Etymology dictionary
homosexual (adj.) — hop-o-my-thumb (n.)
homosexual (adj.)
1892, in C.G. Chaddock's translation of Krafft-Ebing's "Psychopathia Sexualis," from German homosexual, homosexuale (by 1880, in Gustav Jäger), from Greek homos "same" (see homo- (1)) + Latin-based sexual.
Sexual inversion (1883, later simply inversion, by 1895) was an earlier clinical term for "homosexuality" in English, said by Ellis to have originated in Italian psychology writing. See also uranian. Unnatural love was used 18c.-19c. for homosexuality as well as pederasty and incest. In 17c.-18c., pathic was used as a noun and adjective in reference to a man that submits to sexual intercourse with another man. Related: Homosexually.
homosexuality (n.)
1892; see homosexual + -ity.
homosexual (n.)
"homosexual person," by 1895, from homosexual (adj.). In technical use, either male or female; but in non-technical use almost always male. Slang shortened form homo attested by 1929.
homozygous (adj.)
1902, from homo- (1) "same" + zygote + -ous. Related: homozygote (1902).
homuncular (adj.)
1822, from homunculus + -ar.
homunculus (n.)
"tiny human being produced artificially," 1650s, from Latin homunculus (plural homunculi), literally "little person," with -culus, diminutive suffix, + homo (genitive hominis), which technically meant "male human," but it also was used with a sense "the human race, mankind;" while in Vulgar Latin it could be used as "one, anyone, they, people" and in logical and scholastic writing as "a human being, person."
This is conjectured to be from PIE *(dh)ghomon- (source also of Old Irish duine, Welsh dyn, Breton den "man;" Old Prussian smunents, smunets "man;" Old Lithuanian žmuo "person," Lithuanian žmogus "man," žmones "people," Gothic guma, Old High German gomo, Old Norse gume, Old English guma "man"). The literal sense is "earthling," from PIE root *dhghem- "earth" (compare human (adj.)). Other Latin diminutives from homo included homullus, homuncio.
hon
1721 as short for honorable (adj.); 1906 as short for honey (n.) in the affectionate sense.
honcho (n.)
1947, American English, "officer in charge," from Japanese hancho "group leader," from han "corps, squad" + cho "head, chief." Picked up by U.S. servicemen in Japan and Korea, 1947-1953.
Honduras
Spanish, literally "the depths," probably in reference to coastal waters on the east side. Said to have been called that by Columbus in 1524. Related: Honduran.
hone (n.)
Old English han "a stone, rock, (boundary) stone," from Proto-Germanic *haino (source also of Old Norse hein "hone"), from PIE *ko- "to sharpen, whet." The specific sense "whetstone, stone used for sharpening tools that require a delicate edge" emerged in Middle English (early 14c.). "A hone differs from a whetstone in being of finer grit and more compact texture" [Century Dictionary].
hone (v.)
"rub or sharpen on or as on a hone," 1788, from hone (n.). Related: Honed; honing. The verb form in Middle English (hene) and Old English (hænan) meant "cast stones at."
honeyed (adj.)
also honied, "sweet with honey," mid-14c., from honey (n.).
It was one of the words condemned in 18c. by Johnson (Life of Gray) as a recent tendency: past-participle adjectives with no corresponding verb. But the practice flourished nonetheless.
Middle English also had honey-sweet (adj.) "sweet as honey; pleasurable; spiritually beneficial."
honey (v.)
"to sweeten, cover with honey," mid-14c. (implied in honeyed), from honey (n.). By c. 1600 as "call someone honey." Related: Honeying.
honey (n.)
Middle English hony, from Old English hunig "honey," from Proto-Germanic *hunang- (source also of Old Norse hunang, Swedish honung, Old Saxon honeg, Old Frisian hunig, Middle Dutch honich, Dutch honig, Old High German honang, German Honig "honey"), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from a PIE *k(e)neko- denoting yellow, golden, or brownish colors (compare Sanskrit kancan- "golden," Welsh canecon "gold," Greek knēkos "yellowish"), or perhaps from a substratum word. Finnish hunaja is a Germanic loan-word.
