Etymology dictionary

dogs (n.) — do-nothing (n.)

dogs (n.)

"feet," 1913, from rhyming slang dog's meat.

"quadruped of the genus Canis," Old English docga, a late, rare word, used in at least one Middle English source in reference specifically to a powerful breed of canine; other early Middle English uses tend to be depreciatory or abusive. Its origin remains one of the great mysteries of English etymology.

The word forced out Old English hund (the general Germanic and Indo-European word, from root from PIE root *kwon-) by 16c. and subsequently was picked up in many continental languages (French dogue (16c.), Danish dogge, German Dogge (16c.). The common Spanish word for "dog," perro, also is a mystery word of unknown origin, perhaps from Iberian. A group of Slavic "dog" words (Old Church Slavonic pisu, Polish pies, Serbo-Croatian pas) likewise is of unknown origin.

In reference to persons, by c. 1200 in abuse or contempt as "a mean, worthless fellow, currish, sneaking scoundrel." Playfully abusive sense of "rakish man," especially if young, "a sport, a gallant" is from 1610s. Slang meaning "ugly woman" is from 1930s; that of "sexually aggressive man" is from 1950s.

Many expressions — a dog's life (c. 1600), go to the dogs (1610s), dog-cheap (1520s), etc. — reflect the earlier hard use of the animals as hunting accessories, not pets. In ancient times, "the dog" was the worst throw in dice (attested in Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit, where the word for "the lucky player" was literally "the dog-killer"), which plausibly explains the Greek word for "danger," kindynos, which appears to be "play the dog" (but Beekes is against this).

Meaning "something poor or mediocre, a failure" is by 1936 in U.S. slang. From late 14c. as the name for a heavy metal clamp of some kind. Dog's age "a long time" is by 1836. Adjectival phrase dog-eat-dog "ruthlessly competitive" is by 1850s. Phrase put on the dog "get dressed up" (1934) may be from comparison of dog collars to the stiff stand-up shirt collars that in the 1890s were the height of male fashion (and were known as dog-collars from at least 1883).

dogberry (n.)

"the berry of the dogwood tree," 1550s; see dogwood + berry.

dog-collar (n.)

"collar made for a dog," 1520s, from dog (n.) + collar (n.).

dog days (n.)

"period of dry, hot weather at the height of summer," 1530s, from Latin dies caniculares, the idea, though not the phrase, from Greek; so called because they occur around the time of the heliacal rising of Sirius, the Dog Star (kyōn seirios). Noted as the hottest and most unwholesome time of the year; often reckoned as July 3 to August 11, but variously calculated, depending on latitude and on whether the greater Dog-star (Sirius) or the lesser one (Procyon) is reckoned.

The heliacal rising of Sirius has shifted down the calendar with the precession of the equinoxes; in ancient Egypt c. 3000 B.C.E. it coincided with the summer solstice, which also was the new year and the beginning of the inundation of the Nile. The "dog" association apparently began here (the star's hieroglyph was a dog), but the reasons for it are now obscure.

doge (n.)

"chief magistrate of the old republics of Venice and Genoa," 1540s, from Venetian dialect doge, from Latin ducem, accusative of dux "leader" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). Related: Dogate; dogeship.

dog-ear (v.)

also dogs-ear, "to use a book so as to leave the corners of the leaves soiled and curled over" (like the ears of a dog), 1650s. Dog's ear (n.) is by 1725. Dog-eared in the general or extended sense of "worn, unkempt" is by 1894.

dogface (n.)

"soldier in the U.S. Army," especially an infantryman, by 1941, from dog (n.) + face (n.). Said to have been originally a contemptuous name given by the Marines.

dogfight (n.)

also dog-fight, "aerial combat," World War I air forces slang, from earlier meaning "riotous brawl" (1880s); from dog (n.) + fight (n.). The literal sense of "a fight among or between dogs" is from 1650s (Middle English had dogg feghttyng, c. 1500).

dogfish (n.)

a name for various types of small shark, mid-15c., dogge fysch, from dog (n.) + fish (n.). It is said to be so called because it hunts in packs. The wild dog was the image of sharks in classical antiquity as well, and Greek used kyon "dog" also for dogfish and sharks, especially the smaller kind.

Greek galeos "dogfish or shark" perhaps is based on galen "weasel, marten," which also was a fish name.

dogger (n.)

"two-masted fishing boat," used in North Sea fishery, mid-14c., a word of unknown origin, perhaps from Dutch. It likely is the source of the name Dogger Bank (1660s) for the great banks of shoals in the North Sea that are drowned lands from the Ice Age. Related: Doggerman.

doggerel (n.)

