Etymology dictionary
publishable (adj.) — punch (n.1)
publishable (adj.)
"capable of being published, fit for publication," 1803, from publish + -able.
publish (v.)
mid-14c., publishen, "make publicly known, reveal, divulge, announce;" an alteration (by influence of banish, finish, etc.) of publicen (early 14c.), which is from the extended stem of Old French publier "make public, spread abroad, communicate," from Latin publicare "make public," from publicus "public, pertaining to the people" (see public (adj.)).
The meaning "issue (a book, etc.) to the public, cause to be printed and offered for sale or distribution" is from late 14c., also "to disgrace, put to shame; denounce publicly." Related: Published; publishing. In Middle English the verb also meant "to people, populate; to multiply, breed" (late 14c.), for example ben published of "be descended from."
publisher (n.)
mid-15c., "one who announces in public," agent noun from publish (v.). Meaning "one whose business is bringing out for sale to dealers or the public books, periodicals, engravings, etc." is from 1740.
publishment (n.)
"act of proclaiming, public exposure," late 15c., from publish (v.) + -ment. In American English, "official notice by a civic or religious official of an intended marriage" (by 1722).
puce (n.)
"brownish-purple," literally "flea-color," 1787, from French puce "flea-color; flea," from Latin pucilem (nominative pulex) "flea," from PIE *plou- "flea" (source also of Sanskrit plusih, Greek psylla, Old Church Slavonic blucha, Lithuanian blusa, Armenian lu "flea").
Perhaps so called as the color of the scab or stain that marked a flea-bite; flea-bitten was a color word in English to describe whiter or gray spotted over with dark-reddish spots (by 1620s, often of the skins of horses, dogs, etc.). That it could be generally recognized as a color seems a testimony to our ancestors' intimacy with vermin.
OED sees no connection between this word and obsolete puke (16c.-18c.; hence Shakespeare's puke-stocking) as the name of a dark color of now-uncertain shade (Century Dictionary says perhaps reddish-brown, OED says bluish-black or inky; others suggest grey).
pucelle (n.)
"maid, virgin, young woman," mid-15c., especially in historical reference to Joan of Arc, the "Maid of Orleans" (called in Old French la pucelle from c. 1423), according to French sources from Vulgar Latin *pulicella "maid" (source also of Italian pulcella), diminutive of Latin pulla, fem. of pullus "young animal," especially a chicken (see foal (n.)), but there are difficulties with this derivation. Also, in 16c.-17c. English, "a drab, a slut; a wanton girl, a harlot."
puck (n.)
"ice hockey disk," by 1891, of uncertain origin, possibly from puck (v.) "to hit, strike" (1861), which perhaps is related to poke (v.) via notion of "push." Another suggestion traces the noun to Irish poc "bag."
Puck
name of the mischievous fairy in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in 16c. the name of a fairy of high repute (his disguised name was Robin Goodfellow or Friar Rush), also generally, "an elf, fairy, or sprite;" probably from Middle English pouke "devil, evil spirit" (c. 1300; early 13c. in place-names), from Old English puca, pucel "goblin," which is cognate with Old Norse puki "devil, fiend," a word of unknown origin (compare pug). Celtic origins also have been proposed.
pucker (n.)
1726, "a drawing or gathering into folds or wrinkles," from pucker (v.). In 18c.-19c. sometimes also in a figurative sense, "state of agitation, condition of excitement" (1741).
pucker (v.)
1590s, intransitive, "become irregularly ridged or wrinkled," possibly a frequentative form of pock, dialectal variant of poke "bag, sack" (see poke (n.1)), which would give it the same notion as in purse (v.). OED writes that it was "prob. earlier in colloquial use." "Verbs of this type often shorten or obscure the original vowel; compare clutter, flutter, putter, etc." [Barnhart]. Transitive sense of "draw up or contract into irregular folds or wrinkles" is from 1610s. Related: Puckered; puckering.
puckish (adj.)
"resembling the fairy Puck; merry and mischievous; like what Puck might do," 1867, from Puck + -ish. Related: Puckishly; puckishness.
puckster (n.)
newspaper headline word for "ice hockey player," 1939, from puck (n.) + -ster.
pudding (n.)
c. 1300, "a kind of sausage: the stomach or one of the entrails of a pig, sheep, etc., stuffed with minced meat, suet, blood, and seasoning, boiled and kept till needed," perhaps from a West Germanic stem *pud- "to swell" (source also of Old English puduc "a wen," Westphalian dialect puddek "lump, pudding," Low German pudde-wurst "black pudding," English dialectal pod "belly;" also see pudgy).
