Etymology dictionary

drape (n.) — droit (n.)

drape (n.)

1660s, "cloth, drapery," from drape (v.). Jive talk slang for "suit of clothes" is attested from 1945. Drapes "curtains" is by 1895.

c. 1400, drapen, "to ornament with cloth hangings;" mid-15c., "to weave into cloth," from Old French draper "to weave, make cloth" (13c., in Modern French "to cover with mourning-cloth, dress, drape"), from drap "cloth, piece of cloth, sheet, bandage," from Late Latin drapus, which is perhaps of Gaulish origin (compare Old Irish drapih "mantle, garment"). Meaning "to cover with drapery" is from 1847. Meaning "to cause to hang or stretch out loosely or carelessly" is from 1943. Related: Draped; draping.

draper (n.)

late 14c. (mid-14c. in Anglo-French; mid-12c. as a surname), "one who weaves and/or sells cloth," from Anglo-French draper, Old French drapier (13c.) "draper, clothes-seller, clothes-maker," agent noun from drap "cloth" (see drape (v.)).

drapery (n.)

early 14c., draperie, "cloth, textiles," from Old French draperie (12c.) "weaving, cloth-making, clothes shop," from drap "cloth, piece of cloth" (see drape (v.)). From late 14c. as "place where cloth is made; cloth market." Meaning "stuff with which something is draped" is from 1680s.

drastic (adj.)

1690s, originally of medicines, "forceful, vigorous," especially in effect on bowels, from Greek drastikos "effective, efficacious; active, violent," from drasteon "(thing) to be done," from drāo "to do, make, act, perform" (especially some great deed, whether good or bad), which is of uncertain etymology. Sense of "extreme, severe, acting with force or violence" is recorded by 1808. Related: Drastically.

drat (interj.)

1815, minced form of the exclamation God rot (something or someone). Compare dog-gone. Related: Dratted.

draught (n.)

c. 1200, "act of pulling or drawing; quantity of liquid that one drinks at a time," from Old English *dreaht, *dræht, related to dragan "to draw, drag" (see drag (v.)). The oldest recorded sense besides that of "pulling" is of "drinking" (perhaps "so much as is drawn down the throat at once"); compare drag (n.) in reference to an inhaling on a cigarette. It is attested from c. 1300 as "that which is drawn or written." In British English, it retains the functions that did not branch off with draft (q.v.).

draughts (n.)

British name for the tabletop game that in U.S. is checkers, c. 1400, from draught, probably because the pieces are "dragged" over the board in making moves. Draught (n.) also was used for "a move in chess." Earlier the game is recorded as jeu de dames (late 14c.).

draughty (adj.)

"exposed to drafts of air," by 1833, from draught + -y (2). Related: Draughtiness.

draughtsman (n.)

"one who draws or prepares plans, sketches, or designs," 1660s, from genitive of draught + man (n.). Related: Draughtsmanship.

Dravidian (adj.)

1856, "pertaining to the race in southern India or the languages spoken by them" (Tamil, Telugu, Kanarese, Malayalam, etc.), from Sanskrit Dravidah, name of a region in southern India, + -ian.

draw (v.)

"give motion to by the act of pulling," c. 1200, drauen, spelling alteration of Old English dragan "to drag, to draw, protract" (class VI strong verb; past tense drog, past participle dragen), from Proto-Germanic *draganan "to draw, pull" (source also of Old Norse draga "to draw, drag, pull," Old Saxon dragan "to carry," Old Frisian drega, draga, Middle Dutch draghen "to carry, bring, throw," Old High German tragan "carry, bring, lead," German tragen "to carry, bear"), from PIE root *dhregh- (see drag (v.)).

Sense of "make a line or figure" (by "drawing" a pencil across paper) is from c. 1200. Meaning "remove or extract (a weapon) by pulling" is from late 12c., originally of a sword. Sense of "to pull (a bowstring)" is from c. 1200. To draw a criminal (drag him at the tail of a horse to the place of execution) is from c. 1300.

