Etymology dictionary

diagnoses (n.) — dietary (adj.)

"to ascertain or determine (a disease) from its symptoms," 1861, back-formation from diagnosis (q.v.) on the model of metamorphose, etc. Earlier was diagnosticate (by 1834). Related: Diagnosed; diagnosing.

diagnosis (n.)

"scientific discrimination," especially in pathology, "the recognition of a disease from its symptoms," 1680s, medical Latin application of Greek diagnōsis "a discerning, distinguishing," from stem of diagignōskein "discern, distinguish," literally "to know thoroughly" or "know apart (from another)," from dia "between" (see dia-) + gignōskein "to learn, to come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know."

diagnostic (adj.)

1620s, "of or pertaining to diagnosis," also as a noun, "a symptom of value in diagnosis," from Greek diagnōstikos "able to distinguish," from diagnōstos, verbal adjective from diagignōskein "to discern, distinguish," literally "to know thoroughly" or "know apart (from another)," from dia "between" (see dia-) + gignōskein "to learn, to come to know," from PIE root *gno- "to know." Related: Diagnostics.

diagonal (adj.)

early 15c. (implied in diagonally), "extending as a line from one angle to another not adjacent," from Old French diagonal, from Latin diagonalis, from diagonus "slanting line," from Greek diagonios "from angle to angle," from dia "across, through" (see dia-) + gōnia "angle, corner" (from PIE root *genu- (1) "knee; angle").

As a noun, from 1570s, "straight line drawn from one angle to or through another not adjacent, in a plane or solid figure." In chess, "a line of squares running diagonally across a board."

diagram (n.)

1610s, "an illustrative figure giving only the outlines or general scheme of the object;" 1640s in geometry, "a drawing for the purpose of demonstrating the properties of a figure;" from French diagramme, from Latin diagramma "a scale, a musical scale," from Greek diagramma "geometric figure, that which is marked out by lines," from diagraphein "mark out by lines, delineate," from dia "across, through" (see dia-) + graphein "write, mark, draw" (see -graphy). Related: Diagrammatic; diagrammatically.

The verb, "to draw or put in the form of a diagram," is by 1822, from the noun. Related: Diagrammed; diagramming.

diagraph (n.)

"instrument for drawing objects without the need for artistic skill," 1847; see dia- + -graph.

Earlier it meant "a description" (by 1798).

dial (n.)

early 15c., "sundial, instrument for indicating the hour of the day by means of a shadow thrown upon a graduated surface," earlier "dial of a compass" (mid-14c.), from Old French dyal, apparently from Medieval Latin dialis "daily," from Latin dies "day," from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine." The word perhaps was abstracted from a phrase such as Medieval Latin rota dialis "daily wheel."

It evolved to mean any round plate or face over which a pointer moves to indicate something about the machinery to which it is attached. Sense of "face of a clock (or later a watch), upon which hours and minutes are marked and over which the hands move" is from mid-15c.

Telephone sense "circular plate marked with numbers and letters which can be rotated to establish connection" is from 1879, which led to dial tone (1921), "the signal to begin dialing." Dial-plate is attested from 1680s.

dial (v.)

1650s, "to work with aid of a dial or compass; measure with or as with a dial," from dial (n.). Sense of "rotate the dial plate of a telephone to indicate the number to which a connection is to be established" is from 1921. Related: Dialed; dialing.

dialectic (adj.)

1640s, "relating to the art of reasoning about probabilities," from Latin dialecticus, from Greek dialektikos "of conversation, discourse," from dialektos "discourse, conversation" (see dialect). From 1813 as "of or pertaining to a dialect or dialects."

dialectal (adj.)

"of or relating to dialect, of the nature of a dialect," 1819, from dialect + -al (1). Related: Dialectally.

dialectic (n.)

1580s, earlier dialatik (late 14c.), "critical examination of the truth of an opinion, formal reason and logic applied to rhetoric and refutation," from Old French dialectique (12c.) and directly from Latin dialectica, from Greek dialektike (techne) "(art of) philosophical discussion or discourse," fem. of dialektikos "of conversation, discourse," from dialektos "discourse, conversation" (see dialect).

Originally synonymous with logic; in modern philosophy refined by Kant ("the theory of false argumentation leading to contradictions and fallacies), then by Hegel, who made it mean "process of resolving or merging contradictions in character to attain higher truths." Used generally in 20c. Marxism for "evolution by means of contradictions." Related: Dialectics.

dialect (n.)

