Etymology dictionary
desire (n.) — detrimental (adj.)
desire (n.)
c. 1300, "a craving or yearning; an emotion directed toward attainment or possession of an object; sensual appetite, physical desire, lust," from Old French desir, from desirer (see desire (v.)). Meaning "that which is longed for" is from mid-14c.
desire (v.)
"to wish or long for, express a wish to obtain," c. 1200, desiren, from Old French desirrer (12c.) "wish, desire, long for," from Latin desiderare "long for, wish for; demand, expect," the original sense perhaps being "await what the stars will bring," from the phrase de sidere "from the stars," from sidus (genitive sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (but see consider). Related: Desired; desiring.
desirous (adj.)
"filled with desire (for something), wishing to obtain," c. 1300, from Anglo-French desirous, Old French desirros (11c., Modern French désireux), from Vulgar Latin *desiderosus, from stem of Latin desiderare (see desire (v.)).
desist (v.)
mid-15c., "refrain;" 1520s, "to stop, cease from some action or proceeding," from Latin desistere "to stand aside, leave off, cease," from de "off" (see de-) + sistere "stop, come to a stand," from PIE *si-st-, reduplicated form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." Related: Desisted; desisting.
desk (n.)
mid-14c., "table especially adapted for convenience in reading or writing," from Medieval Latin desca "table to write on" (mid-13c.), ultimately from Latin discus "quoit, platter, dish," from Greek diskos (see disk (n.)).
The Medieval Latin word is perhaps via Italian desco. Used figuratively of office or clerical work since 1797. Meaning "a department responsible for a particular subject or operation at a large organization" is by 1918, probably earlier, though it is not always possible tell whether a literal desk is meant or not. Sense of "reception desk at a hotel, etc." is by 1963. Desk job, one that is done at a desk as opposed to at a work-bench or in the field, is attested by 1900; desk-work "work done at a desk" is by 1826.
deskill (v.)
also de-skill, "alter a workplace so as no longer to require skilled workers" (usually through technology), 1941, from de- + skill. Related: Deskilled.
desktop (n.)
also desk-top, "the top of a desk," 1873, from desk + top (n.1). As an adjective meaning "suitable for use on a desktop," it is recorded by 1952 (desk-top supplies). As a shortening of desktop computer, by 1983. Desktop publishing recorded from 1984.
desmo-
before vowels desm-, word-forming element used in scientific compounds and meaning "band, bond, ligament," from Greek desmos "bond, fastening, chain," related to dein "to bind," from PIE root *dē- "to bind."
Des Moines
city in Iowa, U.S., named for French Rivière des Moines, the river that flows past it, which traditionally is derived from French des moines "of the monks," in reference to missionaries, but this probably is a fur trappers' folk-etymologizing of a name of the native people who lived there.
The place appears in a 1673 text as Moinguena, and historians believe this represents Miami-Illinois mooyiinkweena, literally "shitface," from mooy "excrement" + iinkwee "face;" a name given by the Peoria tribe (whose name has itself become a sort of insult) to their western neighbors. It is not unusual for Native American peoples to have had hostile or derogatory names for others, but this seems an extreme case.
desocialization (n.)
"act of rendering unsocial," by 1883; see de- + socialization. Related: Desocialize; desocialized (1883).
desolate (adj.)
mid-14c., of persons, "disconsolate, miserable, overwhelmed with grief, deprived of comfort;" late 14c., of persons, "without companions, solitary, lonely;" also, of places, "uninhabited, abandoned," from Latin desolatus, past participle of desolare "leave alone, desert," from de- "completely" (see de-) + solare "make lonely," from solus "alone" (see sole (adj.)). Related: Desolately; desolateness.
desolation (n.)
late 14c., desolacioun, "sorrow, grief, personal affliction;" c. 1400, "action of laying waste, destruction or expulsion of inhabitants;" from Old French desolacion (12c.) "desolation, devastation, hopelessness, despair" and directly from Church Latin desolationem (nominative desolatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of desolare "leave alone, desert," from de- "completely" (see de-) + solare "make lonely," from solus "alone" (see sole (adj.)).