The more common Indo-European word is represented in Germanic by the Gothic word for "honey," miliþ (from PIE root *melit- "honey"). A term of endearment from at least mid-14c.; extended form honey-bunch attested by 1904. Meaning "anything good of its kind" is 1888, American English. Honey-locust, North American tree, so called from 1743, said to be named from a sweet pulp made by Native Americans from the tree's beans.
honer (n.)
1826, agent noun from hone (v.); early 13c. as a surname.
honest (adj.)
c. 1300, "respectable, decent, of neat appearance," also "free from fraud," from Old French oneste, honeste "virtuous, honorable; decent, respectable" (12c.; Modern French honnête), from Latin honestus "honorable, respected, regarded with honor," figuratively "deserving honor, honorable, respectable," from honos (see honor (n.)) + suffix -tus. Main modern sense of "dealing fairly, truthful, free from deceit" is c. 1400, as is sense of "virtuous, having the virtue of chastity" (of women). Phrase to make an honest woman of "marry (a woman) after seduction" is from 1620s.
honesty (n.)
early 14c., "splendor, honor; elegance," later "honorable position; propriety of behavior, good manners; virginity, chastity" (late 14c.), from Old French oneste, honesté "respectability, decency, honorable action" (12c., Modern French uses the variant honnêteté, as if from Latin *honestitatem), from Latin honestatem (nominative honestas) "honor received from others; reputation, character;" figuratively "uprightness, probity, integrity, virtue," from honestus (see honest). Meaning "moral purity, uprightness, virtue, justness" is from c. 1400; in English, the word originally had more to do with honor than honest.
honestly (adv.)
mid-14c., from honest + -ly (2). As an intensifier or exclamation, from 1898.
honey-bee (n.)
also honeybee, c. 1400, from honey (n.) + bee (n.).
honeycomb (n.)
Old English hunigcamb; see honey (n.) + comb (n.). This use of the Germanic "comb" word seems to be peculiar to English, and the likeness is not obvious. Perhaps the image is from the comb used in wool-combing, but that extended sense of comb is not attested before Middle English. In other Germanic languages the word for it is "honey-string," "honey-cake," "bee-wafer," etc. Latin has favus, Greek melikerion.
Transferred use, in reference to various structures resembling honeycomb, is from 1520s. As a verb, from 1620s (implied in honeycombed).
honeydew (n.)
also honey-dew, 1570s, "sticky sweet substance found in small drops on trees and plants," from honey (n.) + dew (n.); Similar formation in Dutch honigdaauw, German Honigthau. Honeydew melon is attested by 1916, a cross between cantaloupe and a South African melon.
honeymoon (n.)
"indefinite period of tenderness and pleasure experienced by a newly wed couple," 1540s (hony moone), but probably older, from honey (n.) in reference to the new marriage's sweetness, and moon (n.) "month" in reference to how long it probably will last, or from the changing aspect of the moon: no sooner full than it begins to wane. French has cognate lune de miel, but German version is flitterwochen (plural), from flitter "tinsel" + wochen "week." In figurative use from 1570s. Specific sense of "post-wedding holiday" attested from c. 1800.
honeymoon (v.)
"take a wedding trip," 1821, from honeymoon (n.). Related: Honeymooned; honeymooning; honeymooner. The first TV "Honeymooners" sketch aired in 1951.
honeypot (n.)
also honey-pot, late 15c., from honey (n.) + pot (n.1).
honeysuckle (n.)
c. 1300, hunisuccle "clover, red clover;" c. 1400 in reference to the common climbing vine with abundant fragrant flowers; diminutive of Middle English honeysouke, hunisuge (c. 1300), from Old English hunigsuge, meaning perhaps honeysuckle, clover, wild thyme, or privet, literally "honey-suck" (see honey (n.) + suck) + diminutive suffix -el (2). So called because "honey" can be sucked from it (by bees or persons). In Middle English sometimes a confused rendering of Latin locusta, taken as the name of a plant eaten by St. John the Baptist in the wilderness, thence "a locust."