Meaning "select one (from a number of lots, etc.)" is from c. 1300. Sense of "bring (a crowd, an audience, etc.) by inducement or attraction" is from 1580s. Of a ship or boat, "to displace (a specified amount) of water," 1550s. In card-playing, "to take or receive (a card)," by 1772; draw-poker is by 1850. To draw out "lengthen, protract" is from 1550s; to draw the line in the figurative sense of "make a limit" is by 1793. To draw blood is from c. 1400.

draw (n.)

c. 1400, "act of pulling," from draw (v.). Meaning "game or contest that ends without a winner," is attested first in drawn match (1610s), but the signification is uncertain origin; some speculate it is from withdraw. Hence, as a verb, "to leave (a game, etc.) undecided," from 1837.

Colloquial sense of "anything that can draw a crowd" is from 1881 (from the verb in the related sense).

drawing (n.)

c. 1300, "a pulling, act of imparting notion by towing," in various senses; verbal noun from draw (v.). The meaning "act of forming or tracing by a pen, pencil, etc." is from late 15c,; that of "picture or representation produced by drawing" is from 1660s.

Drawing-board, "board on which paper is stretched for use in drawing," is from 1725; used in figurative expressions, with the sense of "beginning, starting point" is by 1941 (in the Peter Arno "Well, back to the old drawing board" cartoon in the New Yorker).

drawback (n.)

"hindrance, disadvantage,"1720, from draw (v.) + back (adv.). The notion is of something that "holds back" success or activity.

drawbridge (n.)

also draw-bridge, "bridge which may be drawn up or let down," c. 1300, drawebrigge, from draw (v.) + bridge (n.).

drawdown (n.)

of troops, by 1991, in reference to the end of the Cold War; from the verbal phrase, from draw (v.) + down (adv.). Earlier of wells (c. 1900).

drawers (n.)

"garments that are pulled (or 'drawn') on;" 1560s, agent noun from draw (v.).

drawer (n.)

mid-14c., "one who draws (water from a well, etc.); one who pulls, drags, or transports," agent noun from draw (v.). Also formerly "a waiter, bartender" (1560s). Attested from 1570s in sense of "a box-shaped receptacle that can be 'drawn' or pulled out of a cabinet, bureau, table, etc., by sliding it horizontally."

drawing room (n.)

"room appropriated for the reception of company," 1640s, short for withdrawing room (16c.; see withdraw), into which ladies would retire after dinner. Earlier in the sense of "private room" as draw-chamber (mid-15c.); drawyng chaumber (early 15c.).

drawl (v.)

1590s, "to speak in a slow, spiritless tone," a native intensive or frequentative formation from draw (v.), or else from Middle Dutch dralen, East Frisian draulen "to linger, delay," which are from the same root. Related: Drawled; drawling.

drawl (n.)

"slow, unanimated manner of utterance," 1760, from drawl (v.).

drawn (adj.)

c. 1200, "pulled" (of a sword, etc.), from Old English dragen, past participle of draw (v.). Meaning "made thin by tension" is from early 15c.

draw-string (n.)

string, cord, lace, or rope used to "draw" (gather, or shorten) fabric or other material by 1831, from draw (v.) + string (n.). Also draw-cord (1840); drawing-string (1784).

drayage (n.)

1791, "fee for conveyance by dray," from dray + -age. Later also simply "conveyance by dray."

drayman (n.)

"man who drives and manages a dray," 1580s, from dray + man (n.).

dread (v.)

late 12c., "to fear very much, be in shrinking apprehension or expectation of," a shortening of Old English adrædan, contraction of ondrædan "counsel or advise against," also "to dread, fear, be afraid," from ond-, and- "against" (the same first element in answer, from PIE root *ant-) + rædan "to advise" (from PIE root *re- "to reason, count"). Cognate of Old Saxon andradon, Old High German intraten. Related: Dreaded; dreading.