The other possibility is the traditional one [also in Middle English Compendium] that it is from Old French boudin "sausage," from Vulgar Latin *botellinus, from Latin botellus "sausage" (the proposed change of French b- to English p- presents difficulties, but compare purse (n.)).
The sense of "dish consisting of flour, milk, eggs, etc., originally boiled in a bag until semi-hard, often enriched with raisins or other fruit" had emerged by 1670, from extension to other foods boiled or steamed in a bag or sack (16c.). German pudding, French pouding, Swedish pudding, Irish putog are from English. Pudding-pie as a type of pastry, especially one with meat baked in it, is attested from 1590s.
pud (n.1)
slang for "penis," 1939 (in James Joyce), according to OED and DAS from pudding (q.v.) in the same slang sense (1719), an extended use from the original "sausage" meaning of that word.
pud (n.2)
"hand, paw, fist," 1650s, "a nursery word," according to OED. It has been compared to Dutch poot "paw;" see paw (n.).
puddinghead (n.)
"amiable stupid person," 1851, from pudding + head (n.). Pudding-face for "person having a fat, round, smooth face" is from 1748.
puddle (n.)
early 14c., "small pool of dirty water," frequentative or diminutive of Old English pudd "ditch," related to German pudeln "to splash in water" (compare poodle). Originally used of pools and ponds as well. Puddle-duck for the common domestic duck is by 1846.
puddle (v.)
mid-15c., "to dabble in water, poke in mud," from puddle (n.); the extended sense in iron manufacture is "turn and stir (molten iron) in a furnace (to expel oxygen and carbon)." Related: Puddled; puddling.
pudendum (n.)
"external genitals," often specifically "the vulva," late 14c. (pudenda), from Latin pudendum (plural pudenda), literally "thing to be ashamed of," neuter gerundive of pudere "make ashamed; be ashamed," sometimes said to be from a PIE root *(s)peud- "to punish, repulse," or else "to press, hurry," but de Vaan is doubtful. Translated into Old English as scamlim ("shame-limb"); in Middle English it also was Englished as pudende "male genitals" (late 14c.). Related: Pudendal.
pudeur (n.)
"modesty," especially in sexual matters, 1937, a French word in English, from French pudeur "modesty," from Latin pudor "shame, modesty," from pudere "make ashamed" (see pudendum). The same word had been borrowed into English directly from Latin as pudor (1620s), but this became obsolete.
pudge (n.)
1808, "a very small house;" by 1880, "short, thick-set person," [both in Jamieson's dictionary of Scottish terms]; see pudgy.
pudgy (adj.)
also podgy, "fat and short; thick, fleshy," 1824, from colloquial pudge "anything short and thick" + -y (2). Perhaps related to pudsy "plump" (1754), possibly a diminutive of nursery word pud (n.2) "hand, forepaw" (from mid-17c.). A connection with pudding (q.v.) also has been conjectured. In late 19c. it often appears on lists of English local or dialectal words; sources also mention puddy, punchy, pluggy, pudget as relatives or variants. Related: Pudginess.
pudic (adj.)
1807, "pudendal, of or pertaining to the pudendum;" see pudendum + -al (1). Latin pudicus meant "shamefaced, bashful, modest" and in this sense it was used in English from late 14c. Related: Pudicity.
pueblo (n.)
1808, "village, town, or inhabited place in Spanish America," from Spanish pueblo "village, small town; people, population," from Latin populum, accusative of populus "people" (see people (n.)). Especially as a name for more or less self-governing native peoples of Arizona and New Mexico living in communal villages, by 1834.
puericulture (n.)
"science of bringing up healthy children," including prenatal care, 1887, from French puériculture (A. Caron, 1866), from Latin puer "boy, child" (see puerility) + cultura "cultivation" (see culture (n.)).
puerility (n.)
late 15c., puerilite, "a childish or silly act or expression," from Old French puérilité (15c.), from Latin puerilitatem (nominative puerilitas) "childishness," from puerilis "boyish, youthful; childish, trivial, silly," from puer "child, boy" (from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little," with sense extended to "small, young;" source also of Latin putus "boy," Sanskrit putrah "son, boy," Avestan puthra- "son, child"). Meaning "puerile character or condition, boyishness" is by 1570s.
puerile (adj.)
1660s, "youthful, boyish," a back-formation from puerility (q.v.), or else from French puéril (15c.), from Latin puerilis "boyish; childish," from puer "boy, child." The depreciative sense of "merely juvenile, immature, lacking intellectual force" is from 1680s.
puerperal (adj.)
"of or pertaining to childbirth; about to give birth," 1768, with -al (1) + Latin puerperus "bringing forth children; bearing a child" (as a noun, "woman in labor"), from puer "child, boy" (see puerility) + parire "to bring forth, bear, produce, create; bring about, accomplish," from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, bring forth"). Earlier puerperial (1620s); puarpure (c. 1500). Related: Puerperally.
puerperium (n.)