1630s, "Any rhyming verse in which the meter is forced into metronomic regularity by the stressing of normally unstressed syllables and in which rhyme is forced or banal" [Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]. Earlier as an adjective (rim doggerel, late 14c.), an epithet applied to loose, irregular verse in burlesque poetry.

Probably from pejorative suffix -rel + dog (n.), but the sense connection is not obvious. Perhaps it was applied to bad poetry with a suggestion of puppyish clumsiness, or being fit only for dogs, or from the "mean, contemptible" associations of dog in Middle English. Attested as a surname from late 13c., but the sense is not evident. Related: Doggerelist.

doggy (n.)

also doggie, "a little dog, a pet word for a dog," 1825, from dog (n.) + -y (3). Doggy-bag "bag provided by restaurants for customers to take home leftovers" (presumably to feed to the dog) is attested by 1962.

As an adj. doggy is attested from late 14c., from -y (2). The word has been used in various formations at least since late 19c. to describe the rear-entry variant of the human sex act when one partner is on all fours.

dog-gone (adj.)

also doggone, colloquial minced epithet, by 1849, Western American English, a "fantastic perversion of god-damned" [Weekley]. But Mencken favors the theory that it is "a blend form of dog on it; in fact it is still often used with it following. It is thus a brother to the old English phrase, 'a pox upon it,' but is considerably more decorous." Dog on it was the usual early spelling, so it was perhaps at least felt as such by those using it.

But there are many examples of similar words serving as euphemistic perversions of God: Compare dod for "God" in many oaths (late 17c. through 19c.); dodgasted (probably "God-blasted," in use late 19c., early 20c.); dod-rot (1842).

doghouse (n.)

also dog-house, "box in the shape of a house for use by dogs," 1610s, from dog (n.) + house (n.). Originally a kennel; application to the backyard type, for a single animal, is from late 19c. Figurative in the doghouse "in temporary disgrace" is by 1932.

dogie (n.)

"motherless calf in a herd," 1887, cowboy slang, of uncertain origin. It may have had an earlier, more specific meaning:

dog-leg (adj.)

also dogleg, "bent like a dog's hind leg," 1843, earlier dog-legged (1703), which was used originally of a type of staircase which has no well hole and consists of two flights with or without winders. See dog (n.) + leg (n.).

dogma (n.)

"a settled opinion, a principle held as being firmly established," c. 1600 (in plural dogmata), from Latin dogma "philosophical tenet," from Greek dogma (genitive dogmatos) "opinion, tenet," literally "that which one thinks is true," from dokein "to seem good, think" (from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept"). Regarded in 17c.-18c. as a Greek word in English but subsequently nativized.

dogmatic (adj.)

1680s, of persons, writings, etc., "disposed to make positive assertions without presenting arguments or evidence;" 1706, "pertaining to or of the nature of dogma," from Late Latin dogmaticus, from Greek dogmatikos "pertaining to doctrines," from dogma (genitive dogmatos) "opinion, tenet," literally "that which one thinks is true," from dokein "to seem good, think" (from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept"). Related: Dogmatical (c. 1600).

dogmatism (n.)

"character of being dogmatic; authoritative assertion of doctrines or opinions," c. 1600, but not in common use until 19c., from French dogmatisme (16c.), from Medieval Latin dogmatismus, from Latin dogma "philosophical tenet" (see dogma). Related: Dogmatist.

do-gooder (n.)

"a person who actively seeks to correct social ills in an idealistic, but usually impractical or superficial, way," 1650s (as do-good), in "Zootomia, or Observations on the Present Manners of the English: Briefly Anatomizing the Living by the Dead. With An Usefull Detection of the Mountebanks of Both Sexes," written by Richard Whitlock, a medical doctor. Probably used even then with a taint of impractical idealism. The verbal phrase do good "do good deeds" was in Old English.

Modern pejorative use seems to have begun on the socialist left, mocking those who were unwilling to take a hard line. OED has this citation, from The Nation in 1923:

The form do-gooder appears in American English by 1922, presumably because do-good was no longer felt as sufficiently noun-like. A slightly older word for this was goo-goo.

dog-paddle (n.)

"type of swimming stroke resembling a dog's swimming," 1860, from dog (n.) + paddle.

dog's meat (n.)

"horse flesh, offal, scraps, etc., used as food for dogs," 1590s.

dog star (n.)

"Sirius," 1570s; see Sirius; also see dog days.

dog-tag (n.)

"soldier's identity disk," 1918, U.S. slang, from dog (n.) + tag (n.1). So called perhaps from resemblance to the identification/license tag on dog collars.

dog-tired (n.)