1570s, "language, speech, mode of speech," especially "form of speech of a region or group, idiom of a locality or class" as distinguished from the general accepted literary language, also "one of a number of related modes of speech regarded as descended from a common origin," from French dialecte, from Latin dialectus "local language, way of speaking, conversation," from Greek dialektos "talk, conversation, speech;" also "the language of a country, dialect," from dialegesthai "converse with each other, discuss, argue," from dia "across, between" (see dia-) + legein "speak" from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak (to 'pick out words')").

dialectical (adj.)

1540s, " of or pertaining to logical disputation, relating to the art of reasoning;" see dialectic + -al (1). From 1750 as "of or pertaining to a dialect." From 1788 as "of the nature of philosophical dialectic" (in reference to Kant, later to Hegel and Marx). Related: Dialectally. Dialectical materialism (by 1927) translates Marx's phrase.

dialling (n.)

also dialing, 1560s, "the art of constructing dials," hence "the science of measuring time with a sundial;" verbal noun from dial. Related: Dialist.

dialog

see dialogue.

dialogic (adj.)

"pertaining to or of the nature of a dialogue," 1833; see dialogue (n.) + -ic. Related: Dialogical (c. 1600).

dialogue (v.)

"to discourse together," c. 1600, from dialogue (n.). Related: Dialogued; dialoguing.

dialogue (n.)

c. 1200, "literary work consisting of a conversation between two or more persons," from Old French dialoge and directly from Latin dialogus, from Greek dialogos "conversation, dialogue," related to dialogesthai "converse," from dia "across, between" (see dia-) + legein "to speak" (from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak (to 'pick out words')").

The sense was extended by c. 1400 to "a conversation between two or more persons." The mistaken belief that it can mean only "conversation between two persons" is from confusion of dia- and di- (1); the error goes back to at least 1532, when trialogue was coined needlessly for "a conversation between three persons." And compare quadrilogue "dialogue of four speakers" (late 15c.), in the title of the English translation of "Quadrilogue invectif," which consists of an allegorical dialogue between the Three Estates and a personified France.

A word that has been used for "conversation between two persons" and cannot mean otherwise is the hybrid duologue (1864).

dial-up (adj.)

1961 in reference to a data transmission link via public telephone network, from the verbal phrase; see dial (v.) + up (adv.).

dialysis (n.)

1580s, in logic and grammar, in the latter "division of one syllable into two," from Latin, from Greek dialysis "dissolution, separation" (used of the disbanding of troops, a divorce, etc.), from dialyein "dissolve, separate," from dia "apart" + lyein "loosen" (from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart").

Chemistry sense of "process by which particles are selectively removed from a liquid by consequence of their differing capacity to pass through a membrane into another liquid" is from 1861; the specific sense in medicine, "process of blood purification by allowing it to pass through a membrane" is by 1914. Related: Dialytic. The verb dialyze was formed from the noun on the model of analyze, etc.

diamante (adj.)

"powdered glass or crystal," by 1904, from French diamanté, past participle of diamanter "to set with diamonds," from Old French diamant (see diamond). Diamante also was a Middle English form of diamond.

diameter (n.)

late 14c., in geometry, "chord of a circle or sphere which passes through its center; the length of a diameter," from Old French diametre, from Latin diametrus, from Greek diametros (gramme) "diagonal of a circle," from dia "across, through" (see dia-) + metron "a measure" (from PIE root *me- (2) "to measure").

diametrically (adv.)

1630s, "completely, in an extreme degree" (with opposed, contrary, etc.), from diametrical (see diametric + -al (1)) + -ly (2). Originally and mostly in figurative use: the two points that mark the ends of a line of diameter are opposite one another. Diametrical opposition translates Aristotle's phrase for "extreme opposition."

diametral (adj.)

1550s, "pertaining to a diameter," from Old French diametral (14c.), from Medieval Latin diametralis, from diametrus (see diameter).

diametric (adj.)

"of or pertaining to a diameter," 1802, probably shortened from diametrical (1550s); see diameter + -ical.

diamond (n.)

mid-14c., diamaunt, diamond, "extremely hard and refractive precious stone made of pure or nearly pure carbon," from Old French diamant, from Medieval Latin diamantem (nominative diamas), from Vulgar Latin *adiamantem (which was subsequently altered by influence of the many Greek words in dia-), from Latin adamantem (nominative adamans) "the hardest metal," later, "diamond," from Greek adamas (genitive adamantos), name of a hypothetical hardest material, noun use of an adjective meaning "unbreakable, inflexible," a word of uncertain origin (see adamant (n.)).

