Etymology dictionary
holm (n.) — Homo sapiens (n.)
holm (n.)
"small island in a river; river meadow," late Old English, from Old Norse holmr "small island," especially in a river or bay, or cognate Old Danish hulm, from Proto-Germanic *hul-maz, from PIE root *kel- (2) "to be prominent; hill." Obsolete, but preserved in place names, where it has various senses derived from the basic one of "island:" "'raised ground in marsh, enclosure of marginal land, land in a river-bend, river meadow, promontory'" ["Cambridge Dictionary of English Place-Names"]. Cognate Old English holm (only attested in poetic language) meant "sea, ocean, wave."
Holmesian (adj.)
1911, in reference to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, who debuted in 1887. Sherlock-Holmes-ian is from 1902.
holmium (n.)
rare earth element, named by French chemist Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886, from holmia "holmium oxide," name of an earth identified and named in Modern Latin by the earth's discoverer, Swedish chemist Per Teodor Cleve, in 1879 from Holmia, Latin name of Stockholm. With metallic element ending -ium. Holmia was isolated from erbia, the Scandinavian earth which also yielded thulium, scandium, and ytterbium.
holo-
before vowels, hol-, word-forming element meaning "whole, entire, complete," from Greek holos "whole, entire, complete," also "safe and sound;" as a noun, "the universe," as an adverb, "on the whole;" from PIE *sol-wo-, from root *sol- "whole." Often translated as whole, which it resembles but with which it apparently has no etymological connection.
holocaust (n.)
mid-13c., "sacrifice by fire, burnt offering," from Old French holocauste (12c.), or directly from Late Latin holocaustum, from Greek holokauston "a thing wholly burnt," neuter of holokaustos "burned whole," from holos "whole" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + kaustos, verbal adjective of kaiein "to burn" (see caustic).
Originally a Bible word for "burnt offerings," given wider figurative sense of "massacre, destruction of a large number of persons" from 1670s. The Holocaust "Nazi genocide of European Jews in World War II," first recorded 1957, earlier known in Hebrew as Shoah "catastrophe." The word itself was used in English in reference to Hitler's Jewish policies from 1942, but not as a proper name for them.
English chronicler Richard of Devizes in his contemporary account of the coronation of Richard I in 1189 used the word holocaust when he described the mass murder of the Jews of London, although he meant it as "a sacrificial offering."
Holocene (adj.)
in reference to the epoch that began 10,000 years ago and continues today, 1897, from French holocène (1867), from Greek holos "whole" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + -cene. The notion is "entirely new."
hologram (n.)
1949, coined by Hungarian-born British scientist Dennis Gabor (Gábor Dénes), 1971 Nobel prize winner in physics for his work in holography; from Greek holos "whole" (here in sense of "three-dimensional;" from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + -gram.
holograph (n.)
"document written entirely by the person from whom it proceeds," 1620s, from Late Latin holographus, from Greek holographos "written entirely by the same hand," literally "written in full," from holos "whole" (from PIE root *sol- "whole, well-kept") + graphos "written," from graphein "to write" (see -graphy). Modern use, with reference to holograms, is a 1960s back-formation from holography.
holographic (adj.)
1743, of writing, from holograph + -ic; physics sense is from 1964 (see holography). Related: Holographical.
holography (n.)
early 19c., of writing, from holograph + -y (4); physics sense, "process of using holograms," is from 1964, coined by discoverer, Hungarian-born physicist Gábor Dénes, from hologram on analogy of telegraphy/telegram.
holomorphic (adj.)
1871, from holo- + morphic (see metamorphosis). Related: Holomorphically.
holophrastic (adj.)
"having the force of a whole phrase; expressive of a complex idea," 1837, from holo- "whole" + Latinized form of Greek phrastikos, from phrazein "to indicate, tell, express" (see phrase (n.)).
Holstein
breed of cattle, 1865; so called because originally raised in nearby Friesland. The place name is literally "woodland settlers," from the roots of German Holz "wood" (see holt) and siedeln "to settle," altered by influence of Stein "stone." Since 15c. it has been united with the Duchy of Schleswig.
holster (n.)
"leather case for a pistol," 1660s, probably from Old English heolster, earlier helustr "concealment, hiding place," from Proto-Germanic *hulfti- (source also of Old High German hulft "cover, case, sheath," Old Norse hulstr "case, sheath," Middle Dutch holster, German Halfter "holster"), from PIE root *kel- (1) "to cover, conceal, save." Intermediate forms are wanting, and the modern word could as well be from the Norse or Dutch cognates.
holster (v.)
by 1902, from holster (n.). Related: Holstered; holstering.
holt (n.)
