Etymology dictionary
longanimity (n.) — lorry (n.)
longanimity (n.)
"patience," mid-15c., from Late Latin longanimitas, from longanimus "long-suffering, patient," from longus "long, extended" (see long (adj.)) + animus "soul, spirit, mind" (see animus).
long-beard (n.)
"man with a long beard," late 14c., from long (adj.) + beard (n.).
long-boat (n.)
longest and strongest boat on a sailing ship, 1510s, from long (adj.) + boat (n.).
longbow (n.)
also long-bow, the bow of war and chase in medieval Europe and the characteristic weapon of the English soldiery, only gradually superseded by firearms; late 14c., from long (adj.) + bow (n.1). Distinguished from the crossbow, but especially of bows five feet or longer.
long-distance (adj.)
1878, in reference to telephoning (1876 of railway fares and traffic), from long (adj.) + distance (n.).
long-drawn (adj.)
"protracted," 1640s, from long (adv.) + drawn.
longeron (n.)
airplane part, 1912, from French longeron, from longer "to skirt, extend along," from allonger "to lengthen" (see lunge (n.)).
longevity (n.)
1610s, from Late Latin longaevitatem (nominative longaevitas) "great age, long life," from Latin longaevus "of great age, ancient, aged," from longus "long" (see long (adj.)) + aevum "lifetime, age" (from PIE root *aiw- "vital force, life; long life, eternity").
long-hair (n.)
also longhair, 1893, "cat with long hair," from long (adj.) + hair (n.). As "intellectual," especially in musical tastes, "devotee of classical music," 1920 (late 19c. long hair was noted as a characteristic of classical musicians, perhaps inspired by the famous locks of Liszt). Sense of "hippie" attested from 1969. The adjective long-haired is attested from mid-15c.
longhand (adj.)
also long-hand, of handwriting in full (as opposed to shorthand), 1660s, from long (adj.) + hand (n.) "handwriting."
long-haul (adj.)
1873, originally in railroad use, in reference to the relative length of transportation, which determined the rate paid for it (long hauls = lower rate per mile); see long (adj.) + haul (n.).
long-headed (adj.)
"discerning," 1700, slang, from long (adj.) + -headed. Literal sense is from 1856. A long head "mind characterized by shrewdness and sagacity" is by 1793.
longhorn (adj.)
also long-horn, in reference to a type of cattle, 1808, from long (adj.) + horn (n.).
longi-
word-forming element meaning "long," from Latin longi-, combining form of longus "long" (see long (adj.)).
longinquity (n.)
"remoteness," 1540s, from Latin longinquitas "length, extent, duration," from longinquus "long, extensive, remote, distant," from longus "long; distant, remote" (see long (adj.)) + suffix -inquus.
longish (adj.)
1610s, from long (adj.) + -ish.
longitude (n.)
late 14c., "length; height," also "astronomical or geographic longitude," a measure of the east-west distance of the dome of the sky or the surface of the earth, from Latin longitudo "length, long duration," from longus "long" (see long (adj.)). For explanation of the geographical sense, see latitude.
longitudinal (adj.)
late 14c., from Medieval Latin longitudinalis, from Latin longitudo (see longitude).
long johns (n.)
type of long, warm underwear, 1943, originally made for U.S. GIs in World War II. Earlier as the name of a type of pastry (1919). Also used of sorts of worm, potato, table, sled, etc.
long-lived (adj.)
"having long life," c. 1400, from long (adv.) + past participle of live (v.). Old English had langlife "long-lived."
long-neck (n.)
1660s, from long (adj.) + neck (n.).
long pig (n.)
"human being eaten as food," by 1848, in stories from the Fiji Islands, said to be a literal rendering of a local term, in one version puaka balava.
long-playing (adj.)
1910, of gramophone recordings, from long (adv.) + present participle of play (v.).
long-range (adj.)
1854, from long (adj.) + range (n.).
long run (n.)
also long-run, "ultimate outcome," 1620s, from long (adj.) + run (n.); the notion is "when events have run their course," as in the phrase in the long run "after a long course of experience." As an adjective from 1804.
long-running (adj.)