"as tired as a dog after a long chase," 1806.

dog-tooth (n.)

"canine tooth of a human," late 14c., from dog (n.) + tooth.

dog-trot (n.)

"a gentle trot, like that of a dog," mid-15c.

dogwood (n.)

shrubs and small trees of the genus Cornus, 1610s, earlier dog-tree (1540s); the first element sometimes said to have been perhaps dag — compare dagger and dag (v.) "to pierce or stab" (1630s, perhaps 15c.).

The trees have hard, white wood that was said to have been used in making butchers' skewers; another name for it was skewer-wood. This explanation is as old as the word itself in English, but the form *dagwood is not attested. Another guess is that the tree was given the name in reference to its fruit, which was called dogberry from 1550s, and dog (n.) had implications of "cheap, inferior" (i.e. "fit for a dog").

doily (n.)

"small, ornamental napkin," 1714, short for doily-napkin (1711), from doily "thin, woolen fabric;" supposedly from Doiley, surname of a noted late 17c.-early 18c. dry-goods dealer on London's Strand. Doily earlier meant "genteel, affordable woolens" (1670s), evidently from the same source. The surname is d'Ouilly, from one of several places called Ouilly in Normandy.

do-it-yourself (adj.)

as a modifier, attested by 1941. The expression is much older (1610s). Related: Do-it-yourselfer.

dojo (n.)

"hall in which judo is practiced," 1942, from Japanese, where it has a wider sense and is said to mean "place of the Way."

dol (n.)

unit of intensity of pain, 1947, from Latin dolor "pain, grief, sorrow," perhaps from PIE root *delh- "to chop" "under the assumption than 'pain' was expressed by the feeling of 'being torn apart'" [de Vaan].

Dolby

sound reproduction system, 1966, named for its inventor, U.S. engineer Ray M. Dolby (b.1933). The surname probably is a variant of Dalby, from the place in Leicestershire.

dolce far niente

"pleasing inactivity, sweet idleness," 1814, from Italian, literally "sweet doing nothing." The Latin roots are dulcis "sweet" (see dulcet), facere "to make, do" (see factitious), and nec entem, literally "not a being."

dolce vita (n.)

"life of pleasure," 1961, Italian, from the title of Fellini's 1960 film. The Italian elements are from Latin dulcis "sweet" (see dulcet) + Latin vita "life," from PIE root *gwei- "to live."

doldrums (n.)

by 1803, "low spirits, the blues, the dumps," colloquial, probably from dulled, past participle of dull (v.) in the sense of "make (someone) slow-witted," with ending perhaps patterned on tantrum.

Transferred sense, in reference to sailing ships, "in a becalmed condition, unable to make headway" is by 1824. This was extended in nautical use to parts of the sea near the equator that abound in calms, squalls, and light, baffling winds (1848) and the weather characteristic of these parts. "Apparently due to a misunderstanding of the phrase 'in the doldrums', the state being taken as a locality" [OED].

doleful (adj.)

late 13c., with -ful, from Middle English dole "emotion of grief, sorrow, lamentation, mourning" (early 13c., now archaic), from Old French doel (Modern French deuil), from Late Latin dolus "grief," from Latin dolere "suffer, grieve," which is of uncertain origin. De Vaan explains it as from PIE *dolh-eie- "to split" (source also of Middle Welsh e-thyl "chooses"), a causative verb from root *delh- "to chop," "under the assumption than 'pain' was expressed by the feeling of 'being torn apart'." Related: Dolefully; dolefulness.

dole (v.)

mid-15c., dolen, "distribute, hand out (alms)," from dole (n.). Meaning "give in portions or small quantities" (as alms to the poor) is from 1749. Related: Doled; doling.

dole (n.)

Old English dal "state of being divided; a sharing, a giving out" (original senses now mostly obsolete), shortened from gedal "portion," and related to dæl "deal," from Proto-Germanic *dailan (source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon del, Middle Dutch deil, Dutch deel, Old High German teil, German Teil "part, portion"), which is said in Watkins to be from PIE *dail- "to divide," ‌‌a Germanic-Slavic extended form of the root *da- "to divide." But Boutkan writes, "Most probably, we are dealing with a substratum word in Gmc."

Meaning "a part apportioned or divided out" is from late 12c.; that of "distribution of alms or gifts" is by late 13c. Specifically as "a portion of money, food, or other things distributed in charity" is by late 15c. From 1919 it became the popular name in Britain for various government payments made regularly to the unemployed. Hence on the dole (1920s).

dolesome (adj.)

"doleful," 1530s, from archaic dole "emotion of grief" (see doleful) + -some.

doll (n.)