As a noun from c. 1200, "great fear or apprehension; cause or object of apprehension." As a past-participle adjective (from the former strong past participle), "dreaded, frightful," c.1400; later "held in awe" (early 15c.).

dreadful (adj.)

early 13c., "full of dread or fear, timid," from dread (n.) + -ful. Meaning "causing dread, exciting terror" is from c. 1200; weakened sense of "very bad" is by 1680s. Related: Dreadfully; dreadfulness.

dreads (n.)

see dreadlocks.

dreadlocks (n.)

"rope-like strands of hair formed by matting or braiding," 1960, from dread (adj.) + locks (see lock (n.2)). The style is said to be based on that of East African warriors. So called from the dread they presumably aroused in beholders, but Rastafarian dread (1974) also has a sense of "fear of the Lord," expressed in part as alienation from contemporary society.

dreadnought (n.)

literally (one who or that which) "fears nothing," from the verbal phrase (drede ich nawiht is attested from c. 1200); see dread (v.) + nought (n.). As a synonym for "battleship" (1916) it is from a specific ship's name. Dreadnought is mentioned as the name of a ship in the Royal Navy as early as c. 1596, but the modern generic sense is from the name of the first of a new class of British battleships, based on the "all big-gun" principle (armed with 10 big guns rather than 4 large guns and a battery of smaller ones), launched Feb. 18, 1906.

dream (n.)

"sequence of sensations or images passing through the mind of a sleeping person," mid-13c., probably related to Old Norse draumr, Danish drøm, Swedish dröm, Old Saxon drom "merriment, noise," Old Frisian dram "dream," Dutch droom, Old High German troum, German Traum "dream." These all are perhaps from a Proto-Germanic *draugmas "deception, illusion, phantasm" (source also of Old Saxon bidriogan, Old High German triogan, German trügen "to deceive, delude," Old Norse draugr "ghost, apparition"). Possible cognates outside Germanic are Sanskrit druh- "seek to harm, injure," Avestan druz- "lie, deceive."

Old English dream meant "joy, mirth, noisy merriment," also "music." Much study has failed to prove that Old English dream is the source of the modern word for "sleeping vision," despite being identical in form. Perhaps the meaning of the word changed dramatically, or "vision" was an unrecorded secondary Old English meaning of dream, or there are two words here.

OED (1989) offers this theory for the absence of dream in the modern sense in the record of Old English: "It seems as if the presence of dream 'joy, mirth, music,' had caused dream 'dream' to be avoided, at least in literature, and swefn, lit. 'sleep,' to be substituted ...."

The dream that meant "joy, mirth, music" faded out of use after early Middle English. According to Middle English Compendium, the replacement of swefn (Middle English swevn) by dream in the sense "sleeping vision" occurs earliest and is most frequent in the East Midlands and the North of England, where Scandinavian influence was strongest.

Dream in the sense of "that which is presented to the mind by the imaginative faculty, though not in sleep" is from 1580s. The meaning "ideal or aspiration" is from 1931, from the earlier sense of "something of dream-like beauty or charm" (1888). The notion of "ideal" is behind dream girl (1850), etc.

Before it meant "sleeping vision" Old English swefn meant "sleep," as did a great many Indo-European "dream" nouns originally, such as Lithuanian sapnas, Old Church Slavonic sunu, and the Romanic words (French songe, Spanish sueño, Italian sogno all from Latin somnium). All of these (including Old English swefn) are from PIE *swep-no-, which also is the source of Greek hypnos (from PIE root *swep- "to sleep"). Old English also had mæting in the "sleeping vision" sense.

dream (v.)

mid-13c., dremen, "to have a dream or dreams, be partly and confusedly aware of images and thoughts during sleep," from dream (n.). Transitive sense of "see in a dream" is from c. 1300. Sense of "think about idly, vainly, or fancifully; give way to visionary expectation" is from late 14c. Related: Dreamed; dreaming. To dream up "picture (something) in one's mind" is by 1941.