1943, of theatrical productions, from long (adv.) + present participle of run (v.). Related: Longest-running.
longshanks (n.)
"long-legged person," 1550s, originally in reference to Edward I of England (1239-1307); from long (adj.) + shank (n.).
longship (n.)
also long-ship, Old English langscip "warship, man-of-war;" see long (adj.) + ship (n.). Translating Latin navis longa.
longshoreman (n.)
"stevedore, one whose work is loading and unloading ships," 1811, from shortening of alongshore "existing or employed along a shore or coast" + man (n.).
long shot (n.)
also long-shot, in the figurative sense of "something unlikely," 1867, from long (adj.) + shot (n.). The notion is of a shot at a target from a great distance, thus difficult to make. The phrase by a long shot "by a considerable amount," frequently negative, is attested by 1830, American English colloquial. The cinematic sense of the noun phrase is from 1922. As an adjective by 1975.
longstanding (adj.)
also long-standing, 1814, from earlier noun (c. 1600), from long (adj.) + standing (n.).
long-suffering (adj.)
also longsuffering, "bearing wrongs without retaliating," 1530s, from long (adj.) + suffering (n.). Old English had langmodig in this sense. From 1520s as a noun, "patience under offense."
long-tailed (adj.)
c. 1500, from long (adj.) + tail (n.).
long-term (adj.)
also longterm, 1876, originally in insurance underwriting, from long (adj.) + term (n.).
longtime (adj.)
also long-time, 1580s, from long (adj.) + time (n.).
longways (adv.)
"lengthwise," 1580s, from long (adj.) + way (n.) + adverbial genitive -s.
long-waisted (adj.)
1650s, from long (adj.) + waist (n.).
long-winded (adj.)
also longwinded, 1580s, "given to lengthy speeches," from long (adj.) + adjective from wind (n.1) in the secondary Middle English sense "breath in speaking" (early 14c.). "Using much breath," hence "tedious from length."
loo (n.2)
type of betting card game involving a hand of three cards, 1670s, short for lanterloo (1660s), from French lanturelu, originally (1620s) the refrain of a popular comic song; according to French sources the refrain expresses a mocking refusal or an evasive answer and was formed on the older word for a type of song chorus, turelure; apparently a jingling reduplication of loure "bagpipe" (which is perhaps from Latin lura "bag, purse").
The refrain sometimes is met in English as turra-lurra. In the game, also the name of the pool or kitty of chips deposited by players before seeing their hands, or of the deposit made in it by a player.
loo (n.1)
"lavatory," 1940, but perhaps 1922 (based on a pun of Joyce's); perhaps [Dictionary of American Slang] from French lieux d'aisances "lavatory," literally "place of ease," picked up by British servicemen in France during World War I. Or possibly a pun on Waterloo, based on water closet.
looey (n.)
1916, American English, colloquial familiar form of lieutenant.
loof (n.)
"palm of the hand," Scottish and Northern English, c. 1300, from Old Norse lofe "hand," which is said to be cognate with Gothic lofa, Russian lapa "paw," Lettish lepa "paw."
loofah (n.)
1879 (as lough, 1865), from Egyptian Arabic lufah, the name of the plant (Luffa ægyptiaca) with fibrous pods from which flesh-brushes are made.
loogie (n.)
"nasal mucus," U.S. slang, by 1990.
look (v.)
Old English locian "use the eyes for seeing, gaze, look, behold, spy," from West Germanic *lokjan (source also of Old Saxon lokon "see, look, spy," Middle Dutch loeken "to look," Old High German luogen, German dialectal lugen "to look out"), a word of unknown origin. Breton lagud "eye" has been suggested as a possible cognate.
In Old English, usually with on; the use of at began 14c. As a word to call attention, c. 1200 (look out! "take notice" is from mid-15c.). Meaning "seek, search out" is c. 1300; meaning "to have a certain appearance, express or manifest by looks" is from c. 1400. Of objects, "to face in a certain direction," late 14c. To look like "have the appearance of" is from mid-15c. Look after "take care of" is from late 14c., earlier "to seek" (c. 1300), "to look toward" (c. 1200). Look into "investigate" is from 1580s. To look forward "anticipate" is c. 1600; especially "anticipate with pleasure" from mid-19c. To look over "scrutinize" is from mid-15c.