"confinement during and after childbirth," 1863, from Latin puerperus (see puerperal). From c. 1600 in navitized form puerpery.
Puerto Rican
1873 (n.), "native or inhabitant of Puerto Rico;" 1874 (adj.), "of or pertaining to Puerto Rico or its inhabitants and culture," from Puerto Rico + -an. Earlier was Porto Rican (1842).
Puerto Rico
island in the Greater Antilles group of the West Indies, Spanish, literally "rich harbor;" see port (n.1) + rich (adj.). The name was given in 1493 by Christopher Columbus to the large bay on the north side of the island; he called the island itself San Juan. Over time the name of the bay became the name of the island and the name of the island was taken by the town that grew up at the bay. Often spelled Porto Rico in 19c.; the current spelling was made official in 1932.
puff (v.)
Old English pyffan, *puffian "to blow with the mouth," of imitative origin. Compare pouf, from French. Especially "to blow with quick, intermittent blasts" (early 14c.). Meaning "pant, breathe hard and fast" is from late 14c.
The meaning "to fill, inflate, or expand with breath or air" is by 1530s. The intransitive sense, in reference to small swellings and round protuberances, is by 1725. The transitive figurative sense of "exalt" is from 1530s; shading by early 18c. into the meaning "praise with self-interest, give undue or servile praise to." Related: Puffed; puffing.
puff (n.)
c. 1200, puf, puffe, perhaps from Old English, pyf "short, quick blast of wind; act of puffing," from puff (v.). Meaning "type of light pastry" is recorded from late 14c.; that of "small pad of a downy or flossy texture for applying powder to skin or hair" is from 1650s.
From 1560s in the figurative sense of "empty or vain boast;" the meaning "flattery, inflated praise" is recorded from 1732. Derogatory use for "homosexual male" is recorded by 1902 (compare poof (n.2)).
puff-adder (n.)
1789 of a large South African snake that is venomous; 1882 of a western U.S. snake that is not; from puff (v.) + adder.
puff-ball (n.)
type of fungus, 1640s, from puff + ball (n.1). So called for discharging a cloud of spores when disturbed.
puffer (n.)
1620s, "person or thing that blows in short blasts," agent noun from puff (v.). Earliest in reference to tobacco smokers; later also especially of steamboats and steam engines. As "one who praises or extols with exaggerated commendation," from 1736. As a type of fish that inflates itself in defense, from 1814, also puffer-fish, swell-fish, porcupine-fish.
puffery (n.)
"inflated laudation" [OED], "systematic puffing, exaggerated praise," 1782, from puff (v.) in its figurative sense + -ery.
puffy (adj.)
1610s, of wind, "gusty, coming in puffs," from puff + -y (2). Of other things, "swollen," as if with air or some soft substance, by 1660s. The earliest attested use is figurative, "bombastic" (1590s). Related: Puffily; puffiness.
puffin (n.)
North Atlantic seabird, the sea-parrot or bottle-nosed auk, mid-14c., poffoun, perhaps connected with puff on some quality of its appearance, or from some Celtic word (the earliest association is with Cornwall and Scilly) and altered by influence of puff.
pug (n.)
1560s, a general term of endearment (also puggy), perhaps related to or a variant of puck (n.2); one of the earliest senses of pug is "sprite, imp" (1610s). The sense of "miniature dog" is from 1749 (pug-dog); that of "monkey" is from 1660s, perhaps on the notion of having a pert, ugly face like a little imp.
The word, or identical words, at various times also meant "a husk of grain" (mid-15c.), "a bargeman" (1590s), "a harlot" (c. 1600), and "an upper servant in a great house" (1843), the last, if it is authentic, perhaps with a suggestion of "lap dog."
pugilism (n.)
"the art or practice of fighting with the fists, gloved or not," 1789, from Latin pugil "boxer, fist-fighter," related to pugnus "fist" (from suffixed form of PIE root *peuk- "to prick") + -ism. Pugilation "fighting with fists," now obsolete, is recorded from 1650s.
pugilist (n.)
"one who fights with the fists," 1789, from Latin pugil "boxer, fist-fighter," related to pugnus "a fist" (from suffixed form of PIE root *peuk- "to prick") + -ist. For sense development, compare punch (v.), also from a root meaning "to pierce." Related: Pugilistic "of or pertaining to fighting with the fists" (1789); pugilistically.
Pugil (n.) occasionally turns up in English as "boxer, fist-fighter" (17c.-18c), but it has not caught on; earlier it meant "a little handful or a big pinch" of something (1570s). Pugil stick (1962) was introduced by U.S. military as a substitute for rifles in bayonet drills.
pugnacity (n.)
