Etymology dictionary
wound (v.) — wyvern (n.)
wound (v.)
Old English wundian "to wound," from the source of wound (n.). Cognate with Old Frisian wundia, Middle Dutch and Dutch wonden, Old High German wunton, German verwunden, Gothic gawundon. Figurative use, of feelings, etc., from c. 1200. Related: Wounded; wounding.
wounder (n.)
late 15c., agent noun from wound (v.).
woven (adj.)
late 15c., past-participle adjective from weave (v.) on analogy of stolen.
wow (v.)
"overwhelm with delight or amazement," 1924, American English slang, from wow (interj.). Related: Wowed; wowing. Used as a noun meaning "unqualified success" since 1920.
wow (interj.)
1510s, Scottish, a natural expression of amazement. "This old interjection had a new popularity in the early 1900s and again during the 1960s and later" [DAS].
WPA
1936, initialism (acronym) from Works Progress Administration, U.S. agency established 1935.
wr-
common Germanic consonantal combination, especially to start words implying twisting or distortion. Retained in Dutch and Flemish; reduced to -r- in Old High German and Old Norse; represented by vr- in Danish and Swedish; still spelled -wr- in English, but the -w- ceased to be pronounced c. 1450-1700 except in dialects.
wrack (n.)
late 14c., "wrecked ship, shipwreck," probably from Middle Dutch wrak "wreck," from Proto-Germanic *wrakaz-, from root *wreg- "to push, shove, drive" (see wreak). The root sense perhaps is "that which is cast ashore." Sense perhaps influenced by Old English wræc "misery, punishment," and wrecan "to punish, drive out" (source of modern wreak). The meaning "damage, disaster, destruction" (in wrack and ruin) is from c. 1400, from the Old English word, but conformed in spelling to this one. Sense of "seaweed, etc., cast up on shore" is recorded from 1510s, probably an alteration of wreck (n.) in this sense (mid-15c.). Wrack, wreck, rack and wretch were utterly tangled in spelling and somewhat in sense in Middle and early modern English.
wrack (v.)
"to ruin or wreck" (originally of ships), 1560s, from earlier intransitive sense "to be shipwrecked" (late 15c.), from wrack (n.). Often confused in this sense since 16c. with rack (v.1) in the sense of "torture on the rack;" to wrack one's brains is thus erroneous. Related: Wracked; wracking.
wraith (n.)
1510s, "ghost," Scottish, of uncertain origin. Weekley and Century Dictionary suggest Old Norse vorðr "guardian" in the sense of "guardian angel." Klein points to Gaelic and Irish arrach "specter, apparition."
wrangle (v.)
late 14c., from Low German wrangeln "to dispute, to wrestle," related to Middle Low German wringen, from Proto-Germanic *wrang-, from *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Meaning "take charge of horses" is by 1897, American English. Related: Wrangled; wrangling. The noun is recorded from 1540s.
wrangler (n.)
1510s, "one who takes part in quarrels," agent noun from wrangle (v.). Meaning "person in charge of horses or cattle, herder" is from 1888; as a proprietary name for a brand of jeans, trademarked 1947, claiming use from 1929.
wrap (v.)
early 14c., wrappen, "to wind (something around something else), cover (something), conceal; bind up, swaddle; fold (something) up or back on itself," of uncertain origin, perhaps via Scandinavian (compare Danish dialectal vravle "to wind"), from PIE *werp- "to turn, wind," from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Or perhaps a variant of lap (v.2). To wrap up "put an end to" is from 1926. Related: Wrapped; wrapping. Wrapping paper is from 1715.
wrap (n.)
late 15c., "fine cloth used as a cover or wrapping for bread," from wrap (v.). As a type of women's garment, recorded from 1827. Meaning "plastic film or cellophane used as a wrap" is from 1930. Meaning "end of a filming session" is attested from 1970. Meaning "sandwich material folded up in flour tortilla" is by 1998. Figurative phrase under wraps "in concealment" is recorded from 1939.
wraparound (n.)
also wrap-around, 1877 as a type of garment, from verbal phrase, from wrap (v.) + around (adv.). As an adjective by 1937.
wrapper (n.)
late 15c., "piece of fine cloth used for wrapping bread," agent noun from wrap (v.). Meaning "disposable protective covering" is from 1808.
wrap-up (n.)