Old English holt "woods, forest, grove, thicket," common in place names, from Proto-Germanic *hultam- (source also of Old Frisian, Old Norse, Middle Dutch holt, Dutch hout, German Holz "a wood, wood as timber"), from PIE *kldo- (source also of Old Church Slavonic klada "beam, timber;" Russian koloda, Lithuanian kalada "block of wood, log;" Greek klados "twig;" Old Irish caill "wood"), from root *kel- "to strike, cut."
Holy Land
"western Palestine, Judaea," late 13c., translating Medieval Latin terra sancta (11c.).
holystone (n.)
soft sandstone used to scrub decks of sailing ships, 1777, despite the spelling, probably so called perhaps because it is full of holes, and thus from hole (n.). The other theory is that it was used for cleaning decks on Sundays. As a verb, by 1828.
homage (n.)
c. 1300, "ceremony or act of acknowledging one's faithfulness to a feudal lord; feudal allegiance," earlier "body of vassals of a feudal king" (early 13c.), from Old French omage, homage "allegiance or respect for one's feudal lord" (12c., Modern French hommage), from homme "man," in Medieval Latin "a vassal," from Latin homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus). Figurative sense of "reverence, honor shown" is from late 14c.
homage (v.)
1590s (agent noun homager is from c. 1400), from homage (n.). Related: Homaged; homaging.
hombre (n.)
"a man" (especially one of Spanish descent), 1846, from Spanish, from Latin hominem, accusative of homo "man" (see homunculus).
homburg (n.)
type of soft felt hat with a curled brim and a dented crown, 1894, from Homburg, resort town in Prussia, where it was first made. Introduced to England by Edward VII.
home (n.)
Old English ham "dwelling place, house, abode, fixed residence; estate; village; region, country," from Proto-Germanic *haimaz "home" (source also of Old Frisian hem "home, village," Old Norse heimr "residence, world," heima "home," Danish hjem, Middle Dutch heem, German heim "home," Gothic haims "village"), from PIE *(t)koimo-, suffixed form of root *tkei- "to settle, dwell, be home." As an adjective from 1550s. The old Germanic sense of "village" is preserved in place names and in hamlet.
Slang phrase make (oneself) at home "become comfortable in a place one does not live" dates from 1892 (at home "at one's ease" is from 1510s). To keep the home fires burning is a song title from 1914. To be nothing to write home about "unremarkable" is from 1907. Home movie is from 1919; home computer is from 1967. Home stretch (1841) is from horse racing (see stretch (n.)). Home economics as a school course first attested 1899; the phrase itself by 1879 (as "household management" is the original literal sense of economy, the phrase is etymologically redundant).
Home as the goal in a sport or game is from 1778. Home base in baseball attested by 1856; home plate by 1867. Home team in sports is from 1869; home field "grounds belonging to the local team" is from 1802 (the 1800 citation in OED 2nd ed. print is a date typo, as it refers to baseball in Spokane Falls). Home-field advantage attested from 1955.
homing (n.)
"action of going home," 1765, in reference to pigeons, verbal noun from home (v.). Of aircraft, later missiles, from 1923. Homing pigeon attested by 1868.
homely (adj.)
late 14c., "of or belonging to home or household, domestic," from Middle English hom "home" (see home (n.)) + -ly (1). Sense of "plain, unadorned, simple" (as domestic scenes often were) is late 14c., and extension to "having a plain appearance, without particular beauty of features, crude" took place c. 1400, but survived chiefly in U.S., especially in New England, where it was the usual term for "physically unattractive;" ugly meaning typically "ill-tempered." In the old sense of "domestic, of or pertaining to domestic life," homish (1560s) and homelike (1789) have been used.
home (v.)
1765, "to go home," from home (n.). Meaning "be guided to a destination by radio signals, etc." (of missiles, aircraft, etc.) is from 1920; it had been used earlier in reference to pigeons (1862). Related: Homed; homing. Old English had hamian "to establish in a home."
homebody (n.)
"one who prefers to stay at home," 1821, from home (n.) + body.
homeboy (n.)
"person from one's hometown," 1940s, African-American vernacular, also originally with overtones of "simpleton." With many variants (compare homebuddy, homeslice, both 1980s, with meaning shading toward "good friend"). The word had been used by Ruskin (1886) with the sense "stay-at-home male," and it was Canadian slang for "boy brought up in an orphanage or other institution" (1913).
homebound (adj.)