"disposition to fight, quarrelsomeness," c. 1600, from Latin pugnacitas "fondness for fighting," from pugnax (genitive pugnacis) "combative," from pugnare "to fight," especially with the fists, "contend against," from pugnus "a fist" (from PIE *pung-, nasalized form of root *peuk- "to prick").
pugnacious (adj.)
"disposed to fight, quarrelsome," 1640s, a back-formation from pugnacity or else from Latin pugnacis, genitive of pugnax "combative, fond of fighting," from pugnare "to fight," especially with the fists, "contend against," from pugnus "a fist" (from PIE *pung-, nasalized form of root *peuk- "to prick"). Related: Pugnaciously; pugnaciousness.
pug-nose (n.)
"a nose turned upwards at the tip," 1778, from pug (n.) based on fancied similarity to the nose of either the monkey or the dog. Related: Pug-nosed (1791). Pug-face is attested by 1768.
puy (n.)
"conical volcanic hill," especially those in Auvergne, 1858, from French puy, from Latin podium "a height, balcony," literally "support" (see podium). The volcanoes were active from c. 95,000 to 10,000 years before the present.
puisne (adj.)
"junior, younger; inferior in rank," c. 1300 in Anglo-Latin, from Old French puisné "born later, younger, youngest" (see puny). As a noun from 1590s, "a junior, an inferior," especially "a judge of inferior rank."
puissance (n.)
early 15c., puissaunce, "power, strength, authority," from Old French puissance, poissance "power, might" (12c.), from puissant (see puissant).
puissant (adj.)
mid-15c., puissaunt, "powerful, influential, in a position of authority; physically strong," from Old French puissant "strong, mighty, powerful," earlier poissant (12c.), from stem of Old French poeir "to be able" (see power (n.)). Related: Puissantly.
puka
type of necklace made from small shell fragments (or plastic imitations), by 1974, from Hawaiian puka, said to mean literally "hole," in references to small shell fragments with naturally occurring holes through them, suitable for stringing, found on beaches.
puke (n.)
1737, "a medicine which excites vomiting;" by 1938 as "material thrown up in vomiting," from puke (v.). U.S. colloquial meaning "native of Missouri" (1835) might be a different word, of unknown origin.
Bartlett (1859) has "A nickname for a native of Missouri" as the second sense of puke (n.), the first being "A mean, contemptible fellow." The association of the state nickname with the "vomit" word is from at least 1858, and folk etymology talks of the old state literally vomiting forth immigrants to California.
puke (v.)
"to vomit, eject the contents of the stomach," 1600, probably of imitative origin (compare German spucken "to spit," Latin spuere; also see spew (v.)). First attested in the "Seven Ages of Man" speech in Shakespeare's "As You Like It." Related: Puked; puking.
pulchritude (n.)
"beauty, fairness," c. 1400, pulcritude, from Latin pulchritudo "beauty; excellence, attractiveness," from pulcher "beautiful," a word of unknown origin. De Vaan writes that Latin the -ch- spelling is by Greek influence and posits a stem *polkro- or *pelkro-, but that's as far as he confidently takes it.
pulchritudinous (adj.)
"beautiful, fine or graceful in any way," 1877, American English, from pulchritude (from Latin pulchritudo "beauty," genitive pulchritudinis) + -ous. Earlier English had now-obsolete pulcrious "beautiful, fair" (c. 1500).
pule (v.)
"cry in a thin, weak voice, as a complaining child," 1530s, from French piauler (16c.) "to cheep, chirp," which is echoic (compare Italian pigolare "to cheep as a chicken"). Related: Puled; puling.
Pulex
genus of the flea family, Modern Latin (Linnaeus, 1735), from Latin pulex "flea," from PIE *plou- "flea" (source also of Sanskrit plusih, Greek psylla, Old Church Slavonic blucha, Lithuanian blusa, Armenian lu "flea").
Pulitzer (n.)
annual awards for distinguished work in U.S. journalism, letters, music, etc., 1918, named for U.S. journalist Joseph Pulitzer (1847-1911), publisher of the New York Globe, who established the awards in 1917 through an endowment to Columbia University.
pull (v.)
c. 1300 (mid-13c. in surnames), "to move or try to move forcibly by pulling, to drag forcibly or with effort," from Old English pullian "to pluck off (wool), to draw out," a word of unknown origin, perhaps related to Low German pulen "remove the shell or husk," Frisian pûlje "to shell, husk," Middle Dutch polen "to peel, strip," Icelandic pula "work hard." Related: Pulled; pulling.