Meaning "condition of being ruined or wasted, destruction" is from early 15c. Sense of "a desolated place, a devastated or lifeless region" is from 1610s.
desolate (v.)
late 14c., "render (a region or place) lonely by depopulation or devastation; lay waste, ruin," from desolate (adj.) or Latin desolatus. Meaning "overwhelm with grief, make sorry or weary by affliction" is from 1520s. Related: Desolated; desolating.
despair (n.)
c. 1300, despeir, "hopelessness, total loss of hope," from Anglo-French despeir, Old French despoir, from desperer (see despair (v.)). The native word was wanhope.
despair (v.)
"to lose hope, be without hope," mid-14c., despeiren, from Old French despeir-, stressed stem of desperer "be dismayed, lose hope, despair," from Latin desperare "to despair, to lose all hope," from de "without" (see de-) + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (from PIE root *spes- "prosperity;" see speed (n.)). Related: Despaired; despairing; despairingly.
despatch
18c. variant of dispatch (q.v.), apparently the result of an error in the printing of Johnson's dictionary.
desperation (n.)
late 14c., desperacioun, "hopelessness, lack or loss of hope" (especially in God's mercy), a sense now obsolete; c. 1400, "a desperate state of mind," from Old French désperacion or directly from Latin desperationem (nominative desperatio) "despair, hopelessness," noun of action from past-participle stem of desperare "to despair, to lose all hope," from de "without" (see de-) + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (from PIE root *spes- "prosperity;" see speed (n.)).
desperate (adj.)
c. 1400, desperat, of persons, "despairing, hopeless" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin desperatus "given up, despaired of," past participle of desperare "to despair, to lose all hope," from de "without" (see de-) + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (from PIE root *spes- "prosperity;" see speed (n.)).
Of persons, "without care for safety, extremely rash, driven to recklessness by despair," from late 15c.; weakened sense of "having a great desire for" is from 1950s. Of conditions, "extremely serious," from 1550s. Of actions, "done or resorted to without regard for consequences," 1570s. Related: Desperately; desperateness.
desperado (n.)
c. 1600, "a person in despair;" 1640s, "a desperate or reckless man;" mock-Spanish version of desperate (n.) "reckless criminal" (1560s), from Latin desperatus "given up, despaired of," past participle of desperare (see despair (v.)). There was an adjective desperado in Old Spanish, meaning "out of hope, desperate," but apparently it never was used as a noun and it probably has nothing to do with the English word.
despicable (adj.)
"that may be or deserves to be despised," 1550s, from Late Latin despicabilis, from Latin despicari "despise, disdain," which is related to despicere "to look down upon," from de- "down" (see de-) + spicere, variant of specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe"). Related: Despicability; despicably; despicableness.
despise (v.)
"look down upon, scorn, disdain, treat with contempt," c. 1300, despisen, from Old French despis-, present-participle stem of despire "to despise," from Latin despicere "look down on, scorn," from de- "down" (see de-) + spicere/specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe"). Related: Despised; despising.
despite (n., prep.)
c. 1300, despit (n.) "contemptuous challenge, defiance; act designed to insult or humiliate someone;" mid-14c., "scorn, contempt," from Old French despit (12c., Modern French dépit), from Latin despectus "a looking down on, scorn, contempt," from past participle of despicere "look down on, scorn," from de "down" (see de-) + spicere/specere "to look at" (from PIE root *spek- "to observe").
The prepositional sense "notwithstanding" (early 15c.) is short for in despite of "in defiance or contempt of" (c. 1300), a loan-translation of Anglo-French en despit de "in contempt of." It almost became despight during the 16c. spelling reform.
despoil (v.)
c. 1200, despoilen, "rob, plunder, ravage;" c. 1300, "strip off" (clothes, armor, etc.); from Old French despoillier "to strip, rob, deprive of, steal; borrow" (12c., Modern French dépouiller), from Latin despoliare "to rob, despoil, plunder," from de- "entirely" (see de-) + spoliare "to strip of clothing, rob," from spolium "skin, hide; arms, armor; booty" (see spoil (v.)). Related: Despoiled; despoiling.
despoliation (n.)
