitus, past participle of tueri "to look after" (see tutor (n.)). Meaning "action or business of teaching pupils" is recorded from 1580s. The meaning "money paid for instruction" (1828) probably is short for tuition fees, in which tuition refers to the act of teaching and instruction (a sense attested from 1580s).
tulip (n.)
1570s, via Dutch or German tulpe, French tulipe "a tulip" (16c.), all ultimately from Turkish tülbent "turban," also "gauze, muslin," from Persian dulband "turban;" so called from the fancied resemblance of the flower to a turban.
Introduced from Turkey to Europe, where the earliest known instance of a tulip flowering in cultivation is 1559 in the garden of Johann Heinrich Herwart in Augsburg; popularized in Holland after 1587 by Clusius. The tulip-mania raged in Holland in the 1630s. The full form of the Turkish word is represented in Italian tulipano, Spanish tulipan, but the -an tended to drop in Germanic languages, where it was mistaken for a suffix. Tulip tree (1705), a North American magnolia, so called from its tulip-shaped flowers.
tulle (n.)
fine silk bobbin-net, 1817, from Tulle, town in central France, where the fabric was first manufactured. The place name is Medieval Latin Tutelae, said to be from Tutela, name of a pagan god.
tumble (v.)
c. 1300, "to perform as an acrobat," also "to fall down," perhaps from a frequentative form of Old English tumbian "dance about, tumble, leap." This is of unknown origin but apparently related to Middle Low German tummelen "to turn, dance," Dutch tuimelen "to tumble," Old High German tumon, German taumeln "to turn, reel." Transitive sense from late 14c. Related: Tumbled; tumbling.
tumble (n.)
"accidental fall," 1716, from tumble (v.). Earlier as "disorder, confusion" (1630s).
tumble-down (adj.)
1791, originally "habitually falling down" and used first of horses, from tumble (v.) + down (adv.); in reference to buildings, "in a dilapidated condition," from 1818.
tumbler (n.)
mid-14c., "acrobat," agent noun from tumble (v.). Compare Old English tumbere "tumbler, dancer." A fem. form was tumblester (early 15c.), tumbester (late 14c.) "female acrobatic dancer." Meaning "drinking glass" is recorded from 1660s, originally a glass with a rounded or pointed bottom which would cause it to "tumble;" thus it could not be set down until it was empty. As a part of a lock mechanism, from 1670s.
tumbleweed (n.)
also tumble-weed, 1881, from tumble (v.) + weed (n.).
tumbrel (n.)
mid-15c., "two-wheeled cart for hauling dung, stones, etc.," earlier an instrument of punishment of uncertain type (early 13c.), from Old French tomberel "dump cart" (Modern French tombereau), from tomber "(let) fall or tumble," possibly from a Germanic source (compare Old Norse tumba "to tumble," Old High German tumon "to turn, reel;" see tumble (v.)). Notoriously the name given to the carts used to take victims to the guillotine during the Reign of Terror (though illustrations often show four-wheeled carts, not true tumbrels).
tumefaction (n.)
"morbid swelling," early 15c., from Medieval Latin tumefaccionem (nominative tumefaccio), noun of action from Latin tumefactus, from tumescere "begin to swell, swell up" (see tumescence).
tumescence (n.)
1725, from French tumescence, from Latin tumescentem (nominative tumescens) "swelling," present participle of tumescere "begin to swell, swell up," figuratively "grow excited, become enraged," inceptive of tumere "to swell" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell"), with inchoative suffix -escere.
tumescent (adj.)
1806, from Latin tumescentem (nominative tumescens), present participle of tumescere "to begin to swell, swell up," figuratively "grow excited, become enraged," inceptive of tumere "to swell" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell"), with inchoative suffix -escere.
tumid (adj.)
"morbidly swollen," 1540s, from Latin tumidus "swollen, swelling, rising high," figuratively "swollen with anger or pride," from tumere "to swell," from PIE root *teue- "to swell." Figurative sense in English (in reference to prose, etc.) is attested from 1640s. Related: Tumidity.
tummy (n.)
1867, infantile for stomach. Tummy-ache is attested from 1874.
tumor (n.)
early 15c., from Latin tumor "swelling, condition of being swollen, a tumor," from tumere "to swell" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell").
tumour (n.)
chiefly British English spelling of tumor; see -or.
tumulous (adj.)
1727, from Latin tumulosus "full of hills," from tumulus "hill, mound, heap of earth" (see tumulus).
tumult (n.)
late 14c., from Old French tumult (12c.), from Latin tumultus "commotion, bustle, uproar, disorder, disturbance," related to tumere "to be excited, swell" (from PIE root *teue- "to swell").
tumultuous (adj.)
1540s, from French tumultuous (Modern French tumultueux), from Latin tumultuosus "full of bustle or confusion, disorderly, turbulent," from tumultus (see tumult). Related: Tumultuously; tumultuousness.
tumulus (n.)
ancient burial mound, 1680s, from Latin tumulus "hillock, heap of earth, mound" (see tomb).