From early 15c. as "person of great worth" (a sense also in Latin). From late 15c. as "geometric figure of four equal straight lines forming two acute and two obtuse angles." From 1590s as "playing-card stamped with one or more red diamonds." In baseball, "square space enclosed within the four bases," is American English, by 1875. As an adjective "resembling, consisting of, or set with diamonds," from 1550s.

Diana

c. 1200, ancient Italian goddess of the moon, patroness of virginity and hunting, later identified with Greek Artemis, and through her with eastern goddesses such as Diana of Ephesus. From Late Latin Diana, on Old Latin Jana. The name is explained as *Diwjana, from *diw-yo-, from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god," in reference to the shining moon, or from dius "godly."

dianetics (n.)

1950, coined by U.S. writer L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). In "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" (1950), the glossary connects the word to Greek dianoua "thought." "Self Analysis" by Hubbard (1951) quotes an etymology said to have been added to the Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary: "Gr. dianoetikos--dia, through plus noos, mind."

There was an earlier dianoetic (1670s) "of or pertaining to thought," from Greek dianoetikos "of or for thinking; intellectual," from dianoetos, verbal adjective from dianoe-esthai "to think," from dia- "through" (see dia-) + noe-ein "to think, suppose," from noos "mind," which is of uncertain origin.

Dianthus (n.)

large genus of flowering plants including carnations, 1849, from Modern Latin (Linnaeus), literally "flower of Zeus," from Greek Dios, genitive of Zeus "Zeus" (see Zeus) + anthos "flower" (see anther).

diaper (n.)

mid-14c., "costly silken fabric of one color having a repeated pattern of the same color woven into it," from Old French diapre, diaspre "ornamental cloth; flowered, patterned silk cloth," perhaps via Medieval Latin diasprum from Medieval Greek diaspros "thoroughly white," or perhaps "white interspersed with other colors," from dia "thoroughly" (see dia-) + aspros "white."

Aspros originally meant "rough," and was applied to the raised parts of coins (among other things), and thus it was used in Byzantine Greek to mean "silver coin," from which the bright, shiny qualities made it an adjective for whiteness.

The sense of the English word descended through "textile fabric having a pattern not strongly defined and repeated at short intervals," especially, since 15c., of linen where the pattern is indicated only by the direction of the thread, the whole being white or in the unbleached natural color.

By 1590s this led to a sense "towel, napkin or cloth of diaper;" the main modern sense of "square piece of cloth for swaddling the bottoms of babies" is by 1837 and became common in 20c. Also "any pattern constantly repeated over a relatively large surface" (by 1851).

diaper (v.)

late 14c., diapren, "to put a small, repeated pattern on (a cloth)," from Old French diaprer, variant of diasprer, from diaspre (see diaper (n.)). Meaning "to put a diaper on" (a baby) is attested by 1951. Related: Diapered; diapering.

diaphanous (adj.)

"transmitting light, transparent," 1610s, from Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Greek diaphanes "transparent," from dia "through" (see dia-) + phainesthai, middle voice form (subject acting on itself) of phainein "bring to light, cause to appear, show," from PIE root *bha- (1) "to shine." Related: Diaphanously; diaphanousness.

diaphony (n.)

1650s, "discord," from Greek diaphonia "dissonance, discord," from diaphonos "discordant," from dia "through; throughout" (see dia-) + phone "voice, sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say." From 1834 in reference to medieval music, "earliest form of polyphony, in which two or more voices proceed in strict parallel at intervals of a fourth, fifth, or octave." Related: Diaphonic.

diaphragm (n.)

late 14c., diafragma, in anatomy, "muscular membrane which separates the thorax from the abdominal cavity in mammals," from Late Latin diaphragma, from Greek diaphragma "partition, barrier, muscle which divides the thorax from the abdomen," from diaphrassein "to barricade," from dia "across" (see dia-) + phrassein "to fence or hedge in," which is of uncertain etymology. Beekes suggests it is a substrate word and finds "no convincing correspondence outside Greek."