In the older sense of "sing, rejoice, play music," it is from Old English drēman (Anglian); dryman (West Saxon), from the Old English noun. This was obsolete from c. 1300.

dreamboat (n.)

"romantically desirable person," 1947, from dream (n.) + boat (n.). The phrase was in use about two decades before that. "When My Dream Boat Comes Home" was the title of a 1936 song credited to Guy Lombardo and "Dream Boat" was the title of a 1929 book.

dreamer (n.)

early 14c., "one who dreams," agent noun from dream (v.). Meaning "idler, daydreamer" emerged by late 14c. Old English dreamere meant "musician."

dreamy (adj.)

1560s, "full of dreams," hence "associated with dreams," from dream (n.) + -y (2). Sense of "dream-like, vague, indistinct" is by 1848. Meaning "perfect, ideal," is noted as a teen vogue word in 1941, American English teen slang. Compare dreamboat "romantically desirable person;" dream girl, etc. Related: Dreamily; dreaminess.

dreamland (n.)

"land or region seen in dreams," hence "the land of fancy or imagination," 1827, from dream (n.) + land (n.).

dreamless (adj.)

"free from dreams," c. 1600, from dream (n.) + -less. Old English dreamleas meant "joyless." Related: Dreamlessly; dreamlessness. Dreamful is recorded from 1550s.

dreamscape (n.)

"landscape seen in dreams," 1858, from dream (n.) + second element abstracted from landscape, etc.

dreamt

alternative past tense and past participle of dream (v.).

dream-world (n.)

"world of dreams or illusions," 1817, from dream (n.) + world.

drear (adj.)

1620s, poetic shortening of dreary.

dreary (adj.)

Old English dreorig "sad, sorrowful," originally "cruel, bloody, blood-stained," from dreor "gore, blood," from (ge)dreosan (past participle droren) "fall, decline, fail," used of rain, snow, dew, fruit, and the slain, from Proto-Germanic *dreuzas (source also of Old Norse dreyrigr "gory, bloody," and more remotely, Old Saxon drorag, Middle High German troric "bloody;" German traurig "sad, sorrowful"), from PIE root *dhreu- "to fall, flow, drip, droop" (see drip (v.)).

The word has lost its original sense and the notion of "dripping blood." Sense of "lonesomely dismal, gloomy" first recorded 1667 in "Paradise Lost," but Old English had a related verb drysmian "become gloomy." Weakened sense of "causing a feeling of tedium, tiresomely monotonous" is by 1871. Related: Drearily.

dreariness (n.)

"state or character of being dreary," Old English dreorignys; see dreary + -ness.

dreck (n.)

"filth, trash," by 1922, from Yiddish drek (German dreck), from Middle High German drec, from Proto-Germanic *threkka (source also of Old English þreax "rubbish," Old Frisian threkk), perhaps connected to Greek skatos "dung," Latin stercus "excrement" (from PIE root *sker- (1) "to cut").

dredge (v.)

"to clear out with a dredge, gather with a dredge," also figurative, c. 1500 in Scottish, from dredge (n.). Related: Dredged; dredging.

dredge (n.)

"instrument for bringing up or removing solid matter from under water by dragging the bottom," late 15c., in Scottish dreg-boat "boat for dredging," perhaps ultimately from root of drag (possibly via Middle Dutch dregghe "drag-net").

dredger (n.)

c. 1500, "one who works or makes use of a dredge," agent noun from dredge (v.). As "boat employed in dredging," from c. 1600.

dree (v.)

"to suffer, bear, endure," Old English dreogan "to work, suffer, endure" (see drudge (v.)). Phrase dree one's weird "abide one's fate or destiny" is from 14c. Perhaps from a tendency to be confused with draw, the verb faded from use but lingered in North of England and Scottish dialect and was revived as an archaism by Scott and his imitators.

dreg (n.)

see dregs.

dregs (n.)