Hong Kong
former British colony in China, from Cantonese pronunciation of Chinese Xianggang, literally "fragrant port." Perhaps so called from the scent of incense factories or opium cargoes, or from the semi-fresh waters of the bay. The Cantonese word hong, literally "row, series" was the general English term for foreign trading establishments in China (warehouse viewed as a row of rooms).
honi soit qui mal y pense
French, "shame on him who thinks evil of it;" proverbial expression recorded from c. 1300, used as motto of the Order of the Garter.
honk (n.)
cry of a goose, 1814, American English, imitative. The sense of "sound a horn," especially on an automobile, first recorded 1895 in American English. As a verb by 1854, of geese. Related: Honked; honking.
honker (n.)
"that which honks," especially the wild goose of North America, agent noun from honk (v.).
honky (n.)
also honkey, derogatory word for "white person," by 1967, African-American vernacular, of unknown origin, perhaps from late 19c. hunky "East-Central European immigrant," which probably is a colloquial shortening of Hungarian (compare hunk (n.2)). Honky in the sense of "factory hand" is attested by 1946 in blues slang. A connection to honky-tonk also is possible.
honky-tonk (n.)
"cheap night club," by 1893, American English, of unknown origin. It starts to appear frequently about 1893 in newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma; a much-reprinted snippet defines it as "a particularly vicious and low-grade theater." In the Fort Worth, Texas, "Gazette" in 1889 it seems to be the name of a particular theater, and the Marshall, Texas, "Messenger" of May 27, 1892, mentions the "Honk-E-Tonk district" as "the most disreputable part of town." As a type of music played in that sort of low saloon, it is attested by 1921.
Honolulu
chief city of Hawaii, from Hawaiian hono "port" + lulu "calm."
honorable (adj.)
mid-14c. (mid-13c. as a surname, Walter le Onorable, also known as Walter Honurable), "worthy of respect or reverence, respectable," also "signifying or rendering distinction or respect; ensuring good repute or honor," from Old French onorable, honorable "respectable, respectful, civil, courteous," from Latin honorabilis "that procures honor, estimable, honorable," from honorare "to honor," from honor (see honor (n.)). Meaning "honest, sincere, in good faith" is from 1540s; sense of "acting justly" is from c. 1600.
As an epithet before the name of a peer, Church or civil official, guild officer, etc., from c.1400. As a noun, "honorable person," late 14c. Alternative adjective honorous (Old French honoros) seems not to have survived Middle English. Related: Honorably; honorableness.
honor (v.)
mid-13c., honuren, "to do honor to, show respect to," from Old French onorer, honorer "respect, esteem, revere; welcome; present" (someone with something), from Latin honorare "to honor," from honor "honor, dignity, office, reputation" (see honor (n.)). From c. 1300 as "confer honors on." From c. 1300 as "to respect, follow" (teachings, etc.). In the commercial sense of "accept a bill due, etc.," it is recorded from 1706, via the notion of "perform a duty of respect toward." Related: Honored; honoring.
honors (n.)
"distinction for eminence in scholarship," by 1782, plural of honor (n.). Earlier in the sense "civilities paid; courtesies rendered" (1650s), which is the sense in do the honors (1650s), which originally meant the customary civilities and courtesies at a public entertainment, etc.
honor (n.)
c. 1200, onur, "glory, renown, fame earned," from Anglo-French honour, Old French onor, honor "honor, dignity, distinction, position; victory, triumph" (Modern French honneur), from Latin honorem (nominative honos, the form used by Cicero, but later honor) "honor, dignity, office, reputation," which is of unknown origin.
The initial h- (as in honest) is a Latinate correction that began to be made in early Old French, representing a sound that had vanished before the word came to English. Until 17c., honour and honor were equally frequent; the former spelling became preferred in England, the latter in the U.S. by influence of Noah Webster.
It is attested from c. 1300 as "action of honoring or paying respect to; act or gesture displaying reverence or esteem; state or condition inspiring respect; nobleness of character or manners; high station or rank; a mark of respect or esteem; a source of glory, a cause of good reputation."