The native word in the anatomical sense is midriff. From 1650s as "a partition" of any kind, "something which divides or separates;" 1660s in the special sense "thin piece of metal" serving some purpose (as a sound resonator, etc.). Meaning "contraceptive cap" is from 1933. Related: Diaphragmal; diaphragmatic.

diary (n.)

1580s, "an account of daily events, a journal kept by one person of his or her experiences and observations," from Latin diarium "daily allowance," later "a journal," neuter of diarius "daily," from dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god"); also see -ary.

Sense of "a book with blank leaves or dated pages meant for keeping a daily record of events" is from c. 1600. Related: Diarial; diarian.

diarist (n.)

"one who keeps a diary," 1805; see diary + -ist. In the same sense diarian is attested from 1800.

diarize (v.)

"to record in a diary," 1803 (implied in diarized); see diary + -ize. Related: Diarizing.

diarrhea (n.)

"morbid frequent evacuation of the bowels," late 14c., diaria, from Old French diarrie, from Late Latin diarrhoea, from Greek diarrhoia "diarrhea" (coined by Hippocrates), literally "a flowing through," from diarrhein "to flow through," from dia- "through" (see dia-) + rhein "to flow" (from PIE root *sreu- "to flow"). Respelled 16c. from diarria on Latin model.

diarrheal (adj.)

also diarrhoeal, "pertaining to or resulting from diarrhea," 1650s, from diarrhea + -al (1).

diarrhetic (adj.)

"pertaining to or resulting from diarrhea," 1650s, from diarrhea + -etic. Related: Diarrhetical.

diarrhoea

variant spelling of diarrhea (q.v.); see also oe.

diaspora (n.)

1825 in reference to Moravian protestants; 1869 in reference to the dispersion of the Jews; from Greek diaspora "dispersion," from diaspeirein "to scatter about, disperse," from dia "about, across" (see dia-) + speirein "to scatter" (see sparse). The Greek word was used in Septuagint in Deuteronomy xxviii.25. A Hebrew word for it is galuth "exile." The earlier word for it in English was Latinate dispersion (late 14c.). Related: Diasporic.

diastase (n.)

enzyme or group of enzymes found in a seed and capable of converting starch into sugar, 1838, from French, coined 1833 by Payen and Persoz, from Greek diastasis "a setting apart," from dia- "across" (see dia-) + stasis "a standing," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." Related: Diastatic.

diastole (n.)

"normal rhythmic relaxation of the heart" (alternating with the systole), 1570s, from medical Latin diastole, from Greek diastole "drawing asunder, dilation," from diastellein, from dia "through; thoroughly, entirely" (see dia-) + stellein "to set in order, arrange, array, equip, make ready," from PIE *stel-yo-, suffixed form of root *stel- "to put, stand, put in order," with derivatives referring to a standing object or place. Related: Diastolic.

diatessaron (n.)

late 14c. as a term in music meaning "interval of a fourth;" 1803 in reference to harmonizings of the four gospels, especially that of Tatian (late 2c.), via Old French and Latin from Greek dia tessaron, from dia "composed of" (literally "through;" see dia-) + tessaron "four," related to tessares "the numeral four" (from PIE root *kwetwer- "four").

diatom (n.)

"microscopic unicellular algae," 1845, from Modern Latin genus name Diatoma, coined from Greek diatomos "cut in two," from diatemnein "to cut through," from dia "through" (see dia-) + temnein "to cut" (from PIE root *tem- "to cut"). So called because they typically appear to have been cut in half. Related: Diatomic; diatomaceous.

diatonic (adj.)

c. 1600, in ancient Greek music, in reference to one of the three standard tetrachords, from French diatonique, from Latin diatonicus, from Greek diatonikos, from diatonos "extending; pertaining to the diatonic scale," from dia "through, across" (see dia-) + teinein "to stretch," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." In modern music, "using tones, intervals, and harmonies of the standard major and minor scales without chromatic alteration," 1690s. Related: Diatonically.

diatribe (n.)

1640s (in Latin form in English from 1580s), "continued discourse, critical dissertation" (senses now archaic), from French diatribe (15c.) and directly from Latin diatriba "learned discussion," from Greek diatribe "employment, study," in Plato, "discourse," literally "a wearing away (of time), a waste of time," from dia "away" (see dia-) + tribein "to wear, rub," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn." For sense evolution, compare school (n.1).