"the sediment of liquors, foreign matter that subsides to the bottom of a vessel containing liquors," c. 1300 (implied in surname Dryngedregges), from Old Norse dregg "sediment," from Proto-Germanic *drag- (source also of Old High German trestir, German Trester "grape-skins, husks"), from PIE *dher- (1) "to make muddy."

Replaced Old English cognate dræst, dærst "dregs, lees." Figurative use for "useless residue, the most worthless part of anything" is from 1530s.

drek

see dreck.

drench (v.)

c. 1200, "to submerge, sink; drown, kill by drowning," from Old English drencan "give drink to, ply with drink, make drunk; soak, saturate; submerge, drown," causative of drincan "to drink" (see drink (v.)), from Proto-Germanic *drankijan (source also of Old Norse drekkja, Swedish dränka, Dutch drenken, German tränken, Gothic dragkjan "to give to drink").

The sense of "to wet thoroughly by throwing liquid over" is by 1550s. For similar causal pairs, compare stink and stench, cling and clench, shrink and Middle English shrench "cause to shrink." Related: Drenched; drenching.

Dresden

city in eastern Germany; the name is of Slavic origin, probably literally "the place in the forest," from Old Sorbian drezga "forest." It is attested in English from 1735 in reference to elaborately decorated and colored objects of porcelain made near there.

dressing (n.)

mid-14c., "rule, control," verbal noun from dress (v.). In some Middle English uses also short for addressing. In cookery, "sauce used in preparing a dish for the table," from c. 1500. Meaning "bandage applied to a wound or sore" is by 1713.

Dressing-gown "a loose and easy robe worn while applying makeup or doing the hair" is attested from 1777; dressing-room "room intended to be used for dressing" is from 1670s. Dressing-up "act or fact of attiring oneself with attention to style and fashion" is by 1852. Dressing-down (n.) "a reprimand" is by 1839, American English, originally "a thrashing," perhaps ironic or extended from some 19c. mechanical or commercial sense.

dress (v.)

c. 1300, "make straight; direct, guide, control; prepare for cooking," from Old French dresser, drecier "raise (oneself); address, prepare; lift, raise, hoist; set up, arrange, set (a table), serve (food); straighten, put right, direct," from Vulgar Latin *directiare "make straight," from Latin directus "direct, straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + regere "to direct, to guide, keep straight" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line").

Sense of "decorate, adorn" is from late 14c., as is that of "put on clothing." The older sense survives in military dress ranks "align columns of troops." Of males, in reference to the position of the sex organ in trousers, by 1961.

Dress up "attire elaborately, put on one's best clothing" is from 1670s; dress down "wear clothes less formal than expected" is by 1960. Transitive use of dress (someone) down, "scold, reprimand," is by 1876, earlier simply dress (1769), in which the sense is ironical. In Middle English, dress up meant "get up" and dress down meant "to kneel." Related: Dressed; dressing.

dress (n.)

c. 1600, "a garment or assemblage of garments," originally any clothing, especially that appropriate to rank or to some ceremony; the specific sense of "woman's garment consisting of a skirt and waist" is recorded by 1630s, with overtones of "made not merely to clothe but to adorn." Dress rehearsal first recorded 1828.

dressage (n.)

"skilled form of horseback riding performed in exhibitions and competitions," 1936, from French dressage, from dresser "to train, drill" (see dress (v.)). Middle English had dress (v.) in the sense of "to train or break in" a horse or other animal (c. 1400), but it died out.

dresser (n.)

c. 1300, "person who prepares or furnishes (something)," agent noun from dress (v.). Meaning "table, sideboard" (on which food is prepared) is from late 14c., from Old French dresseur, dreçoir "table to prepare food," from dresser "prepare, dress." Sense of "one who is employed in clothing or adorning others" is from 1510s. Meaning "chest, dressing bureau" is by 1895.

dressy (adj.)

"fond of dress, given to elaborate or showy dressing," 1760s, from dress (v.) + -y (2).

dressmaker (n.)

also dress-maker, "one whose occupation is the making of articles of feminine attire," 1803, from dress (n.) + maker.

dress-up (n.)