From early 14c. as "to pick, pull off, gather by hand" (fruit, flowers, berries, leaves, petals, etc.); mid-14c. as "to extract, uproot" (of teeth, weeds, etc.).
Sense of "to draw (to oneself), attract" is from c. 1400; sense of "to pluck at with the fingers" is from c. 1400; meaning "tear to pieces" is mid-15c. By late 16c. it had replaced draw (v.) in these senses. From mid-14c. as "to deprive (someone of something)."
Common in slang terms 19c.-20c.; Bartlett (1859) has to pull foot "walk fast; run;" pull it "to run." To pull (someone's) chain in the figurative sense is from 1974, perhaps on the notion of a captive animal; the expression was also used for "to contact" (someone), on the notion of the chain that operates a signaling mechanism. To pull (someone's) leg is from 1882, perhaps on notion of "playfully tripping" (compare pull the long bow "exaggerate," 1830, and pulling someone's leg also sometimes was described as a way to awaken a sleeping person in a railway compartment, ship's berth, etc.). Thornton's "American Glossary" (1912) has pull (n.) "a jest" (to have a pull at (someone)), which it identifies as "local" and illustrates with an example from the Massachusetts Spy of May 21, 1817, which identifies it as "a Georgian phrase."
To pull (one's) punches is from 1920 in pugilism, from 1921 figuratively. To pull in "arrive" (1892) and pull out "depart" (1868) are from the railroads. To pull for someone or something, "exert influence or root for" is by 1903.
To pull (something) off "accomplish, succeed at" is originally in sporting, "to win the prize money" (1870). To pull (something) on (someone) is from 1916; to pull (something) out of one's ass is Army slang from 1970s. To pull rank is from 1919; to pull the rug from under (someone) figuratively is from 1946.
pull (n.)
c. 1300, pul, "a fishing net;" mid-14c., "a turn at pulling," from pull (v.). From late 14c. as "an act of pulling." From mid-14c. as "a short space of time." By 1570s as "a drink, a swig of liquor."
Meaning "personal or private influence, advantageous claim to one who has influence" is by 1889, American English, from earlier sense "power to pull (and not be pulled by)" a rival or competitor (1580s).
pull-back (n.)
also pullback, 1660s, "act or action of pulling back," from the verbal phrase; see pull (v.) + back (adv.). From 1951 in the military sense of "orderly withdrawal of troops."
pulley (n.)
simple machine consisting of a wheel with a grooved rim for carrying a rope or other line and turning in a frame, used for raising a weight, late 13c., puli, from Old French polie, pulie "pulley, windlass" (12c.) and directly from Medieval Latin poliva, puliva, which according to Barnhart and Klein is probably from Medieval Greek *polidia, plural of *polidion "little pivot," diminutive of Greek polos "pivot, axis" (see pole (n.2)). As a verb from 1590s.
pullet (n.)
late 14c., polet, "young fowl" (late 13c. as a surname), from Anglo-French pullet, Old French poulette, poilette, diminutive of poule, poille "hen," from Vulgar Latin *pulla, fem. of Latin pullus "young animal," especially "young fowl" (source also of Spanish pollo "chicken," Italian pollo "fowl;" from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little." Compare pony.
Pullman (n.)
sleeping car on a passenger train, 1867, Pullman car, in recognition of U.S. inventor George M. Pullman (1831-1897) of Chicago, who designed a railroad car with folding berths.
pullout (n.)
also pull-out, 1820, "a withdrawal," from the verbal phrase; see pull (v.) + out (adv.). The phrase pull out "extract, remove" is attested from late 14c. As "detachable section or page of a newspaper, magazine, etc." by 1952, short for pull-out section (by 1949). As an adjective by 1875.
pullover (adj.)
also pull-over, 1871, originally of hats, from the verbal phrase; see pull (v.) + over (adv.). As a noun, from 1875 as a kind of cap of silk or felted fur drawn over a hat-body to form the napping; 1925 as a type of sweater (short for pullover sweater, 1912), so called in reference to the method of putting it on by drawing it over the head. To pull over, in reference to a driver or motor vehicle, "go to the side of the road," is by 1930.
pullulation (n.)
"the act of germinating or budding," 1640s, noun of action from pullulate.
pullulate (v.)
"to germinate, bud," 1610s, from Latin pullulatus, past participle of pullulare "put forth, grow, sprout, shoot up, come forth," from pullulus, diminutive of pullus "young animal" (from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little"). Related: Pullulated; pullulating.
pull-up (n.)
1837, "act of bringing a horse or vehicle to a sudden stop," from the verbal phrase; see pull (v.) + up (adv.). To pull up is attested by early 14c. as "lift (someone or something)," late 14c. as "uproot." By 1887 as "a place for pulling up a vehicle." The noun, as a type of horizontal bar physical exercise involving pulling up the body by means of the arms, is attested by 1891.