"restricted to home," 1882, from home (n.) + bound (adj.2).
home-brew (n.)
1853, from home-brewed (1711); see home (n.) + brew (v.).
homecoming (n.)
mid-13c., "a coming home," from home (n.) + coming. Compare Old English hamcyme "homecoming, a return." Attested from 1935 in U.S. high school dance sense. Used earlier in Britain in reference to the annual return of natives to the Isle of Man.
home front (n.)
also homefront, 1918, from home (n.) + front (n.) in the military sense. A term from World War I; popularized (if not coined) by the agencies running the U.S. propaganda effort.
homey (adj.)
"home-like," variant spelling of homy (q.v.).
homeland (n.)
1660s, from home (n.) + land (n.). Old English hamland meant "enclosed pasture." Not in Century Dictionary (U.S., 1910); in more extensive use in U.S. after 2001.
homeless (adj.)
"having no permanent abode," 1610s, from home (n.) + -less. Old English had hamleas, but the modern word probably is a new formation. As a noun meaning "homeless persons," by 1857.
homelessness (n.)
homeliness (n.)
mid-14c., "meekness, gentleness," also "familiarity, intimacy; friendliness," from homely + -ness. Sense degenerated by c. 1400 to "want of refinement in manners, coarseness; presumptuousness." Meaning "lack of beauty" is by 1849.
homelily (adv.)
late 15c., from homely + -ly (2).
homemade (adj.)
also home-made, 1650s, from home (n.) + made (adj.).
homemaker (n.)
also home-maker, "woman considered as a domestic agent," by 1861, American English, from home (n.) + agent noun from make (v.).
homeo-
also homoeo-, word-forming element meaning "similar to," Latinized from Greek homio-, from homoios "like, resembling, of the same kind; equal," related to or an expanded form of homos "one and the same" (from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with").
homeomorphism (n.)
1854, from homeomorphous (1832), from homeo- + morphous (see morphic); originally of crystals. Homeomorphic is from 1902.
homeopath (n.)
1830, from German; see homeopathy.
homeopathic (adj.)
homeopathy (n.)
1830, from German Homöopathie, coined 1824 by German physician Samuel Friedrich Hahnemann (1755-1843) from Greek homoios "like, similar, of the same kind" (see homeo-) + -patheia "disease," also "feeling, emotion" (see -pathy). Greek homoiopathes meant "having like feelings or affections, sympathetic."
homeostasis (n.)
"tendency toward stability among interdependent elements," 1926, from homeo- "similar to" + stasis "a standing still." Related: Homeostatic.
homeowner (n.)
also home-owner, 1892, American English, from home (n.) + owner.
home page (n.)
also homepage, 1993, from home (n.) + page (n.1).
homer (n.)
short for home run, from 1868. It also meant "pigeon trained to fly home from a distance" (1880). As a verb in the baseball sense by 1946. Related: Homered; homering.
Homeric (adj.)
1730, from Homer + -ic. Homerical is from 1570s. Compare Latin Homericus, Greek Homerikos. Homerian (1796) also has been used.
Homer
traditional name of the supposed author of the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," from Latin Homerus, from Greek Homeros. It is identical to Greek homeros "a hostage," said to also mean in dialects "blind" (the connecting notion is "going with a companion"). But the name also has been otherwise explained.
homeroom (n.)
also home-room, 1913 in the U.S. schools sense, from home (n.) + room (n.).
home rule (n.)
1860, originally in reference to Ireland, from home (n.) + rule (n.).
home run (n.)
1856, from home (n.) + run (n.).
homeschool (v.)
also home-school, by 1989 (implied in homeschooling), from home (n.) + school (v.). Related: Homeschooled.
homesick (adj.)
1798, back-formation from homesickness.
homesickness (n.)
1756, translating German Heimweh, from Heim "home" (see home (n.)) + Weh "woe, pain;" the compound is from Swiss dialect, expressing a longing for the mountains, and was introduced to other European languages 17c. by Swiss mercenaries. Also see nostalgia.
homespun (adj.)
1590s, "spun at home," from home (n.) + spun. Figurative sense of "plain, homely" is from c. 1600. As a noun, "homemade cloth or clothing," from c. 1600.
homestead (v.)
1872, American English, from homestead (n.). Homesteader also is from 1872.
homestead (n.)