1550s, Doll, an endearing name for a female pet or a mistress, from the familiar form of the fem. proper name Dorothy (q.v.). The -l- for -r- substitution in nicknames is common in English: compare Hal for Harold, Moll for Mary, Sally for Sarah, etc.

From 1610s in old slang in a general sense of "sweetheart, mistress, paramour;" by 1640s it had degenerated to "slattern." Sense of "a child's toy baby" is by 1700. Transferred back to living beings by 1778 in the sense of "pretty, silly woman." By mid-20c. it had come full circle and was used again in slang as an endearing or patronizing name for a young woman.

doll (v.)

1867, in dialect, "to pet, indulge" (a child), from doll (n.). Usually with up. Meaning "to dress (up)" is by 1906, American English. Related: Dolled; dolling.

dollar (n.)

"monetary unit or standard of value in the U.S. and Canada," 1550s, daler, originally in English the name of a large, silver coin of varying value in the German states, from Low German daler, from German taler (1530s, later thaler), abbreviation of Joachimstaler, literally "(gulden) of Joachimstal," coin minted 1519 from silver from mine opened 1516 near Sankt Joachimsthal, town in Erzgebirge Mountains in northwest Bohemia. German Tal is cognate with English dale. The spelling had been modified to dollar by 1600.

The thaler was from 17c. the more-or-less standardized coin of northern Germany (as opposed to the southern gulden). It also served as a currency unit in Denmark and Sweden (and later was a unit of the German monetary union of 1857-73 equal to three marks).

English colonists in America used the word dollar from 1580s in reference to Spanish peso or "piece of eight," also a large silver coin of about the same fineness as the thaler. Due to extensive trade with the Spanish Indies and the proximity of Spanish colonies along the Gulf Coast, the Spanish dollar probably was the coin most familiar in the American colonies and the closest thing to a standard in all of them.

When the Revolution came, it had the added advantage of not being British. It was used in the government's records of public debt and expenditures, and the Continental Congress in 1786 adopted dollar as a unit when it set up the modern U.S. currency system, which was based on the suggestion of Gouverneur Morris (1782) as modified by Thomas Jefferson. None were circulated until 1794.

Phrase dollars to doughnuts "an assured thing, a certainty" (such that one would bet a dollar against a doughnut on it) is attested by 1884; dollar diplomacy "financial imperialism, foreign policy based on financial and commercial interests" is from 1910.

The dollar sign ($) is said to derive from the image of the Pillars of Hercules, stamped with a scroll, on the Spanish piece of eight. However, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing of the U.S. Department of the Treasury:

dollhouse (n.)

also doll-house, "miniature toy house made for dolls," 1764, from doll (n.) + house (n.). The form doll's house is attested by 1783. Ibsen's play (1879) is, in Norwegian, "Et dukkehjem."

dolly (n.)

c. 1600, Dolly, a fem. nickname, extended form of Doll, short for Dorothy (see doll (n.)). In 17c. slang "a female pet or favorite." Modern slang sense of "young, attractive woman" is from 1906.

From 1790 as "a child's doll;" applied from 1792 to any contrivance fancied to resemble a dolly in some sense, especially "a small platform on rollers" (1901). Doesn't look like one to me, either, but that's what they say. Compare jack, jenny, jimmy, etc., generic proper names applied to various mechanical contrivances.

dollop (n.)

"a lump or glob," 1812, from earlier dallop "a patch, tuft or clump of grass" (1570s), an East Anglian dialect word of uncertain origin. As a verb, "serve out in large lumps," from 1825. Related: Dolloped; dolloping.

dolmen (n.)

"structure consisting of one large, unhewn stone slab resting on two or more stones placed erect in the earth," such that a person may walk under it, 1859, from French dolmin applied 1796 by French general and antiquarian Théophile Malo Corret de La Tour d'Auvergne (1743-1800), perhaps from Cornish tolmen, literally "hole of stone," from Celtic men "stone."

Some suggest the first element may be Breton taol "table," a loan-word from Latin tabula "board, plank," but OED says the Breton form of this compound would be taolvean. "There is reason to think that this [tolmen] is the word inexactly reproduced by Latour d'Auvergne as dolmin, and misapplied by him and succeeding French archaeologists to the cromlech" [OED]. See cromlech, which is the same idea but arranged as one of a circle. Related: Dolmenic.

dolomite (n.)

rock made of carbonate of calcium and magnesium, 1794, named for French geologist Déodat De Gratet De Dolomieu (1750-1801) who described the rock in his study of the Alps (1791). Dolomites for "mountains of Southern Tyrol" is from 1870. Related: Dolomitic.

dolorous (adj.)

c. 1400, "causing grief," also "causing pain, painful" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French doloros "painful; sorrowful, wretched" (12c., Modern French douloureux) from Late Latin dolorosus "painful, sorrowful," from Latin dolor "pain, grief," perhaps from PIE root *delh- "to chop" "under the assumption than 'pain' was expressed by the feeling of 'being torn apart'" [de Vaan].