The sense of "check a course of action" is from 1808, figurative of the lifting of the reins in horse-riding; pull (v.) in the sense of "check or hold back one's horse to keep it from winning" is by 1800.
pulmonary (adj.)
"of or pertaining to the lungs; affecting the lungs; done by means of the lungs," 1704, from French pulmonaire and directly from Latin pulmonarius "of the lungs," from pulmo (genitive pulmonis) "lung(s)," cognate with Greek pleumon "lung," Old Church Slavonic plusta, Lithuanian plaučiai "lungs," all from PIE -*pl(e)umon- "lung(s)," literally "floater," suffixed form of root *pleu- "to flow."
The explanation behind the proposed PIE etymology is the fact that, when thrown into a pot of water, lungs of a slaughtered animal float, while the heart, liver, etc., do not. Compare Middle English lights "the lungs," literally "the light (in weight) organs." Also see pneumo-.
pulp (n.)
c. 1400, pulpe, "fleshy part of a fruit or plant," from Latin pulpa "animal or plant pulp; pith of wood," earlier *pelpa, perhaps from the same root as pulvis "dust," pollen "fine flour" (see pollen). Extended to similar moist substances or masses by early 15c.
From 1727 as "the material from which paper is manufactured after it is reduced to a soft, uniform mass." The adjective meaning "sensational" is from pulp magazine (1931), so called from wood-pulp paper in sense of "type of rough paper used in cheaply made magazines and books," and thus, in reference to publications made of it (the opposite adjective in reference to magazines was slick). As a genre name, pulp fiction is attested by 1943 (pulp writer "writer of pulp fiction" was in use by 1939).
pulp (v.)
1660s (implied in pulping), "reduce to pulp, made into pulp," from pulp (n.). As "to remove the pulp from, deprive of the surrounding pulp" from 1791. Related: Pulped.
pulpy (adj.)
"soft, fleshy, like pulp," 1590s, from pulp (n.) + -y (2). Related: Pulpiness.
pulpit (n.)
"raised platform from which a speaker addresses an audience or delivers an oration," especially in Christian churches, "the more or less enclosed platform from which the preacher delivers a sermon," early 14c., from Late Latin pulpitum "raised structure on which preachers stand," in classical Latin "scaffold; stage, platform for actors," a word of unknown origin.
Also borrowed in Middle High German as pulpit (German Pult "desk"). Sense of "Christian preachers and ministers generally" is from 1560s. Pulpiteer, old contemptuous term for "professional preacher," is recorded from 1640s.
pulque (n.)
fermented drink in Mexico and parts of Central America made from the juice of the agave, 1690s, from American Spanish pulque, a word of unknown origin, said to be a word from Araucanian (native language spoken in part of Chile), or else from some language of Mexico.
pulse (n.2)
"peas, beans, lentils; the esculent seeds of any leguminous plant," late 13c., puls, from Old French pouls, pous, pols and directly from Latin puls "thick gruel, porridge, mush," which is suspected of being (perhaps via Etruscan), from Greek poltos "porridge" made from flour, or both the Greek and Latin words might be from the same source (compare pollen), which might be a loanword from a non-PIE Mediterranean language or an as-yet-unknown PIE root.
pulse (v.)
"to beat, throb," as the arteries or the heart, early 15c., pulsen, from pulse (n.1) or else from Latin pulsare "to beat, throb." Related: Pulsed; pulsing.
pulse (n.1)
"a throb, a beat, a stroke," especially a measured, regular, or rhythmical beat, early 14c., from Old French pous, pulse (late 12c., Modern French pouls) and directly from Latin pulsus (in pulsus venarum "beating from the blood in the veins"), past participle of pellere "to push, drive" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive").
Extended usages, of feeling, life, opinion, etc., are attested from early 16c. The figurative use for "life, vitality, essential energy" is from 1530s.
pulsar (n.)
"highly magnetized, rotating compact star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation," 1968, from pulse (n.1), the form on analogy of quasar. When discovered in 1967 via radio telescope, they were thought perhaps to be signals from alien civilizations and astronomers informally dubbed them LGM for "Little Green Men."
pulsation (n.)
early 15c., pulsacioun, "pulsing of the blood, throbbing," from Latin pulsationem (nominative pulsatio) "a beating or striking," noun of action from past-participle stem of pulsare "to beat, strike, push against' hammer, keep hitting," figuratively "drive forth, disturb, disquiet," frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus) "to beat, strike" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive").
pulsate (v.)