Look up is from c. 1200 in literal sense "raise the eyes;" as "research in books or papers" from 1690s. To look up to "regard with respect and veneration" is from 1719. To look down upon in the figurative sense "regard as beneath one" is from 1711; to look down one's nose is from 1921. To not look back "make no pauses" is colloquial, first attested 1893. In look sharp (1711), sharp originally was an adverb, "sharply." To look around "search about, look round" is from 1883.
looking (n.)
late 12c., "the action of looking," verbal noun from look (v.). From late 13c. as "look in the eyes, facial expression;" also "personal appearance, aspect." Looking-glass is from 1520s. The noun looking-in (1926) was an old expression for "television viewing."
look (n.)
late Old English, "act or action of looking," from look (v.). Meaning "a particular instance of looking, a glance," especially one which conveys a certain feeling is from early 14c. Meaning "appearance of a person, visual or facial expression" is from late 14c. Looks with the same sense as the singular is from 1560s. Expression if looks could kill ..., of one seething silently, is attested by 1827 (if looks could bite is attested from 1747). Fashion sense "totality of appearance" is from 1938.
look-alike (n.)
"someone who closely resembles another," 1937, American English, from look (v.) + alike.
lookdown (n.)
type of sea fish, 1882, from look (v.) + down (adv.). So called from facial structure. Also known as moonfish, horsehead.
looker (n.)
Old English locere "one engaged in looking," agent noun from look (v.). Meaning "one who watches over" is from c. 1300. Sense of "one who has a certain appearance" is late 15c.; slang meaning "attractive woman" attested from 1893 (good-looker is attested from 1866, both of women and horses). Looker-on "observer, spectator" is by 1590s; looker-in (1927) was an early word for "television viewer." In Middle English a lokere-oute was "one who divines by looking at entrails."
lookit (interj.)
noted by 1917 in schoolyard talk for look at.
lookout (n.)
also look-out, "person who stands watch or acts as a scout," 1690s, from verbal phrase look out "be on the watch" (c. 1600), from look (v.) + out (adv.).
look-see (n.)
"inspection," 1865, "Pidgin-like formation" [OED], first used in representations of English as spoken by Chinese, from look (v.) + see (v.).
loom (v.)
1540s, "to come into view largely and indistinctly," of uncertain origin. According to OED perhaps from a Scandinavian or Low German source (compare dialectal Swedish loma, East Frisian lomen "move slowly"), which is perhaps from the root of lame (adj.). Early used also of ships moving up and down. Figurative use from 1590s. Related: Loomed; looming.
loom (n.)
weaving machine, early 13c. shortening of Old English geloma "utensil, tool," from ge-, perfective prefix, + -loma, an element of unknown origin (compare Old English andloman (plural) "apparatus, article of furniture"). Originally "implement or tool of any kind" (as in heirloom); thus, "the penis" (c. 1400-1600). Specific meaning "a machine in which yarn or thread is woven into fabric" is from c. 1400.
loon (n.2)
mid-15c., lowen, louen "rascal, worthless person, boor," of uncertain origin, perhaps from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German; compare Dutch loen "stupid person" (16c.). The modern sense "crazy person" is by influence of loony.
loon (n.1)
large diving bird (especially the Great Northern Diver), 1630s, apparently an alteration of loom in this sense, which is from a Scandinavian source (compare Norwegian lom, from Old Norse lomr "loon").
loony (adj.)
also loonie, looney, luny, "crazy; silly and eccentric," 1853, American English, short for lunatic, but also influenced by loon (n.2) and perhaps loon (n.1), the bird being noted for its wild cry and method of escaping from danger. As a noun by 1884, from the adjective.