Sense of "exciting or expressing grief or distress" is from mid-15c. Of persons or feelings, "full of sorrow," from 1510s. Related: Dolorously; dolorousness.

Dolores

fem. proper name, from Spanish Maria de los Dolores, literally "Mary of the Sorrows," from plural of dolor, from Latin dolor "pain, sorrow," perhaps from PIE root *delh- "to chop" "under the assumption than 'pain' was expressed by the feeling of 'being torn apart'" [de Vaan].

dolphin (n.)

popular name of a diverse group of marine mammals, also including the porpoise (but the true dolphin has a longer and more slender snout), mid-14c., dolfin, from Old French daulphin, from Medieval Latin dolfinus, from Latin delphinus "dolphin," from Greek delphis (genitive delphinos) "dolphin," related to delphys "womb," perhaps via notion of the animal bearing live young, or from its shape. Popularly applied to the dorado from late 16c. through some confusion. The constellation is so called from early 15c.

dolt (n.)

"dull, stupid fellow," 1540s, perhaps a variant of dold "dull, foolish" (mid-15c.), influenced by dulte, dolte, past-participle forms of Middle English dullen "to dull; make or become dazed or stupid" (see dull (v.)). Related: Doltish "foolish, stupid" (1540s); doltishly; doltishness.

-dom

abstract suffix of state, from Old English dom "statute, judgment" (see doom (n.)). Originally an independent word, but already active as a suffix in Old English (as in freodom, wisdom). Cognate with German -tum (Old High German tuom). "Jurisdiction," hence "province, state, condition, quality."

domain (n.)

c. 1600, "territory over which dominion is exerted," from French domaine "domain, estate," from Medieval Latin domanium "domain, estate," from Latin dominium "property, dominion," from dominus "lord, master, owner," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). A later borrowing from French of the word which became demesne.

Sense of "dominion, province of action" is from 1727. Meaning "range or limits of any department of knowledge or sphere of action" is from 1764. Internet domain name is attested by 1985. Via the notion of "ownership of land" comes legal eminent domain "ultimate or supreme lordship over all property in the state" is attested from 1738.

dome (n.)

"a round, vaulted roof, a hemispherical covering of a building," 1650s, from French dome "a town-house; a dome, a cupola" (16c.), from Provençal doma, from Greek dōma "a house, housetop" (especially in reference to a style of roof from the east), related to domos "house," from PIE root *dem- "house, household."

In the Middle Ages, German dom and Italian duomo were used for "cathedral" (on the notion of "God's house"), so English began to use this word in the sense "cupola," a dome at the intersection of the nave and the transept, or over the sanctuary, being a characteristic architectural feature of Italian cathedrals.

The word was used in U.S. also with reference to round summits of mountains, roofs of railroad cars, etc. The etymological sense "a building, a house," especially a stately one, was borrowed earlier in English (1510s) but mostly was restricted to poetry.

Domesday book

1178 in Anglo-Latin, the popular name of Great Inquisition or Survey (1086), a digest in Anglo-French of a survey of England undertaken at the order of William the Conqueror to inventory his new domain, from Middle English domes, genitive of dom "day of judgment" (see doom (n.)). "The booke ... to be called Domesday, bicause (as Mathew Parise saith) it spared no man, but iudged all men indifferently." [William Lambarde, "A Perambulation of Kent," 1570]

domestic (adj.)

early 15c., "prepared or made in the house," from Old French domestique (14c.) and directly from Latin domesticus "belonging to the household," from domus "house," from PIE *dom-o- "house," from root *dem- "house, household."

From 1610s as "relating to or belonging to the home or household affairs." From 1650s as "attached to home, devoted to home life." Meaning "pertaining to a nation (considered as a family), internal to one's country" is from 1540s. Of animals, "tame, living under the care of humans," from 1610s. Related: Domestically.

The noun meaning "a household servant" is from 1530s (a sense also found in Old French domestique); the full phrase servaunt domestical is attested in English from mid-15c. Domestics, originally "articles of home manufacture," is attested from 1620s; in 19c. U.S. use especially "home-made cotton cloths." Domestic violence is attested from 19c. as "revolution and insurrection;" 1977 as "spouse abuse, violence in the home."

domesticity (n.)