The meaning "feminine purity, a woman's chastity" is attested from late 14c. The meaning "one's personal title to high respect or esteem" is from 1540s. In Middle English, it also could mean "splendor, beauty; excellence."
Honor roll in the scholastic sense attested by 1872. Bartlett ("Dictionary of Americanisms," 1848) reports honor bright! as "A protestation of honor among the vulgar."
honorary (adj.)
1610s, "bringing honor, done or made to signify honor," from honor (n.) + -ary; possibly influenced by French honoraire, Latin honorarius "pertaining to honor, honorary." Specific sense "done merely to confer honor, without customary obligations or requirements" is from 1660s.
honoraria (n.)
Latin plural of honorarium (q.v.).
honorarium (n.)
"fee for services rendered by a professional person such as a physician, barrister, etc.; honorary reward," 1650s, from Latin honorarium (donum), literally "honorary (gift)," but in Latin meaning "bribe paid to get appointed to an honorary post," neuter of adjective honorarius "for the sake of honor," from honos (see honor (n.)).
honoree (n.)
by 1958, from honor + -ee. Less-used alternative honorand, from Latin honorandus, is from 1950.
Honoria
fem. proper name, from Latin Honoria, fem. of Honorius "man of reputation," from honos (see honor (n.)).
honorific (adj.)
"conferring honor," 1640s, from French honorifique (16c.) or directly from Latin honorificus "that which does honor," from honorem (see honor (n.)) + -ficus "making, doing," from combining form of facere "make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). As a noun, "a word used as an honorific term," by 1867.
honour
chiefly British English spelling of honor; also see -or. Related: Honoured; honouring; honours.
honourable (adj.)
chiefly British English spelling of honorable; also see -or. Related: Honourably.
hooch (n.)
also hootch, "cheap whiskey," 1897, shortened form of Hoochinoo (1877) "liquor made by Alaskan Indians," from the name of a native tribe in Alaska whose distilled liquor was a favorite with miners during the 1898 Klondike gold rush; the tribe's name is said by OED to be from Tlingit Hutsnuwu, literally "grizzly bear fort."
hoochy koochy (n.)
also hoochie-coochie, hootchy kootchy, "erotic suggestive women's dance" (involving a lot of hip-grinding), 1898, of obscure origin, usually associated, without evidence, with the Chicago world's fair of 1893 and belly-dancer Little Egypt (who might not even have been there), but the word itself is attested from 1890, as the stage name of minstrel singer "Hoochy-Coochy Rice," and the chorus of the popular minstrel song "The Ham-Fat Man" (by 1856; see ham (n.2)) contains the nonsense phrase "Hoochee, kouchee, kouchee."
hood (n.1)
"covering," Old English hod "a hood, soft covering for the head" (usually extending over the back of the neck and often attached to a garment worn about the body), from Proto-Germanic *hōd- (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian hod "hood," Middle Dutch hoet, Dutch hoed "hat," Old High German huot "helmet, hat," German Hut "hat," Old Frisian hode "guard, protection"), which is of uncertain etymology, perhaps from PIE *kadh- "to cover" (see hat).
Modern spelling is early 1400s to indicate a "long" vowel, which is no longer pronounced as such. Used for hood-like things or animal parts from 17c. Meaning "Foldable or removable cover for a carriage to protect the occupants" is from 1826; meaning "sunshade of a baby-carriage" is by 1866. Meaning "hinged cover for an automobile engine" attested by 1905 (in U.K. generally called a bonnet). Little Red Riding Hood (1729) translates Charles Perrault's Petit Chaperon Rouge ("Contes du Temps Passé" 1697).
hood (n.2)
"gangster," 1930, American English, shortened form of hoodlum.