"act or fact of despoiling," 1650s, from Late Latin despoliationem (nominative despoliatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin despoliare "to rob, despoil, plunder," from de- "entirely" (see de-) + spoliare "to strip of clothing, rob," from spolium "skin, hide; arms, armor, booty" (see spoil (v.)). Earlier noun was despoilery (mid-15c.).
despondent (adj.)
"losing courage, falling into dejection," 1690s, from Latin despondentem (nominative despondens), present participle of despondere (see despondence). Related: Despondently (1670s).
despondence (n.)
"despondent condition, a sinking or dejection of spirit from loss of hope or courage in affliction or difficulty," 1670s, from Latin despondentem (nominative despondens), present participle of despondere "to give up, lose, lose heart, resign," also "to promise in marriage" (especially in phrase animam despondere, literally "give up one's soul"), etymologically "to promise to give something away," from de "away" (see de-) + spondere "to promise" (see sponsor (n.)).
despondency (n.)
"despondent condition," 1650s; see despondence + abstract noun suffix -cy.
despond (v.)
"lose heart, resolution, or hope," 1650s, from Latin despondere "to give up, lose, lose heart, resign; to promise in marriage," etymologically "to promise to give something away," from de "away" (see de-) + spondere "to promise" (see sponsor (n.)). Related: Desponding; despondingly.
despot (n.)
"absolute ruler," 1560s, in Italian form dispotto (1580s as despot); from Medieval Latin despota, from Greek despotēs "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler," from PIE *dems-pota- "house-master," from the genitive of the root *dem- "house, household" + second element from PIE root *poti- "powerful; lord." The compound might be prehistoric; compare Sanskrit dampati- "lord."
Originally in English in reference to Byzantine rulers or Christian rulers in Ottoman provinces and often neutral. But it had been faintly pejorative in Greek (ruler of an un-free people), and it was used in various languages for Roman emperors. It became fully negative with the French Revolution, where it was applied to Louis XVI. In English the sense of "one who governs according to his own will, under a recognized right but uncontrolled by constitutional restrictions or the wishes of his subjects" is by 1610s; by c. 1800 it was used generally for "a tyrant, an oppressor."
The Greek female equivalent was despoina "lady, queen, mistress," source of the fem. proper name Despina.
despotism (n.)
1751, "absolute power, unrestricted and unlimited authority," from French despotisme; see despot + -ism. By 1794 as "a political system based on an arbitrary government."
despotic (adj.)
"pertaining to or of the nature of a despot or despotism," 1640s, from French despotique (14c.), from Greek despotikos, from despotēs "absolute ruler" (see despot). By 1734, "unlimited, arbitrary, tyrannical." In 18c. also despotick. Related: Despotical; despotically.
dessert (n.)
"a service of fruits and sweets at the close of a meal," c. 1600, from French dessert (mid-16c.) "last course," literally "removal of what has been served," from desservir "clear the table," literally "un-serve," from des- "remove, undo" (see dis-) + Old French servir "to serve" (see serve (v.)). Dessert-wine is from 1733; dessert-spoon from 1776.
destabilization (n.)
also destabilisation, "a depriving of stability," by 1919, noun of action from destabilize.
destabilize (v.)
also destabilise, "deprive of stability," 1928 in a chemistry and physics sense; earlier (1919) with reference to political systems, commercial markets, etc.; see de- + stabilize. Related: Destabilized; destabilizing.
destination (n.)
1590s, "act of appointing, designation," from Latin destinationem (nominative destinatio) "purpose, design," from past-participle stem of destinare "determine, appoint, choose, make firm or fast," from de- "completely, formally" (see de-) + -stinare (related to stare "to stand") from PIE *steno-, suffixed form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."
From 1650s as "purpose for which anything is intended or appointed." Meaning "predetermined end of a journey, voyage, or transmission" (1813) is short for place of destination (1787) "place to which a thing is appointed or directed."
destine (v.)
mid-14c., destinen, "set apart, ordain or appoint to a use," from Old French destiner (12c.), from Latin destinare "make fast or firm, establish," from de- "completely, formally" (see de-) + -stinare (related to stare "to stand") from PIE *steno-, suffixed form of root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm."