1721, "state of being a domestic servant;" 1726, "domestic character, home or family life;" see domestic + -ity. Perhaps modeled on French domesticité.

domesticate (v.)

1630s (implied in domesticated), of animals, "convert to domestic use, tame, bring under control or cultivation;" 1741, of persons, "to cause to be attached to home and family, accustom to remain much at home;" from Medieval Latin domesticatus, past participle of domesticare "to tame," literally "to dwell in a house," from Latin domesticus "belonging to the household," from domus "house," from PIE *dom-o- "house," from root *dem- "house, household." Related: Domesticating.

domestication (n.)

1774, "act of becoming domestic; state of being domesticated;" 1778, "act of taming wild animals;" noun of action or state from domesticate (v.).

domicile (n.)

mid-15c., "place of residence of a person or family," from Old French domicile (14c.) and directly from Latin domicilium, perhaps from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household") + colere "to dwell" (see colony). In law, specifically, "that residence from which there is no intention to remove, or a general intention to return" (mid-18c.).

As a verb, "to establish in a fixed residence," it is attested by 1762 (implied in domiciled). Related: Domiciliary.

dominate (v.)

1610s, "to rule over, control by mastery," a back-formation from domination or else from Latin dominatus, past participle of dominari "to rule, dominate, to govern," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). Meaning "have chief influence over or effect on" is by 1818. Intransitive sense of "predominate, prevail" is by 1816. Related: Dominated; dominating.

dominical (adj.)

1550s, "of or pertaining to Christ as Lord;" 1620s, "of or pertaining to Sunday (as the Lord's day)," from Medieval Latin dominicalis, "pertaining to Sunday; pertaining to the Lord," from Latin dominicus, from dominus "lord," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

dominant (adj.)

mid-15c., dominaunt, in ordre dominaunt, the name of the fourth order of angels, from Old French dominant (13c.) and directly from Latin dominantem (nominative dominans), present participle of dominari "to rule, dominate, to govern," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

From 1530s as "exercising rule or chief authority;" by 1854 as "having a controlling effect or influence." Music sense "based on or belonging to the fifth tone of the scale" is from 1819. Sexual bondage sense "exerting control over the submissive partner" is by c. 1960. The noun is first recorded 1819, earliest in the musical sense. Related: Dominantly.

dominance (n.)

"rule, control; authority; ascendancy," 1819; see dominant + -ance. Perhaps from French dominance (by 1743). Related: Dominancy.

Dominic

masc. proper name, Italian and Late Latin, from Latin dominicus "Lordly, devoted to God," literally "pertaining to a lord," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

domineer (v.)

1580s, "to rule in a despotic or arrogant manner," from Dutch domineren "to rule, play the master; to feast" (16c.), from French dominer, from Latin dominari "to rule, 'lord' it over," from dominus "lord, master," literally "master of the house," from domus "house, home" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household") + -nus, suffix denoting ownership or relation.

Shakespeare's usage ("Taming of the Shrew") is not the earliest in English. Meaning "give orders or directions in an arrogant, blustering manner" is from 1764. Related: Domineering; domineeringly. "Domineering suggests unfitness or lack of authority to rule, with an insulting, hectoring, or bullying manner." [Century Dictionary]

domination (n.)

late 14c., dominacioun, "rule, control by means of superior ability, influences, resources, or position; the exercise of power in ruling," from Old French dominacion "domination, rule, power" (12c.) and directly from Latin dominationem (nominative dominatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of dominari "to rule, have dominion over," from dominus "lord, master," literally "master of the house," from domus "house, home" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household") + -nus, suffix denoting ownership or relation. Sexual bondage sense is by 1961.

dominator (n.)

c. 1500, dominatour, "ruler," from Old French dominateur (13c.) and directly from Latin dominator, agent noun from dominari "to rule, dominate, to govern," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

dominatrix (n.)

"dominant female entity, mistress," attested since 1560s, but rare until late 20c., and not in quite the usual modern sense:

See domination + -trix. Modern BDSM sense "woman, who takes the sadistic role in sadomasochistic sexual activities" is attested by 1970.

Dominican (3)

1826, "native or inhabitant of the Caribbean island of Dominica," which was named by Columbus for Latin (dies) dominica "Sunday," the day of the week on which he spotted it (Nov. 3, 1493) on his second voyage. From Latin dominicus "pertaining to a lord," in Christian use, "pertaining to the Lord," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

Dominican (1)

"Black friar, one of an order of mendicant preaching friars," 1630s, from Latin form of the name of Domingo de Guzman (Santo Domingo), who founded the order in Languedoc. They were confirmed by the pope in 1216. His name, like Italian form Dominic (q.v.), is from Latin dominicus, which in Christian use meant "devoted to the Lord."