-hood
word-forming element meaning "state or condition of being," from Old English -had "condition, quality, position" (as in cildhad "childhood," preosthad "priesthood," werhad "manhood"), cognate with German -heit/-keit, Dutch -heid, Old Frisian and Old Saxon -hed, all from Proto-Germanic *haidus "manner, quality," literally "bright appearance," from PIE (s)kai- (1) "bright, shining" (Cognates: Sanskrit ketu "brightness, appearance"). Originally a free-standing word (see hade); in Modern English it survives only in this suffix.
hood (v.)
c. 1200, "to put a hood on;" c. 1400, "to furnish with a hood," from hood (n.1). Related: Hooded; hooding.
hood (n.3)
shortened form of neighborhood, by 1987, African-American vernacular.
hooded (adj.)
mid-15c., past-participle adjective from hood (v.).
hoodie (n.)
also hoody, slang shortening of hooded sweatshirt, attested by 1991; see hood (n.1). Earlier (1789) it was a familiar term for the hooded crow.
hoodlum (n.)
popularized 1871, American English, (identified throughout the 1870s as "a California word") "young street rowdy, loafer," especially one involved in violence against Chinese immigrants, "young criminal, gangster;" it appears to have been in use locally from a slightly earlier date and may have begun as a specific name of a gang:
Of unknown origin, though newspapers of the day printed myriad fanciful stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from German dialectal (Bavarian) Huddellump "ragamuffin" [Barnhart].
hoodoo (n.)
1869, "one who practices voodoo," also "the magic spell performed by a hoodoo," with attendant verbal forms (he was hoodooed, etc.) American English, probably an alteration of voodoo. There is also an isolated use from the same year as a regional term for a social dance. Meaning "something that causes or brings bad luck" is attested from 1880 (compare jinx.). By 2002 as a type of non-religious American folk magic.
As the term for a type of rock formation, documented by 1880.
hoodwink (v.)
1560s, "to blindfold, blind by covering the eyes," from hood (n.1) + wink (n.); figurative sense of "blind the mind, mislead, deceive by disguise" is c. 1600. Related: Hoodwinked; hoodwinking.
hooey (n.)
"nonsense, foolishness," 1922, American English slang, of unknown origin.
hoof (n.)
Old English hof "hoof," from Proto-Germanic *hōfaz (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian hof, Old Norse hofr, Danish hov, Dutch hoef, German Huf "hof"), perhaps from PIE *kop- "to beat, strike" (source also of Sanskrit saphah "hoof," Polish kopyto "hoof;" see hatchet (n.)). But Boutkan acknowledges only Indo-Iranian cognates and writes, "We may be dealing with a typical relic form that only survived in the periphery of the IE area ...." For spelling, see hood (n.1).
Hoof-and-mouth disease is attested from 1866. Phrase on the hoof is from 1750 as "walking;" later it was cattlemen and butchers' slang for "not (yet) slaughtered."
hoof (v.)
"having hoofs (of a specified kind)," c. 1500 in compounds, from hoof (n.). The colloquial meaning "to walk" (as in hoof it) is attested from 1640s; the slang meaning "to dance" is by 1920, American English (implied in hoofer). Related: Hoofing.
hoofbeat (n.)
also hoof-beat, 1821, from hoof (n.) + beat (n.).
hoof-mark (n.)
also hoofmark, 1812, from hoof (n.) + mark (n.1).
hooked (adj.)
Old English hoced, "shaped like a hook, crooked, curved;" past-participle adjective from hook (v.). From mid-14c. as "having hooks;" 1610s as "caught on a hook;" 1925 as "addicted," originally in reference to narcotics. hooked rug is recorded from 1880.
hook (v.)
"to bend like a hook," c. 1200 (transitive); early 15c. (intransitive); see hook (n.). Specific meaning "to catch (a fish) with a hook" is from c. 1300; that of "to fasten with hooks" is from 1610s; figurative sense of "catch by artifice" is from 1800. Sense of "make rugs with a hook" is from 1882. Related: Hooked; hooking.
hook (n.)
"bent or angled piece of metal or other substance used to catch or hold something," Old English hoc "hook, angle," perhaps related to Old English haca "bolt," from Proto-Germanic *hokaz/*hakan (source also of Old Frisian hok, Middle Dutch hoek "a hook;" Dutch haak "a hook, angle, corner, cape," German Haken "hook"), from PIE root *keg- "hook, tooth." For spelling, see hood (n.1).