The modern meaning "a strain of invective, a bitter and violent criticism" by 1804, apparently from French.

diazepam (n.)

"Valium," 1961, from (benzo)diazep(ine) + -am, apparently an arbitrary suffix. The element diazo- denotes two nitrogen atoms combined with one hydrocarbon radical.

dib

see dibs.

dibs (interj.)

children's word to express a claim on something, 1915, originally U.S., apparently from earlier senses "a portion or share" and "money" (early 19c. colloquial), probably a contraction of dibstone "a knuckle-bone or jack in a children's game" (1690s), in which the first element is of unknown origin. The game consisted of tossing up small pebbles or the knuckle-bones of a sheep and catching them alternately with the palm and the back of the hand.

dibble (n.)

"tool to make a hole in the soil (as to plant seeds)," mid-15c., probably from Middle English dibben "to dip" (c. 1300, perhaps akin to or an alteration of dip (v.)) + instrumental suffix -el (1). The verb, "make a hole with or as with a dibble," is from 1580s. Related: Dibbled; dibbling.

dice (n.)

plural of die (n.), early 14c., des, dys, plural of dy, altered 14c. to dyse, dyce, and 15c. to dice. "As in pence, the plural s retains its original breath sound, probably because these words were not felt as ordinary plurals, but as collective words" [OED]. Sometimes used as singular 1400-1700. Dice-box "box from which dice are thrown in gaming" is from 1550s.

dice (v.)

late 14c., "to cut into cubes," from dice (n.). Meaning "to play at dice" is from early 15c. Related: Diced; dicing.

dicey (adj.)

"risky, uncertain" (as the roll of dice), 1940s, aviators' jargon, from dice (n.) + -y (2). Related: Diciness.

dicephalous (adj.)

"having two heads on one body," 1808, from Latinized form of Greek dikephalos "two-headed," from di- "two" (see di- (1)) + Latinized adjectival form of Greek kephalē "head" (see cephalo-).

dicer (n.)

c. 1400, "one who plays at dice," agent noun from dice (v.) in the gaming sense. Meaning "machine or device that dices food" is by 1917.

dichotomy (n.)

c. 1600, "a cutting in two, division into two classes;" 1630s, "state of having a dual arrangement or order," from Latinized form of Greek dikhotomia "a cutting in half," from dikho-, combining form of dikha "in two, asunder" (from or related to dis "twice," from PIE root *dwo- "two") + temnein "to cut" (from PIE root *tem- "to cut"). Related: Dichotomous; dichotomously.

dick (n.)

"fellow, lad, man," 1550s, rhyming nickname for Rick, short for Richard, one of the commonest English names, it has long been a synonym for "fellow," and so most of the slang senses are probably very old, but naturally hard to find in the surviving records. The meaning "penis" is attested from 1891 in Farmer's slang dictionary (possibly British army slang). Meaning "detective" is recorded from 1908, perhaps as a shortened variant of detective. As a verb, "to bungle; to waste time," also "to cheat, treat badly," by 1969, American English (often with off or around).

The story of Dick Whittington's cat is an old one, told under other names throughout Europe, of a poor boy who sends a cat he had bought for a penny as his stake in a trading voyage; the captain sells it on his behalf for a fortune to a foreign king whose palace is overrun by rats. The hero devotes part of his windfall to charity, which may be why the legend in England has been attached since 16c. to Sir Richard Whittington (d. 1423), three times Lord Mayor of London, who died childless and devoted large sums in his will to churches, almshouses, and St. Bartholomew's Hospital.

dickens

exclamation, "the Devil!," used with the definite article, formerly with the indefinite, 1590s, apparently a substitute for devil; probably altered from Dickon, the old nickname for Richard and source of the surnames Dickens and Dickenson, but if so the exact derivation and meaning are unknown. Century Dictionary points to Low German duks, düker "the deuce," variants of deuce (see deuce).

Dickensian (adj.)

1849, "pertaining to or in the style of English novelist Charles Dickens" (1812-1870), from Dickens + -ian. The surname is "son of Dickon," an old diminutive nickname for Richard that is also the source of Dickinson, etc. Similar formation in Wilkins, Watkins, Jenkins, etc. Dickensesque is from 1856.

dickering (n.)

"trading on a small scale by bargain and barter," 1802, American English; see dicker (v.).

dicker (v.)