Dominican (2)

"native or inhabitant of the Dominican Republic," 1853, from the name of the republic, which became independent from Haiti in 1844; formerly it was Santo Domingo, the name of the capital and of the European colony established there in 1494, which was named for Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founder of the Order of the Dominicans, who established a presence there (see Dominican (1)).

dominion (n.)

mid-15c., "lordship, sovereign or supreme authority," from Old French dominion "dominion, rule, power" and directly from Medieval Latin dominionem (nominative dominio), corresponding to Latin dominium "property, ownership," from dominus "lord, master," from domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

In law, "power of control, right of uncontrolled possession, use, and disposal" (1650s). From 1510s as "territory or people subject to a specific government or control."

British sovereign colonies often were called dominions, hence the Dominion of Canada, the formal title after the 1867 union, Dominion Day, the Canadian national holiday in celebration of the union, and Old Dominion, the popular name for the U.S. state of Virginia, first recorded 1778.

domino (n.)

1801, "one of the pieces with which the game of dominoes is played," from French domino (1771), perhaps (on a perceived resemblance to the black tiles of the game) from the earlier meaning "hood with a cloak worn by canons or priests over other vestments in cold weather" (1690s in English), from Latin dominus "lord, master" (from domus "house," from PIE root *dem- "house, household"), but the connection is not clear.

Metaphoric use in geopolitics dates to 1953, when U.S. President Eisenhower used the image in reference to what happens when you set dominoes upright in a row and knock the first one down. It came to be known as the domino theory.

dominoes (n.)

"game regularly played with 28 flat, oblong pieces, black on one side, spotted black and white on the other," c. 1800; see domino.

domitable (adj.)

"capable of being tamed," 1670s, a rare word, from Latin *domitabilis, from domitare, frequentative of domare "to tame" (see tame (adj.)).

Dom Perignon

trademark name, 1954 (in use from 1936), from a monk of that name (1638-1715), blind cellarmaster of the monastery of Hautvilliers near Epernay, France, who was said to have discovered the advantage of corked bottles in fermentation.

Dom was a title of authority or dignity in some monastic orders, from Latin dominus "lord, master" (from domus "house," from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). From the same source comes dom, the Portuguese and Brazilian form of don (n.).

don (n.)

title of respect, 1520s, from Spanish or Portuguese Don, a title of respect prefixed to a man's Christian name, from Latin dominus "lord, master, owner" (from domus "house," from PIE root *dem- "house, household").

It took on a general sense of "person of high importance or leading position," hence the English university sense "fellow of a college, any college authority" (c. 1660), originally student slang. The underworld sense is by 1952, from Italian don. The fem. form is Portuguese Dona, Spanish Doña, Italian Donna.

don (v.)

"to put on (articles of clothing)," mid-14c. contraction of do on (compare doff). "After 1650 retained in popular use only in north. dialect; as a literary archaism it has become very frequent in 19th c." [OED]. Related: Donned; donning.

donative (adj.)

"characterized by being given or presented," especially "vested or vesting by donation," 1550s, from Latin donativus, from donare "give as a gift" (from PIE root *do- "to give"). As a noun, "a gift or present," from mid-15c.

Donald

surname, from 13c. Scottish Dofnald, Dufenald, probably from Gaelic Domhnall, Old Irish Domnall (pronounced "Dovnall"), from Proto-Celtic *Dubno-valos "world-mighty, ruler of the world," from *walos "ruler" (from PIE root *wal- "to be strong") + Old Irish domun "world," from PIE root *dheub- "deep, hollow," via sense development from "bottom" to "foundation" to "earth" to "world" (see deep (adj.)). A top 10 name for boys born in the U.S. between 1923 and 1943. Disney's Donald Duck cartoon character debuted in 1934.

donate (v.)

"to give, present as a gift, contribute," 1819, a back-formation from donation. OED and Century Dictionary mark it as (chiefly) U.S. Related: Donated; donating.

donation (n.)

"act of giving or bestowing; that which is gratuitously given, a grant or gift," mid-15c., donacioun, from Old French donacion (13c.) and directly from Latin donationem (nominative donatio) "a presenting, giving," noun of action from past-participle stem of donare "give as a gift," from donum "gift," from PIE *donum "gift," from root *do- "to give."