Originally in English of the actions of deities, fate, etc.; of human choices or actions, "predetermine, as by divine decree," from early 16c. Related: Destined.
destiny (n.)
mid-14c., "fate, over-ruling necessity, the irresistible tendency of certain events to come about; inexorable force that shapes and controls lives and events;" also "that which is predetermined and sure to come true," from Old French destinée "purpose, intent, fate, destiny; that which is destined" (12c.), noun use of fem. past participle of destiner, from Latin destinare "make firm, establish" (see destination).
The sense is of "that which has been firmly established," as by fate. Especially "what is to befall any person or thing in the future" (mid-15c.). In Greek and Roman mythology, personified as the three Fates or powers supposed to preside over human life.
destitution (n.)
early 15c., destitucioun, "deprivation, loss, absence of something desired," from Old French destitution and directly from Latin destitutionem (nominative destitutio) "a forsaking, deserting," from destitutus, past participle of destituere "forsake," from de "away" (see de-) + statuere "put, place," causative of stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." The meaning "absence of means or resources, indigence, poverty" is from c. 1600.
destitute (adj.)
c. 1400, "abandoned, forsaken," from Latin destitutus "abandoned," past participle of destituere "forsake," from de "away" (see de-) + statuere "put, place," causative of stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." Originally literal; of persons, "forlorn, hopeless," 1510s; sense of "lacking resources, without means, impoverished, indigent" is by 1530s. As a noun, "severely impoverished persons collectively," 1737.
destrier (n.)
also destrer, "riding horse of a noble breed, war horse," c. 1300, from Old French destrer, destrier (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *dextrarius "led by the right hand," from Latin dextra, fem. of dexter "right (hand)" (from PIE root *deks- "right; south"). So called because it was led at the right hand until wanted in battle. The spelling destrer was usual in Middle English; destrier was used later, in deliberately archaic or historic contexts.
destroy (v.)
c. 1200, destruien, later destroien, "to overthrow, lay waste, ruin," from Old French destruire "destroy, ravage, lay waste" (12c., Modern French détruire), from Vulgar Latin *destrugere (source of Italian distruggere), refashioned (influenced by destructus), from Latin destruere "tear down, demolish," literally "un-build," from de "un-, down" (see de-) + struere "to pile, build" (from PIE *streu-, extended form of root *stere- "to spread").
From c. 1300 as "to kill, slay," also "to pull down, demolish" (what has been built); also "bring to naught, put an end to." Related: Destroyed; destroying.
destroyer (n.)
late 14c., destruier, destroier, "a plunderer, a killer," agent noun from the verb in English (see destroy) and from Old French destruiere, from destruire.
As a type of small, fast warship, 1894, short for torpedo-boat destroyer (1885); their original purpose was to guard battleships and commercial ships against attacks from small, swift torpedo-boats (a name attested from 1864 in the American Civil War). An important design modification of the torpedo-boat, confusingly, was named "Destroyer," designed by John Ericsson and launched late in 1878 in New York but never brought in service in the U.S. Navy. The class has been generally called destroyers since World War I, when their chief purpose shifted to escort work and attacking submarines.
destruct (v.)
"to destroy," 1958, probably a back-formation from destruction in the jargon of U.S. aerospace and defense workers to refer to deliberate destruction of a missile in flight by a friendly agent; popularized 1966 in form self-destruct in the voice-over at the beginning of TV spy drama "Mission Impossible." OED records an isolated use of destructed from 17c., in this case probably from Latin destructus, past participle of destruere.
destructible (adj.)
"capable of being destroyed," 1704, from Late Latin destructibilis, from Latin destruct-, past-participle stem of destruere "tear down, demolish," literally "un-build," from de "un-, down" (see de-) + struere "to pile, build" (from PIE *streu-, extended form of root *stere- "to spread").
destructive (adj.)