Old English hamstede "home, town, village," from home (n.) + stead (q.v.). In U.S. use, "a lot of land adequate for the maintenance of a family" (1690s), defined by the Homestead Act of 1862 as 160 acres. Similar formation in Dutch heemstede, Danish hjemsted.
hometown (n.)
also home-town, 1879, from home (n.) + town.
homeward (adv.)
mid-13c., homward "towards home," from Old English ham weard; see home (n.) + -ward. Also Homewards, with adverbial genitive -s (Old English hamweardes). Homeward-bound is from c. 1600, originally of ships.
homework (n.)
also home-work, 1680s, "work done at home," as opposed to work done in the shop or factory, from home (n.) + work (n.). In sense of "lessons studied at home," it is attested from 1889. To do (one's) homework in figurative sense "be prepared" is from 1934.
homie (n.)
also homey, by 1970s, slang, short for homeboy (q.v.). OED reports the identical word is recorded from the 1920s in New Zealand slang in the sense "recently arrived British immigrant."
homy (adj.)
also homey, "home-like, resembling home," 1856, from home (n.) + -y (2). Related: Hominess.
homicidal (adj.)
1725, from homicide + -al (1), or from Late Latin homicidalis. Related: Homicidally. As an adjective, homicidious is from 1630s.
homicide (n.)
"the killing of another person," early 13c., from Old French homicide, from Latin homicidium "manslaughter," from homo "man" (see homunculus) + -cidium "act of killing," from caedere "to kill, to cut down" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike").
The meaning "person who kills another" (late 14c.) also is from French (homicide), from Latin homicida "a murderer," from homo + -cida "killer." Identical in French and English, the two words differ in Latin and in other languages (for example, Spanish homicida/homicidio).
homiletics (n.)
"the art of preaching," 1805, from homiletic; also see -ics.
homiletic (adj.)
1640s, "of or having to do with sermons," from Late Latin homileticus, from Greek homiletikos "of conversation, affable," from homilia "conversation, discourse," in New Testament, "sermon" (see homily). Related: Homiletical.
homily (n.)
late 14c., omelye, from Old French omelie "homily" (12c., Modern French homélie), from Church Latin homilia "a homily, sermon," from Greek homilia "conversation, discourse," used in New Testament Greek for "sermon," from homilos "an assembled crowd," from homou "together" (from PIE *somalo-, suffixed form of root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with") + ile "troop, band, crowd" (cognate with Sanskrit melah "assembly," Latin miles "soldier"). Latinate form restored in English 16c. A collection of them is a homiliary (1844).
homilist (n.)
hominy (n.)
1629, first recorded by Capt. John Smith, probably from Powhatan (Algonquian) uskatahomen, or a similar word, "parched corn," probably literally "that which is ground or beaten." See grits.
hominid (n.)
"one of the family of mammals represented by man," 1889, from Modern Latin Hominidæ the biological family name (1825), from Latin homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus) + -id. As an adjective from 1915. Related: Hominine (adj.).
hominiform (adj.)
"of human shape," 1670s, from stem of Latin homo (see homunculus) + -form.
hominivorous (adj.)
"anthropophagous," 1823, from stem of Latin homo (see homunculus) + -vorous "eating, devouring."
hominoid (adj.)
"man-like," 1927, from Latin homo (genitive hominis) "man" (see homunculus) + -oid. As a noun meaning "an animal resembling man," from 1927. Earlier adjective was hominiform "of human shape" (1670s).
homo- (1)
before vowels hom-, word-forming element meaning "same, the same, equal, like" (opposed to hetero-), from Greek homos "one and the same," also "belonging to two or more jointly" (from PIE *somo-, from root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with").
homo (n.)
short for homosexual (n.), attested by 1929, usually contemptuous; as an adjective by 1933.
homo- (2)
word-forming element meaning "homosexual," abstracted since early 20c. from homosexual, and ultimately identical to homo- (1).
homoerotic (adj.)
also homo-erotic, 1916, from homo- (2) "homosexual" + erotic. Related: Homoeroticism.
homogamous (adj.)
1811, in botany, from homogamy + -ous. Greek homogamos meant "married to the same wife; having married sisters."
homogamy (n.)
1805, "condition of bearing flowers that do not differ sexually," from homo- (1) "same" + -gamy.
homogenization (n.)
1803 (specifically of milk, 1905); see homogenize + noun ending -ation.
homogenous (adj.)
a spelling of homogeneous (q.v.) that represents a common pronunciation, perhaps by influence of homogenize.
homogeneity (n.)
1620s, from homogene "of the same kind" (c. 1600), from French homogène (16c.; see homogeneous) + -ity. Or from Medieval Latin homogeneitas.
homogeneous (adj.)