Slang loony bin "insane asylum" is by 1909. Looney left in reference to holders of political views felt to be left-wing in the extreme is from 1977. Looney Tunes, Warner Bros. studios' animated cartoon series, dates from 1930.
loop (v.)
c. 1400, loupen, "to draw (a leash through a ring)," from loop (n.). Sense of "form into a loop or loops" (transitive) is from 1832; transitive meaning "form (something) into loops" is from 1856. Related: Looped (1934 in the slang sense "drunk"); looping. Loop the loop (1900) originally was in reference to roller-coasters at amusement parks.
loop (n.)
late 14c., "a fold or doubling of cloth, rope, leather, cord, etc.," of uncertain origin. OED favors a Celtic origin (compare Gaelic lub "bend," Irish lubiam), which in English was perhaps influenced by or blended with Old Norse hlaup "a leap, run" (see leap (v.)). As a feature of a fingerprint, 1880. In reference to magnetic recording tape or film, first recorded 1931. Computer programming sense "sequence of instructions executed repeatedly" first attested 1947.
loophole (n.)
also loop-hole, mid-15c., from hole (n.). + Middle English loupe "narrow window, slit-opening in a wall" for protection of archers while shooting, or for light and ventilation (c. 1300), which, along with Medieval Latin loupa, lobia probably is a specialized word from a continental Germanic source, such as Middle Dutch lupen "to watch, peer." Figurative sense of "outlet, means of escape" is from 1660s.
loopy (adj.)
1856, "full of loops," from loop (n.) + -y (2). Slang sense "crazy" is attested from 1923. The earlier figurative sense was "crafty, deceitful" (1824), popularized by Scott's novels.
loose (adj.)
early 13c., lous, loos, lowse, "not securely fixed;" c. 1300, "unbound, not confined," from Old Norse lauss "loose, free, unencumbered; vacant; dissolute," cognate with Old English leas "devoid of, false, feigned, incorrect" (source of -less) from Proto-Germanic *lausaz (source also of Danish løs "loose, untied," Swedish lös "loose, movable, detached," Middle Dutch, German los "loose, free," Gothic laus "empty, vain"), from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart."
Meaning "not clinging, slack" (of clothes, etc.) is from mid-15c. Meaning "not bundled" is from late 15c. Sense of "unchaste, immoral" ("lax in conduct, free from moral restraint") is recorded from late 15c. Meaning "at liberty, free from obligation" is 1550s. Sense of "rambling, disconnected" is from 1680s. As an adverb, "loosely," from 1590s. A loose end was an extremity of string, etc., left hanging; hence something unfinished, undecided, unguarded (1540s); to be at loose ends is from 1807. Phrase on the loose "free, unrestrained" is from 1749 (upon the loose). Colloquial hang loose is from 1968.
looseness (n.)
c. 1400, "freedom from restraint," from loose (adj.) + -ness. Meaning "laxity, irregularity, want of strictness" is from 1570s.
loosely (adv.)
late 14c., from loose (adj.) + -ly (2). Similar formation in Dutch losselijk, Old Norse lausliga, Danish löselig.
loose (v.)
c. 1200, lousen, "to set free, turn loose," also "undo, untie, unfasten," from loose (adj.). Of arrows from c. 1400. Related: Loosed; loosing.
loose cannon (n.)
in the figurative sense "wildly irresponsible person, potent person or thing freed from usual restraint," by 1896; in the literal sense an object of dread on old warships; the figurative use probably arose from a celebrated scene in a popular late novel by Victor Hugo:
loose-leaf (adj.)
1899, of notebooks, ledgers, etc. made to allow insertion or removal of pages at will, from loose (adj.) + leaf (n.) "page of a book."
loosen (v.)
late 14c., losnen (transitive) "make loose, free from tightness," later lousen (early 15c.), from loose (v.) + -en (1). Intransitive sense of "become loose" is from 1670s. Meaning "limber the muscles before physical effort" is from 1955. Related: Loosened; loosening; loosener.
looting (n.)
1842, verbal noun from loot (v.).
loot (n.)
"goods taken from an enemy, etc.," 1802 (in Charles James's "Military Dictionary," London, which defines it as "Indian term for plunder or pillage"), Anglo-Indian, from Hindi lut, from Sanskrit loptram, lotram "booty, stolen property," from PIE *roup-tro-, from root *reup- "to snatch" (see rip (v.)).
loot (v.)
"to plunder; carry off as loot," 1821, from loot (n.). Related: Looted; looting.
looter (n.)