"act of dressing up in one's best clothes," 1865, from the verbal phrase (17c.); see dress (v.) + up (adv.).

drew

Old English dreow, past tense of draw (v.).

drib (n.)

"drop," c. 1730, Scottish, perhaps from dribble or from obsolete verb drib (1520s).

dribble (v.)

1580s, "let fall in drops or bits;" 1590s (intransitive) "fall in drops or small particles," frequentative of obsolete verb drib (1520s), a variant of drip (v.). The sports sense "give the ball a slight shove or bounce" first was used in soccer (1863), the basketball sense is by 1892 (implied in dribbling). Related: Dribbled. As a noun from 1670s.

driblet (n.)

also dribblet, "small piece or part, an inconsiderable part of a whole," 1590s, diminutive of drib (n.) with -let.

drier (n.)

late 15c. (early 14c. as a surname, Dryere; Alic le Dreyster is attested from 1292) "one who dries and bleaches cloth," agent noun from dry (v.). As "that which dries or is used in drying," 1520s. Dryer was used of machines from 1848 (drying-machine is by 1819).

drift (v.)

late 16c., "to float or be driven along by a current," from drift (n.). Transitive sense of "to drive in heaps" is from 1610s. Figurative sense of "be passive and listless" is from 1822. Related: Drifted; drifting. To drift apart "gradually lose mutual affection" is by 1859.

drift (n.)

early 14c., literally "a being driven" (at first of snow, rain, etc.); not recorded in Old English, it is either a suffixed form of drive (v.) (compare thrift/thrive) or borrowed from Old Norse drift "snow drift," or Middle Dutch drift "pasturage, drove, flock," both from Proto-Germanic *driftiz (source also of Danish and Swedish drift, German Trift), from PIE root *dhreibh- "to drive, push" (see drive (v.)).

"A being driven," hence "anything driven," especially a number of things or a heap of matter driven or moving together (mid-15c.). Figurative sense of "aim, intention, what one is getting at" (on the notion of "course, tendency") is from 1520s. Nautical sense of "deviation of a ship from its course in consequence of currents" is from 1670s. Meaning "controlled slide of a sports car" attested by 1955.

drifter (n.)

1864, as a mining term for one who excavates "drifts" (in the specialized sense of "horizontal passages"); by 1883 as "boat fishing with drift-nets;" agent noun from drift (v.). Meaning "vagrant, man following an aimless way of life" is from 1908.

drift-net (n.)

"gill net, held upright in water by floats and extended by weights below, that drifts with the tides," 1660s, from drift (v.) + net (n.).

driftwood (n.)

"wood floating on water," 1630s, from drift (v.) + wood (n.).

drill (n.2)

"small furrow; trench or channel in which seeds are deposited," 1727; also "machine for sowing seeds" (1731), from obsolete drill "rill, trickling stream" (1640s), which is of unknown origin; perhaps connected to drill (n.1).

drill (n.4)

"West African baboon species," 1640s, perhaps from a native word (compare mandrill).

drill (v.1)

"pierce or make a hole in with a drill or similar tool," c. 1600 (implied in drilling), from Dutch drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl," from Proto-Germanic *thr- (source also of Middle High German drillen "to turn, round off, bore," Old English þyrel "hole"), from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn," with derivatives referring to twisting, boring, and drilling. Related: Drilled, drilling. Compare thrill, the native English form of the word. Drill-press "drilling machine for boring holes in metal" is by 1850.

drill (n.3)

also drilling, kind of coarse, stout twilled cloth, 1743, from French drill, from German drillich "heavy, coarse cotton or linen fabric," from Old High German adjective drilich "threefold," from Latin trilix (genitive trilicis) "having three threads, triple-twilled," from tri- (see tri-) + licium "thread," a word of unknown etymology. So called in reference to the method of weaving it.

drill (n.1)

"tool for making holes in hard substances," 1610s, from Dutch dril, drille "a hole, instrument for boring holes," from drillen "to bore (a hole), turn around, whirl," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn."

drill (v.2)

"to instruct in military exercise," 1620s (a sense also found in Dutch drillen and the Danish and German cognates), probably from drill (v.1) on the notion of troops "turning" in maneuvers. Related: Drilled, drilling.