"causing destruction, tending to destroy," late 15c. (Caxton), from Old French destructif (14c.), from Late Latin destructivus, from destruct-, past-participle stem of Latin destruere "to tear down, demolish" (see destroy). Related: Destructively; destructiveness.
destruction (n.)
c. 1300, destruccioun "ruin;" early 14c., "act of destroying, devastation; state of being destroyed," from Old French destruction (12c.) and directly from Latin destructionem (nominative destructio) "a pulling down, destruction," noun of action from past-participle stem of destruere "tear down, demolish," literally "un-build," from de "un-, down" (see de-) + struere "to pile, build" (from PIE *streu-, extended form of root *stere- "to spread"). Meaning "cause of destruction" is from late 14c.
desuetude (n.)
"discontinuance of use, practice, custom, or fashion," mid-15c., from Latin desuetudo "disuse," from desuetus, past participle of desuescere "become unaccustomed to," from de "away, from" (see de-) + suescere "become used to, accustom, habituate," from PIE *swdh-sko-, from extended form of root *s(w)e- pronoun of the third person and reflexive (referring back to the subject of a sentence); see idiom. From 1630s as "state of disuse."
desultory (adj.)
1580s, "skipping about, jumping, flitting" in a figurative sense, from Latin desultorius "hasty, casual, superficial," adjective form of desultor (n.) "a rider in the circus who jumps from one horse to another while they are in gallop," from desul-, stem of desilire "jump down," from de "down" (see de-) + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient (adj.)). Sense of "irregular, without aim or method, swerving from point to point" is from 1740. Related: Desultorily; desultoriness.
detach (v.)
1680s, "unfasten, disunite" (transitive), especially "separate for a special purpose or service," from French détacher "to detach, untie," from Old French destachier, from des- "apart" (see des-) + attachier "attach" (see attach). Related: Detached; detaching.
detachment (n.)
1660s, "action of detaching or disconnecting," from French détachement (17c.), from détacher (see detach). Meaning "that which is detached," especially "portion of a military force detailed for special service or purpose" is from 1670s. Sense of "spiritual separation from the world, aloofness from objects or circumstances" is from 1798.
detachable (adj.)
"capable of being separated," 1797; see detach + -able. Related: Detachability.
detail (n.)
c. 1600, "attention to particulars," from French détail, from Old French detail "small piece or quantity," literally "a cutting in pieces," from detaillier "cut in pieces" (12c.), from de- "entirely" (see de-) + taillier "to cut in pieces" (see tailor).
French en détail "piece by piece, item by item" (as opposed to en gros), a commercial term used where we would today use retail, expanded the senses of the noun. Meaning "a minute account or narrative" is from 1690s; that of "an individual part, a particular" is from 1786. In fine arts, "a small, subordinate part," by 1823.
Military sense of "selection of an individual or body of troops for a particular service" is from 1708, from the notion of "distribution in detail of the daily orders first given in general," including assignment of specific duties.
detail (v.)
1630s, "relate or narrate in particulars," from French dtailler "cut up in pieces; narrate in particulars," from Old French detaillier "cut in pieces" (12c.), from de- "entirely" (see de-) + taillier "to cut in pieces" (see tailor (n.)). Meaning "divide or set off" (especially for military duty) is from 1793. Related: Detailed; detailing.
detainer (n.)
1530s, "one who detains," agent noun from detain. As a legal term, "a detaining in one's possession" (what belongs to another), 1610s, from Anglo-French detener, from Old French detenir (noun use of infinitive).
detain (v.)
early 15c. (implied in deteined), "keep back or away, withhold," from Old French detenir "to hold off, keep back" (12c.), from Latin detinere "hold off, keep back," from de "from, away" (see de-) + tenere "to hold" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").
Legal sense of "to hold in custody" is from late 15c. (late 13c. in Anglo-French). Meaning "keep or restrain from proceeding" is from 1590s. Modern spelling is 17c., from influence of contain, retain, etc. Related: Detained; detaining.
detainment (n.)
"act of detaining," 1580s; see detain + -ment.
detainee (n.)
"person held in legal custody," 1914, from detain + -ee.
detect (v.)
early 15c., "uncover, lay bare, expose, disclose, reveal," a sense now obsolete, from Latin detectus, past participle of detegere "uncover, expose," figuratively "discover, reveal, disclose," from de "un-, off" (see de-) + tegere "to cover," from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover."