Also the name of a fireman's tool for tearing into buildings, hence hook-and-ladder (1821). Meaning "holder for a telephone receiver" is from 1885 and continued in use after the mechanism evolved. Boxing sense of "short, swinging blow with the elbow bent" is from 1898. Figurative sense "that which catches, a snare, trap" is from early 15c. Meaning "projecting point of land" is from 1670s; in U.S. use probably reinforced by the Dutch word.
Off the hooks meant "disordered" (16c.), "unhinged" (1610s) and "dead" (1840). By hook or by crook (late 14c.) probably alludes to tools of professional thieves. Hook, line, and sinker "completely" is 1838, a metaphor from angling. Hook-nose (n.) is from 1680s; hook-nosed (adj.) from 1510s. Hook-and-eye as a method of garment fastening is from 1620s.
hookah (n.)
also hooka, 1763, via Hindi or Persian or directly from Arabic huqqah "small box, vessel" (through which the smoke is drawn), related to huqq "a hollow place." Extended in Urdu to the whole apparatus.
hooker (n.)
"one who or that which hooks" in any sense, agent noun from hook (v.). Meaning "prostitute" (by 1845) often is traced to the disreputable morals of the Army of the Potomac (American Civil War) under the tenure of Gen. "Fighting Joe" Hooker (early 1863), and the word might have been popularized by this association at that time (though evidence is wanting). But it is reported to have been in use in North Carolina c. 1845 ("[I]f he comes by way of Norfolk he will find any number of pretty Hookers in the Brick row not far from French's hotel. Take my advice and touch nothing in the shape of a prostitute when you come through Raleigh, for in honest truth the clap is there of luxuriant growth." letter quoted in Norman E. Eliason, "Tarheel Talk," 1956).
One early theory traces it to Corlear's Hook, a section of New York City.
Or perhaps related to hooker "thief, pickpocket" (1560s).
But the word is likely a reference to prostitutes hooking or snaring clients. Hook in the figurative sense of "that by which anyone is attracted or caught" is recorded from early 15c.; and hook (v.) in the figurative sense of "catch hold of and draw in" is attested from 1570s; in reference to "fishing" for a husband or a wife, it was in common use from c. 1800. All of which makes the modern sense seem a natural step. Compare French accrocheuse, raccrocheuse, common slang term for "street-walker, prostitute," literally "hooker" of men.
The family name Hooker (attested from c. 975) would mean "maker of hooks," or else refer to an agricultural laborer who used a hook (compare Old English weodhoc "weed-hook").
hooky (n.)
also hookey, in the truant sense, 1848, American English (New York City), only in the phrase play hooky; from Dutch hoekje "hide and seek;" or else from hook it, attested since 14c. as "make off, run away," originally "depart, proceed."
hookup (n.)
also hook-up, "connection," 1903, from verbal phrase hook up, which is attested from 1825 in reference to yarn; 1925 as "establish a link with." The noun is from 1922 of radio sets, later of television broadcasts. Modern slang verbal sense of "to meet for sex" is attested by 2003.
hooliganism (n.)
hooligan (n.)
1890s, of unknown origin, according to OED, first found in British newspaper police-court reports in the summer of 1898, almost certainly from the variant form of the Irish surname Houlihan, which figured as a characteristic comic Irish name in music hall songs and newspapers of the 1880s and '90s.
Internationalized 20c. in communist rhetoric as Russian khuligan, opprobrium for "scofflaws, political dissenters, etc."
hoop (v.)
mid-15c., from hoop (n.). The surname Hooper "maker of hoops, one who hoops casks or tubs" is attested from early 13c. Related: Hooped; hooping.
hoop (n.)
late 12c., "circular band, flattened ring," probably from an unrecorded Old English *hop, from Proto-Germanic *hōp (source also of Old Frisian hop "a hoop, band," Middle Dutch and Dutch hoep "hoop," Old Norse hop "a small bay"). The original meaning must have been "curve; ring," but the IE etymology is uncertain.