"to beat or throb (as the heart or a blood vessel); contract and dilate in alternation or rhythmically," 1741, a back-formation from pulsation, or else from Latin pulsatus, past participle of pulsare "to beat against, strike upon," frequentative of pellere (past participle pulsus) "to beat, strike" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). Related: Pulsated; pulsating; pulsatile.
pulseless (n.)
1748, "having no pulse or heartbeat," from pulse (n.1) + -less. Figurative sense of "devoid of energy or feeling" is by 1856.
pulser (n.)
by 1940, "device that gives electrical pulses," agent noun from pulse (v.).
pulsive (adj.)
c. 1600, "impulsive, propulsive," from past-participle stem of Latin pellere "to drive, strike" (from PIE root *pel- (5) "to thrust, strike, drive"). By 1960 as "making a beating or throbbing sound." Related: Pulsively; pulsiveness.
pulverization (n.)
"the act of breaking or reducing to dust or powder," 1650s, noun of action from pulverize, or else from French pulvérisation, from pulveriser. Figurative sense of "utter demolition" is by 1873. Slightly earlier, but now obsolete, was pulveration (1620s).
pulverize (v.)
early 15c., pulverisen, "reduce to powder or dust," from Late Latin pulverizare "reduce to powder or dust," from Latin pulvis (genitive pulveris) "dust, powder," which perhaps is related to Latin pollen "mill dust; fine flour" (and thus the other words under pollen), but de Vaan and others find that "the semantic connection of 'dust' with 'chaff' is uncompelling" because flour and chaff "are each other's opposite when processing grain. Of course, via a primary meaning 'to grind' or 'fine dust', they may be connected." Figurative sense of "break down, demolish" is by 1630s. Related: Pulverized; pulverizing; pulverizable.
pulverise (v.)
chiefly British English spelling of pulverize (q.v.). Also see -ize. Related: Pulverised; pulverising; pulverisation.
puma (n.)
"a cougar, a large American feline quadruped," 1777, from Spanish puma, from Quechua (Inca) puma.
pumice (n.)
"type of volcanic rock having a loose or cellular structure," formerly used to smooth parchment or vellum, c. 1400, pomis, from Anglo-French and Old French pomis (13c.), from Late Latin pomicem (nominative pomex, genitive pumicis), from Oscan *poimex or some other dialectal variant of Latin pumex "pumice." This word is from PIE *(s)poi-mo-, a root with connotations of "foam, froth" (see foam (n.)), perhaps because pumice resembled a sort of fossilized foam.
With a wide variety of forms in Middle English, including pumish, pumey. Old English had pumic-stan. As a verb, "to polish or smooth with pumice," early 15c., from the noun.
pumiceous (adj.)
"pertaining to, resembling, or consisting of pumice," 1670s, from Latin pumiceus "of pumice stone," from pumex (see pumice). Pumicose (1811) also was used.
pummel (v.)
"to beat or strike repeatedly, especially with the fist," 1540s, alteration of pommel (q.v.) in a verbal sense of "to beat repeatedly" with or as with a pommel or something thick and bulky. In early use pumble, poumle; the current spelling prevails from c. 1600, but the spelling alteration appears to be random, as the verb is merely the noun repurposed and they were pronounced the same. Originally often used alliteratively with pate (n.1) "head" as its object. Related: Pummeled; pummeling.
pump (n.1)
"one of several kinds of apparatus for forcing liquid or air," early 15c., pumpe, which is probably from Middle Dutch pompe "water conduit, pipe," or Middle Low German pumpe "pump" (Modern German Pumpe), both from some North Sea sailors' word, possibly imitative of the sound of the plunger in the water.
Earliest English uses are in reference to a device to raise and expel bilge water from ships. Late Old French pompe probably is from Germanic. Pumps themselves are very ancient, which makes the late appearance of the Germanic word odd. From 1670s as "an act of pumping." Pump-action in reference to a type of repeating firearm is attested in advertisements for them from 1912.
pump (v.)
c. 1500, "work with a pump, raise water or other liquid with a pump," from pump (n.1). The metaphoric extension "subject (a person) to a process resembling pumping" (to elicit information, money, etc.) is from 1630s. Transitive sense of "free from water or other fluid by means of a pump or pumps" is by 1640s. The meaning "to work with action like that of a pump-handle" is by 1803. To pump iron "lift weights for fitness" is by 1972.
Related: Pumped; pumping. Pumped up "raised artificially by a method likened to pumping" is by 1792; the sense of "excited, ready for action" is modern. Grose, in "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" (1788) has "To pump ship; to make water, and sometimes to vomit."
pump (n.2)
1550s, "kind of low shoe or slipper without fasteners, for wearing indoors," a word of unknown origin, perhaps echoic of the sound made when walking in them, or perhaps from Dutch pampoesje, from Javanese pampoes, which is said to be of Arabic origin. Klein's sources propose a connection with pomp (n.). Related: pumps.