Sense of "to find out the secret action or character of" is from 1580s. Meaning "discover, find out, ascertain" is from 1756. Related: Detected; detecting.
detection (n.)
early 15c., "accusation," from Late Latin detectionem (nominative detectio) "an uncovering, a revealing," noun of action from past-participle stem of detegere "uncover, expose," figuratively "discover, reveal, disclose," from de "un-, off" (see de-) + tegere "to cover," from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover." From 1610s as "discovery, finding by search or observation," especially "act of finding out and bringing to light."
detective (n.)
"one whose occupation is to investigate matters as to which information is desired, especially concerning wrong-doers, and to obtain evidence against them," 1828, short for detective police, from detective (adj.) "fitted for or skilled in detecting" (by 1828); see detect + -ive.
detectable (adj.)
"that may be detected," 1650s; see detect + -able.
detector (n.)
1540s, "one who detects," from Latin detector "uncoverer, revealer," agent noun from detectus, past participle of detegere "to uncover, expose," figuratively "discover, reveal, disclose" (see detect). From 1833 as "instrument or device for indicating the presence or state of a thing," originally an arrangement in a lock supposed to indicate attempts to tamper with it.
detente (n.)
1908 as a political term, "an easing of hostility or tensions between countries," a borrowing of French détente "loosening, slackening," from Vulgar Latin *detendita, fem. past participle of Latin detendere "loosen, release," from de "from, away" (see de-) + tendere "stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). The reference is to a "relaxing" in a political situation.
Treated as a French word in English until mid-20c. The French word was earlier borrowed as detent (1680s) "catch which regulates the strike in a clock" (a French extended use of the word in its secondary sense "catch of a crossbow," which releases the tension in the string and discharges the bolt).
detention (n.)
mid-15c., detencioun, "act of keeping back or withholding," from Old French détention (13c.) and directly from Late Latin detentionem (nominative detentio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin detinere "hold back, keep off" (see detain).
Sense of "confinement, restraint, state of being detained" is by 1570s (in reference to Mary Queen of Scots). In reference to "a keeping in" as a school punishment, from 1857.
deter (v.)
1570s, "discourage and stop by fear," from Latin deterrere "to frighten from, discourage from," from de "away" (see de-) + terrere "frighten, fill with fear" (see terrible). Meaning "stop or prevent from acting or proceeding by any countervailing motive" is from 1590s. Related: Deterred; deterring.
deterge (v.)
"to cleanse, clear away foul or offensive matter from," 1620s, from French déterger (16c.), from Latin detergere "to wipe away, cleanse," from de "off, away" (see de-) + tergere "to rub, polish, wipe," which is of uncertain origin. Related: Deterged; deterging.
detergent (n.)
"detergent substance," 1670s, from detergent (adj.). Originally a medical term; application to "chemical cleansing product" is by 1932.
detergent (adj.)
"cleansing, purging," 1610s, from Latin detergentem (nominative detergens), present participle of detergere "to wipe away, cleanse," from de "off, away" (see de-) + tergere "to rub, polish, wipe," which is of uncertain origin. Originally a medical term.
deterioration (n.)
"a growing or making worse," 1650s, possibly a native formation, or else from French détérioration (15c.), noun of action from détériorer, from Late Latin deteriorare "get worse; make worse" (see deteriorate).
deteriorate (v.)
1640s, transitive, "make worse, reduce in quality," from Late Latin deterioratus, past participle of deteriorare "get worse; make worse," from Latin deterior "worse, lower, inferior, meaner," contrastive of *deter "bad, lower," from PIE *de-tero-, from demonstrative stem *de- (see de). Intransitive sense "grow worse, degenerate" is by 1758. Related: Deteriorated; deteriorating.
determination (n.)
mid-14c., determinacioun, "decision, sentence in a suit at law, definite or authoritative judicial settlement," from Old French déterminacion "determination, settlement, definition" (14c.) and directly from Medieval Latin determinationem (nominative determinatio) "conclusion, boundary," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to" (see determine).