As a child's plaything by 1792. In basketball from 1893. As something someone jumps through (on horseback) as a circus trick, by 1793; figurative use of jump through hoops is by 1917. As "circular band serving to expand the skirt of a woman's dress" from 1540s. They have been in and out of style over the centuries. Hoop-petticoat (one stiffened or expanded by hoops of ratan, whalebone, etc,) is attested from 1711; hoop-skirt in the same sense is from 1856, figurative of old-fashioned ways by 1893, when there was a general alarm at their rumored return to fashion. The U.S. Southern hoop snake (1784) is fabled to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop. Related: Hoops.
hoopla
also hoop-la, 1877, hoop la, American English, earlier houp-la, exclamation accompanying quick movement (1870), of unknown origin, perhaps borrowed from French houp-là "upsy-daisy," also a cry to dogs, horses, etc. (see whoop).
hoopoe (n.)
1660s, from Latin upupa, imitative of its cry (compare Greek epops "hoopoe," Polish dudek, Russian udodu).
hooray
see hurrah.
hoosegow (n.)
"jail," 1911, western U.S., probably from mispronunciation of Mexican Spanish juzgao "tribunal, court," from juzgar "to judge," used as a noun, from Latin iudicare "to judge," which is related to iudicem (see judge (n.)).
Hoosier
"native or resident of Indiana," by c. 1830, American English, of unknown origin; newspapers in the 1830s published fanciful explanations, some still repeated, "none authenticated by evidence" [Century Dictionary]. Said to have been first printed Jan. 1, 1833, in the "Indianapolis Journal," in a poem, "The Hoosiers Nest," by John Finely, which poem was said to have been written in 1830 ["The Word Hoosier," Indiana Historical Society Publications, vol. iv, no. 2, 1907], and to have been in oral use from late 1820s. Seemingly it originated among Ohio River boatmen; perhaps related to English dialectal (Cumberland) hoozer, used of anything unusually large [Barnhart]. For other theories, see the historical society article. The word also has been used generally for "country bumpkin."
hoot (v.)
"to call or shout in disapproval or scorn," c. 1600, probably related to or a variant of Middle English houten, huten "to shout, call out" (c. 1200), which is more or less imitative of the sound of the thing. First used of bird cries, especially that of the owl, mid-15c. Meaning "to laugh" is from 1926. Related: Hooted; hooting. A hoot owl (1826) is distinguished from a screech owl.
hoot (n.)
mid-15c., "cry of dissatisfaction or contempt," from hoot (v.). Meaning "a laugh, something funny" is first recorded 1942. Slang sense of "smallest amount or particle" (the hoot you don't give when you don't care) is from 1891.
Hooter in the same sense is from 1839.
hootenanny (n.)
"informal session of folk musicians," 1940, American English, earlier "a gadget" (1927), of unknown origin, perhaps a nonsense word.
hooter (n.)
by 1823, "anything that hoots," especially an owl, agent noun from hoot (v.). Slang meaning "nose" is from 1958. Meaning "a woman's breast" (usually in plural hooters) attested by 1972. The Hooters restaurant chain began 1983 in Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
hoove
cattle disease, 1840, from alternative past tense form of heave.
Hoover
proprietary name for a make of vacuum cleaner (patented 1927); sometimes used generally for "vacuum cleaner." As a verb, meaning "to vacuum," from 1926, in the company's advertising.
Hooverville
1933, American English, from U.S. president Herbert C. Hoover (1874-1964), who was in office when the Depression began, + common place-name ending -ville. Earlier his name was the basis of Hooverize "economize on food" (1917) from his role as wartime head of the U.S. Food Administration.
hooya (interj.)
exclamation of triumph or approval, attested from c. 1992, perhaps originally U.S. military.
hop (n.1)
usually hops, type of twining vine whose cones are used in brewing, etc., mid-15c., from Middle Dutch hoppe "the hop plant," from Proto-Germanic *hupnan- (source also of Old Saxon -hoppo, German Hopfen), of uncertain origin origin, perhaps from PIE root *(s)keup- "cluster, tuft, hair of the head," for its "tuftlike inflorescence." Medieval Latin hupa, Old French hoppe, French houblon are from Dutch.