1640s, from Medieval Latin homogeneus, from Greek homogenes "of the same kind," from homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + genos "kind, gender, race, stock" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget," with derivatives referring to procreation and familial and tribal groups). Earlier in this sense was homogeneal (c. 1600). Related: Homogeneously; homogeneousness.
homogenize (v.)
"make similar," 1742, from homogeneous + -ize. The sense of "render milk uniform in consistency" is from 1901. Related: Homogenized; homogenizing; homogenizer.
homogeny (n.)
1620s, "uniformity of nature;" by 1856 in biological sense "descent from a common ancestor," from Greek homogeneia "community of origin," from homogene "of the same race or kind" (see homogeneous).
homogenise (v.)
chiefly British English spelling of homogenize; for suffix, see -ize. Related: Homogenised; homogenising; homogenisation.
homograph (n.)
1810 as a method of signalling, from homo- (1) "same" + -graph "something written." Meaning "a word of identical spelling with another, but of different origin and meaning," is from 1873. Related: Homographic; homography. Greek homographos meant "of the same letters."
homoioteleuton (n.)
in general, "the repetition of endings in words, rhyme and near rhyme," but also, in palaeography, a form of scribal error which occurs "when two words/phrases/lines end with the same sequence of letters. The scribe, having finished copying the first, skips to the second, omitting all intervening words" [Robert B. Waltz, "The Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism," 2013]; Greek, literally "same ending;" see homo- (1) "the same" + telos.
homoiousian (adj.)
1680s, "having a similar nature," from Greek homoiousios "of the same essence," from homos "one and the same" (see homo- (1)) + ousia "essence," from on, genitive ontos, present participle of einai "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be"). As a noun from 1732 in reference to the followers of the semi-Arian Eusebius, "who maintained that the nature of Christ is similar to, but not the same with, that of the father" [Century Dictionary].
homologous (adj.)
"having the same position, value, structure, etc.," 1650s, from Latinized form of Greek homologos "agreeing, of one mind," from homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + logos "relation, reasoning, computation," related to legein "reckon, select, speak," from PIE root *leg- (1) "to collect, gather," with derivatives meaning "to speak (to 'pick out words')."
homologize (v.)
1733, "be homologous;" 1811, "make homologous;" see homologous + -ize. Related: Homologized; homologizing.
homonymous (adj.)
1620s, in various senses, from Latin homonymus "having the same name," from Greek homonymos "having the same name" (see homonym). Homonymy "quality of being homonymous" is from 1590s. Related: Homonymously.
homonym (n.)
"word pronounced and perhaps spelled the same as another but different in meaning," 1807, from French homonyme and directly from Latin homonymum (Quintilian), from Greek homonymon, neuter of homonymos, from homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + onyma, dialectal form of onoma "name" (from PIE root *no-men- "name"). Related: Homonymic.
homophile (n.)
1960, from homo- (2) "homosexual" + -phile. An attempt to coin a word for a homosexual person as part of a social group, rather than a sexual deviant.
homophobic (adj.)
by 1908, originally "fear of humans," ultimately from Latin homo "man, male human; human being" + phobia + -ic.
The "fear of homosexuals" sense is attested by 1969, from homo- (2) "homosexual" + -phobia + -ic. Even early on the term was used with a tinge of "unreasonable or abusive fear of homosexuals" and in current use it typically implies or asserts an active hatred. Related: Homophobe; homophobia
homophone (n.)
"a word pronounced the same as another (whether spelled the same or not) but different in meaning and etymology," 1843, from the adjective homophone (1620s), from Greek homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + phone "sound," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say." Related: Homophonic. Greek homophonos meant "speaking the same language; sounding in unison; of the same sound or tone."
homophony (n.)
1768, from French homophonie, from Greek homophonia "unison," from homophonos "of the same sound or tone" (see homophone).
Homo sapiens (n.)
the genus of human beings, 1802, in William Turton's translation of Linnæus, coined in Modern Latin from Latin homo "man" (technically "male human," but in logical and scholastic writing "human being;" see homunculus) + sapiens, present participle of sapere "be wise" (see sapient).
Homo as the genus of the human race, within the order Primates, was formally instituted in Modern Latin 1758 by Linnaeus (originally also including chimpanzees). Used since in various Latin or pseudo-Latin combinations intended to emphasize some aspect of humanity, as in Henri Bergson's Homo faber "man the tool-maker" (in "L'Evolution Créatrice", 1907).