"one who plunders," 1858, agent noun from loot (v.). The proper Anglo-Indian agent-noun was looty, from Hindi luti, from lut.
lop (v.2)
"droop, hang loosely," as do the ears of certain dogs and rabbits, 1570s, probably a variant of lob or of lap (v.); compare lopsided (1711), which in early use also was lapsided. Lop-eared attested from 1680s. Related: Lopped; lopping.
lop (v.1)
"to cut off," originally of branches of a tree, mid-15c. (implied in lopped; place name Loppedthorn is attested from 1287), a verb from Middle English loppe (n.) "small branches and twigs trimmed from trees" (early 15c.), which, along with Medieval Latin loppa, is of unknown origin. Related: Lopping.
lope (v.)
"to run with long strides," early 15c.; earlier "to leap, jump, spring" (c. 1300), from Old Norse hlaupa "to run, leap, spring up," from Proto-Germanic *hlaupan "to leap" (see leap (v.)). Related: Loped; loping. A lope-staff (c. 1600) was a pole used for leaping over marshes and dikes in low country.
lope (n.)
late 14c., "a jump, a leap," from lope (v.). Sense of "long, bounding stride" is from 1809.
lopho-
before vowels loph-, word-forming element used in science from 19c. and meaning "crest," from Greek lophos "neck of draught animals and men; crest of a helmet, crest of a hill, ridge," also "tuft on the head of birds, crest of feathers, cockscomb," a word of uncertain origin.
lopsided (adj.)
also lop-sided, "leaning to one side as a result of being disproportionately balanced," 1711 (lapsided), first used of ships; from lop (v.2) + side (n.). Related: Lopsidedly; lopsidedness.
loquacity (n.)
c. 1200, from Latin loquacitatem (nominative loquacitas) "talkativeness," from loquax "talkative," from loqui "to speak" (from PIE root *tolkw- "to speak"). An Old English word for it was ofersprecolnes. Compare French loquacité, Spanish locuacidad, Italian loquacità.
loquacious (adj.)
1660s, a back-formation from loquacity, or else formed from stem of Latin loquax (genitive loquacis) "talkative," from loqui "to speak" (from PIE root *tolkw- "to speak") + -ous. Compare French loquace, Spanish locuaz. Related: Loquaciously; loquaciousness.
loquat (n.)
Asian fruit, and the evergreen shrub that grows it, 1820, said to be from Cantonese luh kwat, literally "rush orange," from luh "a rush" + kiuh "an orange."
loquitur
stage direction, "he or she speaks," third person present indicative singular of Latin loqui "to talk" (from PIE root *tolkw- "to speak").
loran (n.)
also Loran, 1940, a word invented from L.R.N., initial letters in long-range navigation.
lord (v.)
c. 1300, "to exercise lordship, rule as a lord," from lord (n.). Intransitive meaning "to play the lord, domineer" is late 14c. Related: Lorded; lording. To lord it is from 1570s.
Lord's
cricket grounds in London, named for founder Thomas Lord (1757-1832).
lord (n.)
mid-13c., laverd, loverd, from Old English hlaford "master of a household, ruler, feudal lord, superior; husband," also "God," translating Latin dominus, Greek kyrios in the New Testament, Hebrew yahweh in the Old (though Old English dryhten was more frequent). Old English hlaford is a contraction of earlier hlafweard, literally "one who guards the loaves," from hlaf "bread, loaf" (see loaf (n.)) + weard "keeper, guardian" (from PIE root *wer- (3) "perceive, watch out for").
Compare lady (literally "bread-kneader"), and Old English hlafæta "household servant," literally "loaf-eater." For the contraction, compare Harold. The modern monosyllabic form emerged 14c. Meaning "an owner of land, houses, etc.," is from c. 1300; the sense in landlord. As the "usual polite or respectful form of address to a nobleman under the rank of a duke, and to a bishop" [OED] from 1540s. As an interjection from late 14c. Lords "peers of England," especially as represented in parliaments, is from mid-15c.
Lord's Prayer is from 1540s. Year of our Lord is from late 14c. (translating Latin anno domini) in reference to the incarnation of God in Christ. Lord knows (who, what, why, etc.), expressing a state of ignorance, is from 1711. Lord of the Flies (1907) translates Beelzebub (q.v.); William Golding's book was published in 1954. To drink like a lord is from 1620s.
lordy (interj.)