"summary," 1947, from the verbal phrase (see wrap (v.)).
wrasse (n.)
type of salt-water fish, 1670s, from Cornish wrach, related to Welsh gurach.
wrathful (adj.)
c. 1300, from wrath + -ful. Related: Wrathfully; wrathfulness.
wrath (n.)
Old English wræððu "anger," from wrað "angry" (see wroth) + -þu, from Proto-Germanic -itho (as in strength, width etc.; see -th (2)).
*wrād-
Proto-Indo-European root meaning "branch, root."
It forms all or part of: deracinate; eradicate; eradication; irradicable; licorice; radical; radicant; radicle; radicular; radish; ramada; ramify; ramus; rhizoid; rhizome; rhizophagous; root; rutabaga; wort.
It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Greek rhiza, Lesbian brisda "root," Greek hradamnos "branch;" Latin radix) "root, radish;" Gothic waurts, Old English wyrt; Welsh gwraidd, Old Irish fren "root."
wreak (v.)
Old English wrecan "avenge," originally "to drive, drive out, punish" (class V strong verb; past tense wræc, past participle wrecen), from Proto-Germanic *wrekanan (source also of Old Saxon wrekan, Old Norse reka, Old Frisian wreka, Middle Dutch wreken "to drive, push, compel, pursue, throw," Old High German rehhan, German rächen "to avenge," Gothic wrikan "to persecute"), from PIE root *wreg- "to push, shove, drive, track down" (see urge (v.)). Meaning "inflict or take vengeance," with on, is recorded from late 15c.; that of "inflict or cause (damage or destruction)" is attested from 1817. Compare wrack (v.). Related: Wreaked; wreaking.
wreathe (v.)
1520s (transitive), a back-formation from wrethen, Middle English past participle of writhe. Intransitive sense from 1580s. Related: Wreathed; wreathing.
wreath (n.)
Old English wriða "fillet, bandage, band" (literally "that which is wound around"), from Proto-Germanic *writh- (source also of Old Norse riða, Danish vride, Old High German ridan "to turn, twist," Old Saxon, Old Frisian wreth "angry," Dutch wreed "rough, harsh, cruel," Old High German reid "twisted," Old Norse reiða "angry"), from PIE *wreit- "to turn, bend" (source also of Old English wriða "band," wriðan "to twist, torture," wraþ "angry"), from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Meaning "ring or garland of flowers or vines" is first recorded 1560s.
wreck (v.)
"to destroy, ruin," c. 1500, from wreck (n.). Earlier (12c.) it meant "drive out or away, remove;" also "take vengeance." Intransitive sense from 1670s. Related: Wrecked; wrecking.
wreck (n.)
early 13c., "goods cast ashore after a shipwreck, flotsam," from Anglo-French wrec, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse *wrek "wreck, flotsam" (source also of Norwegian, Icelandic rek), related to reka "to drive, push," from Proto-Germanic *wrekan (see wreak (v.)). The meaning "a shipwreck" is first recorded mid-15c.; that of "a wrecked ship" is by c. 1500. General sense of "remains of anything that has been ruined" is recorded from 1713; applied by 1795 to dissipated persons. Compare wrack (v.).
wreckage (n.)
1814, "fact of being wrecked," from wreck (v.) + -age. Meaning "remains of a wrecked thing" is from 1832.
wrecker (n.)
1804, in reference to those who salvage cargos from wrecked ships, from wreck (n.). In Britain often with a overtones of "one who causes a shipwreck in order to plunder it" (1820); but in 19c. Bahamas and the Florida Keys it could be a legal occupation. Applied to those who wreck and plunder institutions from 1882. Meaning "demolition worker" attested by 1958. As a type of ship employed in salvage operations, from 1789. As a railway vehicle with a crane or hoist, from 1904.
wren (n.)
small, migratory singing bird, Old English wrenna, metathesis variation of earlier werna, a Germanic word of uncertain origin. Compare Icelandic rindill, Old High German wrendo, wrendilo "wren."
wrench (v.)
Old English wrencan "to twist," from Proto-Germanic *wrankjan (source also of Old High German renken, German renken "to twist, wrench," Old English wringan "to wring"), from PIE *wreng- "to turn" (source also of Sanskrit vrnakti "turns, twists," Lithuanian rengtis "to grow crooked, to writhe"), nasalized variant of *werg- "to turn" (source also of Latin vergere "to turn, tend toward"), from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Related: Wrenched, wrenching.
wrench (n.)