Meaning "action of definitely ascertaining" is from 1670s; that of "result ascertained, a conclusion" is from 1560s. As "fixed direction toward a goal or terminal point," from 1650s, originally in physics or anatomy; metaphoric sense "fixation of will toward a goal, state of mental resolution with regard to something" is from 1680s; general sense of "quality of being resolute, fixedness of purpose as a character trait" is by 1822.
determinative (adj.)
"having power or tendency to fix or decide," 1650s, from French déterminatif (15c.), from Latin determinat-, past-participle stem of determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to" (see determine). Meaning "serving to determine the precise kind of a thing" is from 1690s. As a noun, "that which determines," from 1832.
determinate (adj.)
late 14c., "having defined limits, definite, defined, specific," from Latin determinatus, past participle of determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to" (see determine). Also "fixed in mind" (mid-15c.).
determinant
c. 1600 (adj.), "serving to determine;" 1680s (n.), "that which fixes, defines, or establishes (something);" from Latin determinantem (nominative determinans), present participle of determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to," from de "off" (see de-) + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit" (see terminus).
determined (adj.)
late 14c., "bound, limited, restricted;" 1560s, "decided," past-participle adjective from determine. Meaning "characterized by resolution" is from c. 1600, of actions; 1772, of persons. The earlier adjective in this sense was determinate. To be determined "have come to a decision, be resolved" is from 1510s. Related: Determinedly.
determinism (n.)
1846, introduced by William Hamilton for "doctrine of the necessitarian philosophers" (who hold that human action is not free but necessarily determined by motives, regarded as external forces acting on the will or character of the person). See determine + -ism.
From 1876 in general sense of "doctrine that everything happens is determined by a necessary chain of causation," from French déterminisme, from German Determinismus, perhaps a back-formation from Praedeterminismus.
determine (v.)
late 14c., determinen, "to settle, decide upon; state definitely; fix the bounds of; limit in time or extent," also "come to a firm decision or definite intention" (to do something), from Old French determiner (12c.) and directly from Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to," from de "off" (see de-) + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit" (see terminus).
Meaning "render judgment" is from early 15c. Sense of "give direction or tendency to" is from early 15c. Meaning "to find (as the solution of a problem)" is from 1640s. Related: Determined; determining; determiner.
determinable (adj.)
c. 1400, "definite;" mid-15c., in law, "capable of being decided or settled;" from Old French determinable, from Late Latin determinabilis "that has an end," from stem of Latin determinare "to enclose, bound, set limits to," from de "off" (see de-) + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit" (see terminus). Meaning "capable of being ascertained" is from 1650s. Related: Determinability.
determinist (n.)
"one who holds the doctrine of determinism," by 1833, probably from German determinist (by 1802); see determinism + -ist.
deterministic (adj.)
"pertaining with or imbued with the philosophy of determinism," 1845, from determinist (see determinism) + -ic.
deterrence (n.)
1788, "act of deterring; that which deters;" see deterrent + -ence. In a Cold War context (1955), "the strategy of demonstrating the will to inflict punitive damage in hopes of convincing the enemy to refrain from an action." Out of it naturally grew the concept of assured destruction.
deterrent
1829, adjective ("having the power or tendency to deter") and noun ("that which deters or tends to deter"), in Bentham, from Latin deterrentem, present participle of deterrere "to frighten from, discourage from," from de "away" (see de-) + terrere "frighten, fill with fear" (see terrible). In reference to nuclear weapons, from 1954.
detestation (n.)
"extreme dislike, hatred, abhorrence, loathing," early 15c., detestacioun, from Old French detestation (14c.) and directly from Latin detestationem (nominative detestatio) "execration, detestation," noun of action from past-participle stem of detestari "to curse, execrate, abominate, express abhorrence for," literally "denounce with one's testimony," from de "from, down" (see de-) + testari "be a witness," from testis "witness" (see testament).
detest (v.)
1530s, "execrate, hate, dislike intensely," also "to curse, to call God to witness and abhor," from French détester, from Latin detestari "to curse, execrate, abominate, express abhorrence for," literally "denounce with one's testimony," from de "from, down" (see de-) + testari "be a witness," from testis "witness" (see testament). Related: Detested; detesting.
detestable (adj.)