"haggle, bargain in a petty way," 1802 (implied in dickering), American English, perhaps from dicker (n.) "a unit or package of tens," especially hides (attested from late 13c.), a Germanic word (compare Swedish decker, Danish deger, German decher), which is perhaps from Latin decuria "parcel of ten" (supposedly a unit of barter on the Roman frontier; compare German Decher "set of ten things"), from decem "ten" (from PIE root *dekm- "ten") on model of centuria from centum.

dickhead (n.)

"stupid, contemptible person," by 1969, from dick in the "penis" sense + head (n.).

dicky (n.)

also dickie, dickey, a diminutive form of dick, used in a variety of senses whose origin, application, and connection are more or less obscure. These include: "detached shirt front worn in place of a shirt" (1811); "a leather apron" (1874); "a donkey" (1793); "a small bird," (1851, short for dicky-bird, a nursery-word attested from 1781); "seat in a carriage on which the driver sits" (1801). For at least the garment senses Century Dictionary suggests Dutch dek "a cover, a horse-cloth."

dicte (n.)

also dict, "a saying, maxim, statement," late 14c., from Latin dictum "a thing said" (see dictum). A word long obsolete, but it figures in what is probably the first book printed in English, Caxton's issue of Anthony Woodville's "Dictes and Sayings of the Philosophers."

Dictaphone (n.)

dictation recording and reproduction machine, trademarked by the Columbia Graphophone Company in 1907; from dictation + -phone. A separate company from 1923.

dictator (n.)

late 14c., dictatour, "Roman chief magistrate with absolute authority," from Old French dictator and directly from Latin dictator, agent noun from dictare "say often, prescribe," frequentative of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly").

In Latin, a dictator was a judge in the Roman republic temporarily invested with absolute power; this historical sense was the original one in English. The transferred sense of "absolute ruler, person possessing unlimited powers of government" is from c. 1600; that of "one who has absolute power or authority" of any kind, in any sphere is from 1590s.

dictate (n.)

1590s, "positive order or command;" 1610s "authoritative rule, maxim, or precept," from Latin dictatum "a thing said, something dictated," noun use of neuter past participle of dictare "say often, prescribe," frequentative of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly").

dictate (v.)

1590s, "to practice dictation, say aloud for another to write down," from Latin dictatus, past participle of dictare "say often, prescribe," frequentative of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"). Sense of "to command, declare, or prescribe with authority" is 1620s, as is the meaning "be the determining cause or motive of." Related: Dictated; dictates; dictating.

dictation (n.)

1650s, "authoritative utterance," from Late Latin dictationem (nominative dictatio) "a dictating, dictation," noun of action from past-participle stem of dictare "say often, prescribe," frequentative of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"). Meaning "act or practice of expressing orally for another to write down" is by 1727.

dictatorial (adj.)

1701, "pertaining to a dictator; absolute, unlimited;" see dictator + -ial. Meaning "imperious, overbearing" is from 1704. Related: Dictatorially. Earlier in the sense "pertaining to a dictator" were dictatorian (1640s); dictator-like (1580s). "Dictatorial implies, on the one hand, a disposition to rule, and, on the other, a sharp insistence upon having one's orders accepted or carried out." [Century Dictionary]

dictatorship (n.)

1580s, "office or term of a (Roman) dictator," from dictator + -ship. The sense of "absolute authority" evolved by late 17c.

diction (n.)

1540s, "a word," a sense now obsolete, from Late Latin dictionem (nominative dictio) "a saying, expression; a word; kind of delivery, style," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin dicere "to say, state, proclaim, make known, allege, declare positively" (source of French dire "to say"), which is related to dicare "to talk, speak, utter, make speech; pronounce, articulate," both from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly." The meaning "manner of saying," especially in reference to the choice of words, is from 1700.

Latin dicere and dicare are presumed to have been originally the same word. De Vann writes that "the verb dicāre may well have been backformed from compounds in -dicāre." The basic sense in both is "to talk, speak, declare." They seem to have divided, imperfectly, the secondary senses between them: dicere "to say, state, proclaim, make known, allege, declare positively; plead (a case);" in religion, "to dedicate, consecrate," hence, transferred from the religion sense, "give up, set apart, appropriate;" dicare "to talk, speak, utter, make speech; pronounce, articulate; to mean, intend; describe; to call, to name; appoint, set apart."

dictionary (n.)