1832, in imitation of African-American vernacular; extended form of Lord (n.) as an interjection.
lordling (n.)
"puny or contemptible lord," late 13c., from lord (n.) + -ling.
lordly (adj.)
late 14c., "haughty, imperious," from Old English hlafordlic "of or pertaining to lords, noble;" see lord (n.) + -ly (1). From 1530s as "magnificent, on a grand scale, fit for a lord." As an adverb, "despotically," from mid-14c.
lordosis (n.)
curvature of the spine, 1704, Modern Latin, from Greek lordosis, from lordos "bent backwards," a word of uncertain origin, with possible cognates in Armenian, Celtic, and Germanic. From 1941 in reference to the mating position assumed by some female mammals. Related: Lordotic.
lordship (n.)
c. 1300, from Old English hlafordscipe "authority, rule, dominion" (translating Latin dominatio); see lord (n.) + -ship. As a form of address to nobles, judges, etc., from late 15c.
lore (n.)
Old English lar "learning, what is taught, knowledge, science, doctrine; art or act of teaching," from Proto-Germanic *laisti- (compare Old Saxon lera, Old Frisian lare, Middle Dutch lere, Dutch leer, Old High German lera, German Lehre "teaching, precept, doctrine"), from PIE root *lois- "furrow, track;" compare learn.
Lorelei
1843, from German, name of a rock in the River Rhine near Koblenz, Germany. In legend, a lovely woman sat atop it and sang while combing her long blond hair, distracting sailors so their ships foundered on the rock and they drowned. The second element of the name probably is Rhenish dialect lei "cliff, rock;" the first element is perhaps from Middle High German lüren "to lie in wait"
lorgnette (n.)
type of opera glass with a handle, 1803 (from 1776 as a French word in English), from French lorgnette, from lorgner "to squint," also "to leer at, ogle" (16c.), from lorgne "squinting, cross-eyed; silly, foolish" (Old French), a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from Germanic. With diminutive suffix -ette. Compare also French lorgnon "eyeglass, eyeglasses."
lory (n.)
small parrot of New Guinea and Australia, 1690s, from Malay (Austronesian) luri, name of kind of parrot, said to be a dialectal variant of nuri. Related: Lorikeet.
loris (n.)
small primate of Sri Lanka, 1774, from French loris (Buffon), which is of unknown origin, sometimes said to be from obsolete Dutch loeris "booby, clown."
lorimer (n.)
c. 1200 (mid-12c. as surname), "maker of bits for bridles and saddles, worker in small ironware," from Old French loremier "saddler, harness-maker, military leatherworker" (Modern French lormier), from loraim, from Latin lorum "strap, thong, rein of a bridle," cognate with Greek eulera, aulera "reins," but further connections uncertain; perhaps a loan-word from a lost IE language [de Vaan], and/or from PIE root *wel- (3) "to turn, revolve" [Watkins].
lorn (adj.)
c. 1300, "lost, ruined, undone" (now archaic), from Old English loren, strong past participle of leosan "to lose" (from Proto-Germanic *lausa-, from PIE root *leu- "to loosen, divide, cut apart"). Meaning "abandoned, left alone, lonely" is from late 15c. Compare forlorn. Old English leosan became Middle English lesen, which begat losel, an old word for "a good-for-nothing fellow" (mid-14c.); hence loselry.
Lorraine
region of eastern France, from Medieval Latin Lotharingia (German Lothringen), literally "Lothar's Realm." The name is given to what originally was a part of the lands assigned to Lothair I in the first division of the Carolingian empire at the Treaty of Verdun (843 C.E.). Before his death (855 C.E.), Lothair subdivided his lands among his three sons. His son Lothair II (835-869) was given the middle region, subsequently known as Lotharingia. For the name, see Lothario. Related: Lotharingian.
lorry (n.)
"a truck; a long wagon with a flat bed and four wheels," 1838, British railroad word, probably from verb lurry "to pull, tug" (1570s), which is of uncertain origin. Meaning "large motor vehicle for carrying goods on roads" (equivalent of U.S. truck (n.1)) is first attested 1911.