"abominable, very odious," early 15c., from Old French detestable (14c.) and from Latin detestabilis "execrable, abominable," from detestari "to curse, execrate, abominate, express abhorrence for," literally "denounce with one's testimony," from de "from, down" (see de-) + testari "be a witness," from testis "witness" (see testament). Related: Detestably; detestableness.
dethrone (v.)
c. 1600, "remove or drive from a throne, depose;" see de- (privative) + throne. Figurative sense "divest of power or authority" is from 1640s. Related: Dethroned; dethroning.
dethronement (n.)
"act or fact of removing from a throne or deposing from power," 1707; see dethrone + -ment.
detonation (n.)
1670s, "explosion accompanied by loud sound," from French détonation, from Medieval Latin detonationem (nominative detonatio), from Latin detonare "to thunder down, to release one's thunder, roar out," from de "down" (see de-) + tonare "to thunder" (see thunder (n.)). Sense of "act of causing to explode" (mid-18c.) developed in French.
detonate (v.)
1729, intransitive, "explode suddenly and loudly," a back-formation from detonation, or else from Latin detonatus, past participle of detonare. Transitive sense of "cause to explode" is by 1801. Related: Detonated; detonating.
detonator (n.)
"that which causes (something) to explode," 1820, agent noun in Latin form from detonate. For suffix, see -er (1).
detour (v.)
1835, "make a detour" (intransitive); 1897, "send on a detour" (transitive), from detour (n.). Related: Detoured; detouring.
detour (n.)
"a roundabout or circuitous way," 1738, from French détour, from Old French destor "side road, byway; evasion, excuse," from destorner "turn aside," from des- "aside" (see dis-) + tourner "to turn" (see turn (v.)). In 18c. usually figurative. Usually treated as a French word in English (with italics and the accent mark) until late 19c.
detoxicate (v.)
1867, "deprive of poisonous qualities;" see de- + toxic + -ate (2). Related: Detoxicated; detoxicating.
detox
1972 as a verb, "subject (someone) with an addiction to detoxification," a colloquial abbreviation of detoxify; 1975 as a noun, "place for the treatment of alcoholics and drug addicts," a colloquial abbreviation of detoxification (center, facility, etc.).
detoxification (n.)
1905, of substances, "action of depriving of poisonous qualities;" 1971, "removal of addictive substances from the body," originally in reference to habitual heavy drinkers of alcohol; see detoxify + noun ending -ation. As a type of alternative health treatment, by 1997.
detoxify (v.)
1905, "remove poisonous qualities from;" see de- + toxic + -fy. Earlier in the same sense was detoxicate (1867). Of persons, "treat to remove the effects of alcohol or drugs as a step to ending addiction," by 1970. Related: Detoxified; detoxifying.
detract (v.)
early 15c., detracten, "disparage, defame, slander," from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere "to take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)). Literal sense of "take away, withdraw" (c. 1500) is rare in English. Related: Detracted; detracting.
detraction (n.)
mid-14c., detraccioun, "the vice of slandering;" late 14c., "act of disparaging or belittling, act of depreciating the powers or performance of another;" from Old French detraccion "detraction, disparagement, denigration" (12c.) and directly from Latin detractionem (nominative detractio) "a drawing off," from past-participle stem of detrahere "take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)).
detractor (n.)
"one who takes away from or injures the good name of another," late 14c., from Anglo-French detractour, Old French detractor "detractor, backbiter" and directly from Latin detractor, agent noun from detrahere "take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)). The fem. form detractress is attested from 1716 (Addison).
detriment (n.)
early 15c., "incapacity;" mid-15c., "any harm or injury," from Old French détriment or directly from Latin detrimentum "a rubbing off; a loss, damage, defeat," from past-participle stem of detere "to wear away," figuratively "to weaken, impair," from de "away" (see de-) + terere "to rub, wear" (from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn"). Meaning "that which causes harm or injury" is from c. 1500.
detrimental (adj.)
1650s, "injurious, hurtful, causing harm or damage;" see detriment + -al (1). In 19c. society slang also a noun, "an ineligible suitor, one who through poverty or unseriousness wastes the time of a young woman seeking marriage" (1831). Related: Detrimentally.