As a noun, "act of training soldiers in military tactics," 1630s; the extended sense of "the agreed-upon procedure" is by 1940. Drill-sergeant "non-commissioned officer who instructs soldiers in their duties and trains them in military movements" is by 1760. Drill-master "one who gives practical instructions in military tactics" is by 1766.

drink (n.)

"beverage," often especially "alcoholic beverage," late Old English drinc, drync, from drink (v.). Meaning "as much of any liquid as is or may be taken at a time" is from c. 1300.

drinking (n.)

late 12c., drinkinge, "the action of drinking," especially drinking for pleasure, verbal noun from drink (v.). Drinking problem "alcoholism" is by 1953; earlier was drinking habit (by 1825).

drink (v.)

Old English drincan "to swallow water or other fluid," also "to swallow up, engulf" (class III strong verb; past tense dranc, past participle druncen), from Proto-Germanic *drenkanan (source also of Old Saxon drinkan, Old Frisian drinka, Dutch drinken, Old High German trinkan, German trinken, Old Norse drekka, Gothic drigkan "to drink"), which is of uncertain origin or connections, perhaps from a root meaning "to draw."

Most Indo-European words for this trace to PIE *po(i)- (source of Greek pino, Latin biber, Irish ibim, Old Church Slavonic piti, Russian pit'; see imbibe).

Figurative meaning "take in through the senses" is from late 12c. Especially "to imbibe spiritous liquors" from mid-15c. To drink to "salute in drinking" is by mid-13c. To drink like a fish is recorded from 1744. To drink (someone) under the table "continue drinking and remain (comparatively) sober after others have passed out" is by 1909.

drinkable (adj.)

"fit or suitable for drinking," mid-15c., from drink (v.) + -able. Related: Drinkability.

drinker (n.)

Old English drincere, "one who drinks," agent noun from drink (v.). Specifically of habitual consumers of alcoholic beverages from c. 1200.

drip (n.)

mid-15c., drippe, "a drop of liquid," from drip (v.). From 1660s as "a falling or letting fall in drops." Medical sense of "continuous slow introduction of fluid into the body" is by 1933. The slang meaning "stupid, feeble, or dull person" is by 1932, perhaps from earlier American English slang sense "nonsense" (by 1919).

drip (v.)

c. 1300, drippen, "to fall in drops; let fall in drops," from Old English drypan, also dryppan, from Proto-Germanic *drupjanan (source also of Old Norse dreypa, Middle Danish drippe, Dutch druipen, Old High German troufen, German triefen), perhaps from a PIE root *dhreu-. Related to droop and drop. Related: Dripped; dripping.

drippy (adj.)

1817, "rainy," from drip (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "sloppily sentimental" is 1944, from the slang sense.

drivable (adj.)

"capable of being driven" in any sense, by 1832, in early use generally of roads, from drive (v.) + -able.

drive (v.)

Old English drifan "to compel or urge to move, impel in some direction or manner; to hunt (deer), pursue; to rush against" (class I strong verb; past tense draf, past participle drifen), from Proto-Germanic *dreibanan (source also of Old Frisian driva "I lead, impel, drive (away)," Old Saxon driban, Dutch drijven, Old High German triban, German treiben, Old Norse drifa, Gothic dreiban "to drive"), perhaps from PIE root *dhreibh- "to drive, push," but it may be a Germanic isolated word.