1520s, from Medieval Latin dictionarium "collection of words and phrases," probably a shortening of dictionarius (liber) "(book) of words," from Latin dictionarius "of words," from dictio "a saying, expression," in Late Latin "a word," noun of action from past-participle stem of dicere "speak, tell, say," from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly."

The Medieval Latin word is said to have been first used by Johannes de Garlandia (John of Garland) as the title of a Latin vocabulary published c. 1220. Probably first English use in title of a book was in Sir Thomas Elyot's "Latin Dictionary" (1538).

As an adjective, "of or pertaining to a dictionary," from 1630s. Dictionarist "compiler of a dictionary" (1610s) is older than dictionarian (1806 as a noun, 1785 as an adjective). Grose's 1788 "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" has "RICHARD SNARY. A dictionary."

Dictograph (n.)

in-house, hands-free telephone system using microphones and loudspeakers, patented 1907 in U.S. by K.M. Turner and W. Donnan, from dictation + -graph in the sense of "instrument for recording."

dictum (n.)

"positive statement or assertion," often a mere saying but with implied authority, 1660s, from Latin dictum "thing said (a saying, bon-mot, prophecy, etc.), an order, a command," neuter of dictus, past participle of dicere "to say, speak" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"). In legal use, a judge's expression of opinion without argument, which is not the formal resolution of a case or determination of the court.

did (v.)

Old English dyde, past tense of do (v.). The only remainder in Germanic of the old linguistic pattern of forming a past tense by reduplication of the stem of the present tense. Far back in Germanic the equivalent of did was used as a suffix to make the past tenses of other verbs, hence the English -ed suffix (Old English -de).

didactic (adj.)

"fitted or intended for instruction; pertaining to instruction," 1650s, from French didactique, from Latinized form of Greek didaktikos "apt at teaching," from didaktos "taught," past participle of didaskein "teach," from PIE *dens- "to learn" (source also of Sanskrit dasra- "effecting miracles"). Related: Didactical; didactically.

didactics (n.)

"the science of teaching," 1836; see didactic; also see -ics.

didacticism (n.)

"practice of conveying instruction; tendency to be didactic in style," 1841; see didactic + -ism.

diddle (v.)

a set of more or less unrelated meanings that have gathered around a suggestive sound: From 1806 as "to cheat, swindle" (slang); also dialectal duddle, diddle "to totter" (1630s); "move rapidly up and down or backward and forward" (1786). Meaning "waste time" is recorded from 1825. Meaning "to have sex with" is from 1879; that of "to masturbate" (especially of women) is from 1950s. Related: Diddled; diddler; diddling.

diddums

nonsense word used as an expression to a baby, attested by 1888; of no etymology.

didgeridoo (n.)

"hollow, tubular musical instrument of Australian aborigines," 1924, Australian, of imitative origin.

didn't (v.)

by 1694 in plays, earlier did n't (1678); a contraction of did not.

dido (n.)

"prank, caper," 1792, slang, perhaps from the name of the legendary Carthaginian queen in the "Aeneid." Usually in phrase to cut didoes. Century Dictionary repeats a story that attributes it to her having made a bargain for as much land as could be covered by a hide, then cutting the hide into a long, thin strip so as to enclose a large tract, but this is not in the early references to the term, which regard its origin as mysterious.

didst (v.)

archaic 2nd-person singular past indicative of do (q.v.).

die (n.)

"small cube marked on each face with spots numbering from one to six, used in gaming," early 14c. (as a plural, late 14c. as a singular), from Old French de "die, dice," which is of uncertain origin. Common Romanic (cognates: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian dado, Provençal dat, Catalan dau), perhaps from Latin datum "given," past participle of dare "to give" (from PIE root *do- "to give"), which, in addition to "give," had a secondary sense of "to play" (as a chess piece); or else the notion is "what is given" (by chance or Fortune).

The numbers on the opposite sides always add up to seven; otherwise there is no uniformity to their arrangement. Sense of "engraved stamping block or tool used for stamping a softer material" is from 1690s. Perhaps so called because they often were used in pairs (to impress on both sides, as of a coin).