Old English wrenc "a twisting, artifice, trick;" see wrench (v.). The meaning "tool with jaws at one end for turning or holding" is first recorded 1794.
wrest (v.)
Old English wræstan "to twist, wrench," from Proto-Germanic *wraistjan (source of Old Norse reista "to bend, twist"), from *wreik- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Compare wrist.
The meaning "to pull, detach" (something) is recorded from c. 1300. Meaning "to take by force" (in reference to power, authority, etc.) is attested from early 15c. Related: Wrested; wresting.
wrestle (v.)
Old English *wræstlian, frequentative of wræstan "to wrest" (see wrest) with -el (3). Compare North Frisian wrassele, Middle Low German worstelen. Figurative sense is recorded from early 13c. Related: Wrestled; wrestling.
wrestling (n.)
Old English wræstlung, "sport of grappling and throwing," verbal noun from wrestle (v.). From c. 1300 as "action of wrestling, a wrestling match." Figurative use from c. 1200.
wrestler (n.)
late Old English, agent noun from wrestle (v.).
wretched (adj.)
c. 1200, wrecched, an irregular formation from wrecche "wretch" (see wretch). Also see wicked. Related: Wretchedly; wretchedness.
wretch (n.)
Old English wrecca "wretch, stranger, exile," from Proto-Germanic *wrakjon "pursuer; one pursued" (source also of Old Saxon wrekkio, Old High German reckeo "a banished person, exile," German recke "renowned warrior, hero"), related to Old English wreccan "to drive out, punish" (see wreak). "The contrast in the development of the meaning in Eng. and German is remarkable" [OED]. Sense of "vile, despicable person" developed in Old English, reflecting the sorry state of the outcast, as presented in Anglo-Saxon verse (such as "The Wanderer"). Compare German Elend "misery," from Old High German elilenti "sojourn in a foreign land, exile."
wriggle (v.)
late 15c., from Middle Low German wrigglen "to wriggle," from Proto-Germanic *wrig-, from *wreik- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Related to Old English wrigian "to turn, incline, go forward."
wright (n.)
Old English wryhta, wrihta (Northumbrian wyrchta, Kentish werhta) "worker," variant of earlier wyhrta "maker," from wyrcan "to work" (see work (v.)). Now usually in combinations (wheelwright, playwright, etc.) or as a surname. A common West Germanic word; cognate with Old Saxon wurhito, Old Frisian wrichta, Old High German wurhto.
The metathesis of an -r- and a vowel in words from Old English also can be seen in thrash, thresh, third, thirty, bird, wrought, and nostril.
wring (v.)
Old English wringan "press, strain, wring, twist" (class III strong verb; past tense wrang, past participle wrungen), from Proto-Germanic *wreng- (source also of Old English wringen "to wring, press out," Old Frisian wringa, Middle Dutch wringhen, Dutch wringen "to wring," Old High German ringan "to move to and fro, to twist," German ringen "to wrestle"), from *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." To wring (one's) hands "press the hands or fingers tightly together (as though wringing)" as an indication of distress or pain is attested from c. 1200.
wringer (n.)
"device for squeezing water from clothes," 1799, agent noun from wring (v.). (Earlier it meant "extortioner," c. 1300.) Figurative phrase to put (someone) through the wringer first recorded 1942, American English.
wrinkle (v.)
early 15c. (transitive), probably from stem of Old English gewrinclod "wrinkled, crooked, winding," past participle of gewrinclian "to wind, crease," from perfective prefix ge- + -wrinclian "to wind," from Proto-Germanic *wrankjan, from a nasalized variant of *werg- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Intransitive sense from 1610s. Related: Wrinkled; wrinkling.
wrinkle (n.)
"fold or crease in the external body," late 14c.; in cloth or clothing from early 15c., probably from wrinkle (v.). The meaning "defect, problem" is recorded by 1640s; that of "idea, device, notion" (especially a new one) is from 1817.
wrinkly (adj.)
early 15c. (in reference to the penis), from wrinkle (n.) + -y (2). As teen slang noun for "old person," from 1972 ("old" being relative; a British reference from 1982 applies it to people in their 40s).
wrist (n.)