Used in Old English of nails, ships, plows, vehicles, cattle; in Middle English of bargains. Meaning "compel or incite to action or condition of any kind" (drive mad) is by late 12c. Sense of "work with energy, labor actively" is c. 1200; that of "aim a blow" is by early 14c.. Transitive meaning "convey (someone) in a carriage," later an automobile, is from 1660s. The original sense of "pushing from behind" was altered in Modern English by application to automobiles. Related: Driving.

drive (n.)

1690s, "an act of driving, the action of driving," from drive (v.). Sense of "course upon which carriages are driven" is from 1816 (hence its use in road and street names). Meaning "an excursion by vehicle" is from 1785.

Golfing sense of "forcible blow" is from 1836; in cricket from 1827, later also in baseball. Meaning "organized effort to raise money" is by 1889, American English. Sense of "dynamism" is from 1908. As a motor engine transmission lever position, by 1963. The computing sense "location capable of storing and reading a disk, etc." is by 1963.

drive-by (adj.)

as a modifier, "done from a moving vehicle," by 1989 (originally of shootings), from the verbal phrase; see drive (v.) + by (prep.).

drive-in (adj.)

in reference to of restaurants, banks, etc., built to be patronized without leaving one's car, 1929, from the verbal phrase; see drive (v.) + in (adv.). Of movie theaters by 1933 (the year the first one opened, in Camden, New Jersey).

drivel (v.)

Old English dreflian "to slaver, slobber, run at the nose," from Proto-Germanic *drab-, perhaps from a PIE *dher- (1) "to make muddy, darken." Transferred meaning "to speak nonsense" is mid-14c., driveling being characteristic of children, idiots, and dotards. Related: Driveling, drivelling.

drivel (n.)

early 14c., drevel "saliva, slaver," from drivel (v.). Meaning "senseless twaddle, idiotic speech or writing" is by 1852.

driven (adj.)

1570s, of snow, "carried and gathered in heaps by the wind," past-participle adjective from drive (v.). Meaning "motivated" is by 1972.

driver (n.)

"one who or that which drives" in various senses, late 14c. (late 13c. as a surname); agent noun from drive (v.). Earliest sense is "herdsman, drover, one who drives livestock." From mid-15c. as "one who drives a vehicle." In U.S., "overseer of a gang of slaves," by 1796. Meaning "golf club for hitting great distances" is by 1892. Driver's seat is attested by 1867; figurative use by 1954.

drive-through (adj.)

"that may be used or experienced while driving a car," 1949 (in an advertisement for the Beer Vault Drive-Thru in Ann Arbor, Michigan), from the verbal phrase; see drive (v.) + through (adv.).

driveway (n.)

1870, "a way for driving," from drive (v.) + way (n.). Drive alone in this sense is attested from 1816. Specifically as "private road from a public road to a private house" by 1884.

driving-wheel (n.)

in mechanics, "main wheel that communicates motion to others," 1838, from drive (v.) + wheel (n.).

drizzle (v.)

1540s, transitive, "shed in small drops;" 1560s, intransitive, "fall in very fine particles, as water from the clouds," of uncertain origin. Perhaps it is an alteration of drysning "a falling of dew" (c. 1400), from Old English -drysnian, which is related to dreosan "to fall" (see dreary). Or perhaps it is a frequentative of Middle English dresen "to fall," from Old English dreosan. Related: Drizzled; drizzling.

As a noun, "a light rain, mist," from 1550s.

droid (n.)

popularized from 1977, short for android. It is attested in a science fiction story from 1952.

droit (n.)

"a right, a legal claim to one's due," mid-15c., from Old French droit, dreit "right," from Medieval Latin directum (contracted drictum) "right, justice, law," neuter or accusative of Latin directus "straight," past participle of dirigere "set straight" (see direct (v.)).

Droit du seigneur (1825)), from French (1784), was the alleged medieval custom giving a feudal lord the right to have sex with the bride of his vassal on their wedding night before she went to her husband; literally "the lord's right." There is little evidence that it actually existed; it seems to have been invented in imagination 16c. or 17c. The Latin form was jus primae noctis, "law of the first night." For French droit, see right (adj.2).