Figurative phrase the die is cast "the decisive stem is taken" is from 1630s, in reference to the throw of the dice. The expression translates Latin alea iacta est (or iacta alea est), famously uttered by Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon.

die (v.)

mid-12c., dien, deighen, of sentient beings, "to cease to live," possibly from Old Danish døja or Old Norse deyja "to die, pass away," both from Proto-Germanic *dawjan (source also of Old Frisian deja "to kill," Old Saxon doian, Old High German touwen, Gothic diwans "mortal"), from PIE root *dheu- (3) "to pass away, die, become senseless" (source also of Old Irish dith "end, death," Old Church Slavonic daviti, Russian davit' "to choke, suffer").

It has been speculated that Old English had *diegan, from the same source, but it is not in any of the surviving texts and the preferred words were steorfan (see starve), sweltan (see swelter), wesan dead ("become dead"), also forðgan and other euphemisms.

Languages usually don't borrow words from abroad for central life experiences, but "die" words are an exception; they often are hidden or changed euphemistically out of superstitious dread. A Dutch euphemism translates as "to give the pipe to Maarten."

Regularly spelled dege through 15c., and still pronounced "dee" by some in Lancashire and Scotland. Of plants, "become devitalized, wither," late 14c.; in a general sense of "come to an end" from mid-13c. Meaning "be consumed with a great longing or yearning" (as in dying to go) is colloquial, from 1709. Used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) from 1580s; to die away "diminish gradually" is from 1670s. To die down "subside" is by 1834. Related: Died; dies.

To die out "become extinct" is from 1865. To die game "preserve a bold, resolute, and defiant spirit to the end" (especially of one facing the gallows) is from 1793. Phrase never say die "don't give up or in" is by 1822; the earliest contexts are in sailors' jargon.

die-hard (n.)

also diehard, 1844, in reference to the 57th Regiment of Foot in the British Army, from the verbal phrase die hard "suffer, struggle, or resist in dying," 1784; see die (v.) + hard (adv.). As an adjective, attested from 1871. The brand of automobile battery, spelled DieHard, was introduced by Sears in 1967.

dieresis (n.)

also diaeresis, 1610s, "sign or mark ( ) regularly placed over the second of two contiguous vowels to indicate they are pronounced as two simple sounds," from Late Latin diaeresis, from Greek diairesis "division," noun of action from diairein "to divide, separate," from dia "apart" (see dia-) + hairein "to take" (see heresy).

Meaning "separate pronunciation of two vowels usually united as a diphthong" is from 1650s. In classical prosody, "the slight break in the forward motion of a line that is felt when the end of a foot coincides with the end of a word" [Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]. Related: dieretic; diaeretic.

diesel (adj.)

also Diesel, type of internal combustion engine, 1894, named for Rudolf Diesel (1858-1913), German mechanical engineer who designed this type of engine.

Dies Irae

literally "day of wrath," first words of Latin hymn of Last Judgment, attributed to Thomas of Celano (c. 1250). See diurnal + ire.

dies non (n.)

legal Latin phrase meaning "day in which courts are not held" (Sunday, etc.), short for dies non juridicus "not a court day."

diet (n.1)

c. 1200, "regular food," from Old French diete (13c.) "diet, pittance, fare," from Medieval Latin dieta "parliamentary assembly," also "a day's work; daily food allowance, food," from Latin diaeta "prescribed way of life," from Greek diaita, originally "way of life, regimen, dwelling," related to diaitasthai "lead one's life," and from diaitan, originally "separate, select" (food and drink), frequentative of *diainysthai "take apart," from dia "apart" (see dia-) + ainysthai "take," from PIE root *ai- (1) "to give, allot."

From late 14c. as "customary way of eating," also "food considered in relation to its quantity and effects," and "a course of food regulated by a physician or by medical rules," often a restriction of food or certain foods; hence to put (someone) on a diet (mid-15c.). The adjective in the sense of "slimming, having reduced calories" (Diet Coke, etc.) is attested by 1963, originally in American English.

diet (n.2)

"assembly of delegates, etc., held from day to day for legislative, political, or other business," mid-15c., from Medieval Latin dieta, variant of diaeta "daily office (of the Church), daily duty, assembly, meeting of counselors," from Greek diaita "regimen" (see diet (n.1)), but associated with Latin dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine"). Since c. 1600 used by English and French writers of the legislative assemblies of Germany and Austria.

diet (v.)

late 14c., "to regulate one's diet for the sake of health," from Old French dieter, from diete "fare" (see diet (n.1)); meaning "to regulate oneself as to food" (especially against fatness) is from 1650s. Related: Dieted; dieting. An obsolete word for this is banting.