Old English wrist, from Proto-Germanic *wristiz (source also of Old Norse rist "instep," Old Frisian wrist, Middle Dutch wrist, German Rist "back of the hand, instep"), from *wreik- "to turn," from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." The notion is "the turning joint." Wrist-watch is from 1889. Wrist-band is from 1570s as a part of a sleeve, 1969 as a perspiration absorber.
writ (n.)
Old English writ "something written, piece of writing," from the past participle stem of writan (see write). Used of legal documents or instruments at least since 1121.
write (v.)
Old English writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, past participle writen), from Proto-Germanic *writan "tear, scratch" (source also of Old Frisian writa "to write," Old Saxon writan "to tear, scratch, write," Old Norse rita "write, scratch, outline," Old High German rizan "to write, scratch, tear," German reißen "to tear, pull, tug, sketch, draw, design"), outside connections doubtful.
Words for "write" in most Indo-European languages originally mean "carve, scratch, cut" (such as Latin scribere, Greek graphein, glyphein, Sanskrit rikh-); a few originally meant "paint" (Gothic meljan, Old Church Slavonic pisati, and most of the modern Slavic cognates). To write (something) off (1680s) originally was from accounting; figurative sense is recorded from 1889. Write-in "unlisted candidate" is recorded from 1932.
writing (n.)
Old English writing "action of forming letters and characters," verbal noun from write (v.).
From c. 1200 as "text; body of poetry, narrative, etc. in written form; written material." From c. 1300 as "a particular text;" mid-14c. as "act of composing a written text." From late 14c. as "craft of writing;" also "one's own handwriting or penmanship." Also late 14c. in the broad sense of "system of human intercommunication by means of conventional visible marks." Also late 14c. as "act of sending a letter; a letter, message." Writing-desk is from 1610s.
writer (n.)
Old English writere "one who can write, clerk; one who produces books or literary compositions," agent noun from writan (see write (v.)). Meaning "sign-painter" is from 1837. Writer's cramp attested by 1843; writer's block by 1950.
write-up (n.)
1882, from the verbal phrase; see write (v.) + up (adv.).
writhe (v.)
Old English wriðan (transitive) "to twist or bend," earlier "to bind or fetter," from Proto-Germanic *writhanan (source also of North Frisian wrial, Old High German ridan, Old Norse riða, Middle Swedish vriþa, Middle Danish vride), from PIE *wreit-, from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Intransitive, of the body or limbs, "move in a twisting or tortuous manner," from c. 1300. Related: Writhed; writhing.
wrong (v.)
"to do wrong to," early 14c., from wrong (adj.). Related: Wronged; wronging.
wrong (adj.)
late Old English, "twisted, crooked, wry," from Old Norse rangr, earlier *vrangr "crooked, wry, wrong," from Proto-Germanic *wrang- (source also of Danish vrang "crooked, wrong," Middle Dutch wranc, Dutch wrang "sour, bitter," literally "that which distorts the mouth"), from *wrengh-, nasalized variant of *wergh- "to turn," according to Watkins from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend."
The sense of "not right, bad, immoral, unjust" developed by c. 1300. Wrong thus would be etymologically a negative of right (adj.1), which is related to Latin rectus, literally "straight." Latin pravus was literally "crooked," but most commonly "wrong, bad;" and other words for "crooked" also have meant "wrong" in Italian and Slavic. Compare French tort "wrong, injustice," from Latin tortus "twisted."
As an adverb from c. 1200. Wrong-headed is recorded by 1732. To get up on the wrong side (of the bed) "be in a bad mood" is recorded from 1801, according to OED, from its supposed influence on one's temper; it appears in Halliwell's "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words" in 1846, but doesn't seem to have been used much generally before late 1870s.
To rise on the right side (of the bed) is proverbial by 1560s indicating either good luck or a good disposition. To be on the wrong side of a given age, "older than," is from 1660s. Wrong side of the road (that reserved for oncoming traffic) is by 1838. To be from (or on) the wrong side of the tracks "from the poor part of town" is from 1921, American English.
wrong (n.)
"that which is improper or unjust," late Old English, from wrong (adj.). Meaning "an unjust action" is recorded from c. 1200. Wrong-doer is from late 14c.
wrongful (adj.)
early 14c., from wrong (n.) + -ful. Related: Wrongfully. Middle English had also the adjective wrongous.
wrongdoing (n.)
also wrong-doing, late 15c., from wrong (n.) + doing.
wrongly (adv.)
c. 1300, from wrong (adj.) + -ly (2).
wroth (adj.)