Donatist (n.)

mid-14c., "adherent of a heretical Christian sect in 4c. North Africa," from Medieval Latin Donatista, from Donatus name of two of the principal men in it. The schism had more to do with episcopal succession in Carthage than with doctrine. The name is literally "bestowed, given," from past participle of Latin from donare "give as a gift" (from PIE root *do- "to give"). Related: Donatism.

done

past participle of do (v.); from Old English past participle gedon (a vestige of the prefix is in ado). As a past-participle adjective meaning "completed, finished, performed, accomplished" from early 15c. As a word of acceptance of a deal or wager, 1590s.

U.S. Southern use of done in phrases such as done gone (or "Octopots done got Albert!") is attested by 1827, according to OED: "a perfective auxiliary or with adverbial force in the sense 'already; completely.' " Century Dictionary writes that it was "originally causal after have or had, followed by an object infinitive ; in present use the have or had is often omitted and the infinitive turned into a preterit, leaving done as a mere preterit sign" and calls it "a characteristic of negro idiom."

To be done in "exhausted" is by 1917. Slang done for "doomed" is by 1803 (colloquial do for "ruin, damage" is from 1740). To have done it "to have been very foolish, made a mess of things" is from 1837.

donee (n.)

"person to whom a gift or donation is made," 1520s, from Old French doné, donné, noun use of past-participle of doner, donner; from Latin donare (see donor + -ee).

Donegal

county in northern Ireland, from Irish Dun na nGall "fort of the foreigners" (in this case, the Danes); also see Galloway.

dong (v.)

"to sound a large bell," 1580s, imitative. Related: Donged; donging.

dong (n.)

"penis," 1891, slang, of unknown origin. Perhaps suggested by dingus and other names for unnameable things; perhaps suggesting of a sound of striking (clapper of a bell?); perhaps there's an element of donkey in it.

dongle (n.)

small device made to connect to a computer, now especially for use of wireless broadband or protected software, by 1982, perhaps 1980, perhaps suggested by dangle and dong (n.).

donjon (n.)

early 14c., dongoun, "inner tower, keep, or stronghold of a castle," also "underground prison cell in a donjon of a castle;" see dungeon.

Don Juan (n.)

"philanderer, womanizer," from the legendary dissolute Spanish nobleman whose rakish exploits formed the stuff of popular tales in Spain from early 17c., dramatized by Gabriel Tellez in "Convivado de Piedra." Adapted into French and Italian before 1700; Used attributively in English for "ladies' man, womanizer" from the time of Byron's popular poem about him (1819). Compare Casanova, Lothario, philander, all originally character names.

donkey (n.)

familiar term for an ass, 1785, also donky, donkie, originally slang or dialectal, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a diminutive from dun "dull gray-brown" (from Middle English donned, past participle of donnen "to lose color, fade, from Old English dunnian). Compare Dunning, name of a (dun) horse (mid-14c.), and see dun (adj.). The form perhaps was influenced by monkey.

Or perhaps it is from a familiar form of the proper name Duncan applied to an animal (compare dobbin). The older English word was ass (n.1). Applied to stupid, obstinate, or wrong-headed persons by 1840. In mechanics, used of small or supplementary apparatus from mid-19c. (donkey-engine, donkey-pump, etc.). Short form donk is by 1916.

Donna

fem. proper name, from Italian, literally "lady," from Latin domina "lady, mistress of the house," from Latin domus "house" (from PIE root *dem- "house, household"). A top 20 name for girls born in the U.S. from 1941 to 1967 (top 10 from 1955 to 1965).

donna (n.)

"a lady," 1660s, from the common title of respect for Italian and Portuguese ladies, equivalent to Spanish doña, prefixed to the Christian name. The fem. equivalent of don (n.).

donnish (adj.)

"pertaining to or characteristic of an English don" (pedantic, scholarly), 1823, from don (n.) in the university sense + -ish. Related: Donnishness.

donnybrook (n.)

"scene of riotous disorder, heated argument," 1852, from Donnybrook Fair, which dated to c. 1200 but which by late 18c, had become proverbial for carousing and brawling, held in County Dublin until 1855. The place name is Irish Domhnach Broc "Church of Saint Broc."

donor (n.)

mid-15c., donour, "one who gives or bestows, one who makes a grant," from Anglo-French donour, Old French doneur (Modern French donneur), from Latin donatorem (nominative donator) "giver, donor," agent noun from past participle stem of donare "give as a gift," from donum "gift" (from PIE root *do- "to give").

As "person from whom blood is removed for transfusion," by 1875; in reference to those living or dead from whom organs or tissues are removed for transplantation, by 1918 (originally of guinea pigs).

do-nothing (n.)

"an idler," 1570s, from the verbal phrase; see do (v.) + nothing. As an adjective, "doing no work, indolent, inactive," by 1832.