hopped (adj.)
a word that seems to merge three senses of hop; the meaning "flavored with hops" (hop (n.1)) is first attested 1660s; that of "under the influence of drugs" (hop (n.2)) is from 1924; that of "excited, enthusiastic" (perhaps from hop (v.)) is from 1923. Meaning "performance-enhanced" (of an engine, etc.) is from 1945.
hop (v.2)
"treat with hops," 1570s (implied in hopped), from hop (n.1).
hop (n.3)
"a small jump, a leap on one foot," c. 1500, from hop (v.). Slang sense of "informal dancing party" is from 1731 (defined by Johnson as "a place where meaner people dance"). Meaning "short flight on an aircraft" is from 1909. Hop, skip, and jump (n.) is recorded from 1760 (hop, step, and jump from 1719).
hop (n.2)
"opium," 1887, from Cantonese nga-pin (pronounced HAH-peen) "opium," a Chinese folk etymology of the English word opium, literally "crow peelings." Re-folk-etymologized back into English by association with hop (n.1).
hop (v.1)
Old English hoppian "to spring, leap; to dance; to limp," from Proto-Germanic *hupnojan (source also of Old Norse hoppa "hop, skip," Dutch huppen, German hüpfen "to hop"). Transitive sense from 1791. Related: Hopped; hopping. Hopping-john "stew of bacon with rice and peas" attested from 1838. Hopping mad is from 1670s.
hoping (n.)
c. 1300, verbal noun from hope (v.).
hope (v.)
Old English hopian "have the theological virtue of Hope; hope for (salvation, mercy), trust in (God's word)," also "to have trust, have confidence; assume confidently or trust" (that something is or will be so), a word of unknown origin. Not the usual Germanic term for this, but in use in North Sea Germanic languages (cognates: Old Frisian hopia, Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Dutch hopen; Middle High German hoffen "to hope," which is borrowed from Low German).
From early 13c. as "to wish for" (something), "desire." Related: Hoped; hoping. To hope against hope (1610s) "hold to hope in the absence of any justification for hope" echoes Romans iv.18:
The Wycliffite Bible (c. 1384) has this as "Abraham agens hope bileuede that he schulde be maad fadir of manye folkis."
hopeful (adj.)
c. 1200, "full of hope," from hope (n.) + -ful. From 1560s as "having qualities which excited hope." As a noun, "one on whom hopes are set," from 1720. Often ironic in colloquial use, of willful or incorrigible offspring. Related: Hopefulness.
hope (n.)
late Old English hopa "confidence in the future," especially "God or Christ as a basis for hope," from hope (v.). From c. 1200 as "expectation of something desired;" also "trust, confidence; wishful desire;" late 14c. as "thing hoped for," also "grounds or basis for hope." Personified since c. 1300. Related: Hopes.
Compare Old Frisian and Middle Dutch hope, Danish haab, Dutch hoop, all from their respective verbs. For forlorn hope, see forlorn.
hopefully (adv.)
1630s, "in a hopeful manner, with grounds of expectation for success," from hopeful + -ly (2). As a replacement for the admittedly awkward it is to be hoped that, attested from 1932 but avoided by careful writers.
hopeless (adj.)
1560s, "offering no grounds for hope," from hope (n.) + -less. From 1580s as "having no expectation of success." Related: Hopelessly; hopelessness.
hop-head (n.)
also hophead, "opium addict," 1911, from hop (n.2) + head (n.) in the drug sense.
Hopi
Pueblo people of the U.S. southwest, from Pueblo hopi, literally "well-mannered, civilized."
hoplite (n.)
"heavy-armed foot soldier of ancient Greece," 1727, from Greek hoplites "heavy-armed," as a noun, "heavy-armed soldier, man-at-arms," from hopla "arms and armor, gear for war," plural of hoplon "tool, weapon, implement." One who carries a large shield, as opposed to a peltastes, so called for his small, light shield (pelte).
hop-o-my-thumb (n.)
"very small person," 1520s, Hoppe upon my thombe.