Old English wrað "angry" (literally "tormented, twisted"), from Proto-Germanic *wraith- (source also of Old Frisian wreth "evil," Old Saxon wred, Middle Dutch wret, Dutch wreed "cruel," Old High German reid, Old Norse reiðr "angry, offended"), from *wreit-, from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Rare or obsolete from early 16c. to mid-19c., but somewhat revived since, especially in dignified writing, or this:
wrought (adj.)
mid-13c., from past participle of Middle English werken (see work (v.)). Wrought iron (1703) is that which is malleable and has been brought into some form.
wry (adj.)
1520s, "distorted, somewhat twisted to one side," from obsolete verb wry "to contort, to twist or turn," from Old English wrigian "to turn, bend, move, go," from Proto-Germanic *wrig- (source also of Old Frisian wrigia "to bend," Middle Low German wrich "turned, twisted"), from PIE *wreik- "to turn" (source also of Greek rhoikos "crooked," Lithuanian raišas "lame, limping"), from root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend." Of words, thoughts, etc., from 1590s. The original sense is preserved in awry.
wryly (adv.)
wryneck (n.)
1580s, from wry + neck (n.). The bird so called from the singular manner in which is can twist the neck.
wunderkind (n.)
child prodigy (especially in music), 1883 in English (earlier as a German word in German contexts), from German Wunderkind, literally "wonder-child." For first element see wonder (n.). Second is German Kind "child" (see kind (n.)).
Wurlitzer (n.)
type of musical instrument (originally a player piano popular in silent movie theaters, later a type of jukebox), 1925, named for The Wurlitzer Company, founded near Cincinnati, Ohio, 1856 by Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831-1914), Saxon immigrant to U.S. An importer at first, he started production of pianos in 1880; coin-operated pianos in 1896.
wurst (n.)
German sausage, 1855, from German Wurst, from Old High German wurst "sausage," probably etymologically "mixture," from Proto-Germanic *wursti-, from PIE *wers- (1) "to confuse, mix up" (see war (n.)).
wuss (n.)
1982, abbreviated from wussy.
wussy (n.)
1960s, probably an alteration of pussy (n.2). DAS suggests shortened from hypothetical pussy-wussy, reduplicated form of pussy (n.1).
wuthering (adj.)
"making a sullen roar" (as the wind does), Northern England dialectal variant of Scottish and dialectal whithering "rushing, whizzing, blustering," from a verb whither (late 14c.) which was used in reference to gusts of wind and coughing fits, from Old Norse *hviðra (related to Norwegian kvidra "to go quickly to and fro," Old English hwiþa "air, breeze").
Charlotte also used forms of the word in her novels.
wyandotte (n.)
type of hen, 1884, from Wyandot, name of an Iroquoian people (1749) and their language, from French Ouendat, perhaps from Huron wendat "forest" or yandata "village," or from the people's self-designation wedat, which is perhaps a shortening of a longer form akin to Mohawk skawe:nat "one language."
wych
see witch hazel.
wynn (n.)
runic letter in Old English and early Middle English, representing "w," Old English wyn, so called for being the first letter of that word, which literally means "delight, pleasure," from Proto-Germanic *wunjo-, from suffixed form of PIE root *wen- (1) "to desire, strive for."
Wyoming
region in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from Munsee Delaware (Algonquian) chwewamink "at the big river flat," from /xw-/ "big" + /-e:wam-/ "river flat" + /-enk/ "place." Popularized by 1809 poem "Gertrude of Wyoming," set amid wars between Indians and American settlers, written by Scottish author Thomas Campbell (1777-1844), who seems to have had a vague or defective notion of Pennsylvania geography:
et cetera. Subsequently applied 19c. to other locations (in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin), and to a western territory organized July 25, 1868 (admitted as a state 1890).
wyrd
see weird.
wysiwyg
1982, computer programmer's acronym from what you see is what you get.
wyvern (n.)
c. 1600, formed (with unetymological -n) from Middle English wyver (c. 1300), from Anglo-French wivre, from Old North French form of Old French guivre "snake," from Latin vipera "viper" (see viper). In heraldry, a winged dragon with eagle's feet and a serpent's barbed tail.