The word soon was applied to a shoe of the same character, with a very low heel, convenient in situations where freedom of movement was required, thus favored by "dancers, couriers, acrobats, duellists, etc." [OED]. The 19c. phrase keep your toes in your pump was dialectal for "stay calm, keep quiet, don't get excited."
pumper (n.)
1650s, "one who or that which pumps," agent noun from pump (v.). As "fire engine that pumps water," by 1915.
pumpernickel (n.)
"kind of coarse, dark rye bread made from unbolted rye," c. 1740, pumpernicle, pumpernickle, from German (Westphalian dialect) Pumpernickel (1663), originally an abusive nickname for a stupid person, from pumpern "to break wind" + Nickel "goblin, lout, rascal," from the proper name Niklaus (see Nicholas, and compare Nick). Originally it was eaten especially in Westphalia; an earlier German name for it was krankbrot, literally "sick-bread."
pumpkin (n.)
1640s, "gourd-like fruit, of a deep orange-yellow color when ripe, of a coarse decumbent vine native to North America," an alteration of pompone, pumpion "melon, pumpkin" (1540s), from French pompon, from Latin peponem (nominative pepo) "melon," from Greek pepon "melon." The Greek word is probably originally "ripe," on the notion of "cooked (by the sun)," from peptein "to cook" (from PIE root *pekw- "to cook, ripen"). With ending conformed to words in -kin.
Figuratively, in 19c. (and later) U.S. vernacular, it has meant both "stupid, self-important person" and "person or matter of importance" (as in some pumpkins).
Pumpkin-pie is recorded from 1650s. Pumpkin-head, American English colloquial for "person with hair cut short all around" is recorded by 1781. Vulgar American English alternative spelling punkin attested by 1806.
pun (n.)
"a Conceit arising from the use of two Words that agree in the Sound, but differ in the Sense" [Addison]; "An expression in which the use of a word in two different applications, or the use of two different words pronounced alike or nearly alike, presents an odd or ludicrous idea" [Century Dictionary]; 1660s (first attested in Dryden), a word of uncertain origin.
Perhaps from pundigron, meaning the same thing (though attested first a few years later), itself a word of uncertain etymology, perhaps a humorous alteration of Italian puntiglio "equivocation, trivial objection," diminutive of Latin punctum "point." This is pure speculation. Punnet was another early form.
The verb, "to make puns," also is attested from 1660s, first in Dryden. Related: Punned; punning.
punch (v.)
"to thrust, push; jostle;" also, "to prod, drive (cattle, etc.) by poking and prodding," late 14c., from Old French ponchonner "to punch, prick, stamp," from ponchon "pointed tool, piercing weapon" (see punch (n.1)).
Meaning "to pierce, make a hole or holes in with a punch, emboss with a tool" is from early 15c.; meaning "to stab, puncture" is from mid-15c. Related: Punched; punching.
Specialized sense "to hit with the fist, give a blow, beat with blows of the fist" is recorded by 1520s. Compare Latin pugnare "to fight with the fists," from a root meaning "to pierce, sting." In English this sense-shift evolved also probably by influence of punish: Punch or punsch for punish is found in documents from 14c.-15c.:
To punch (someone) out "beat (someone) up" is from 1971. To punch a ticket, etc., "make a hole in" to indicate use of it is from mid-15c. To punch the clock "record one's arrival at or departure from the workplace using an automated timing device" is from 1900.
punch (n.3)
"a quick blow, dig, or thrust with the fist," by 1570s, probably from punch (v.). In early use it also could refer to blows with the foot or jabs with a staff or club. Originally especially of blows that sink in to some degree ("... whom he unmercifully bruises and batters from head to foot: here a slap in the chaps, there a black eye, now a punch in the stomach, and then a kick on the breech," Monthly Review, 1763).
The figurative sense of "forceful, vigorous quality" is recorded from 1911. Punch line (also punch-line) is from 1915, originally in popular-song writing. To beat (someone) to the punch in the figurative sense is from 1915, a metaphor from boxing (where it is attested by 1913). Punch-drunk "dazed from continued punching, having taken so many punches one can no longer feel it" is from 1915 (alternative form slug-nutty is from 1933; compare sleep-drunk, 1889, "confused and excited while being half awakened from a sound sleep").
punch (n.2)
a name of a type of alcoholic drink, by 1600. It is commonly said to be from Hindi panch "five," and so called for the number of its ingredients: citrus juice, water, spirits, sugar, and spice. (This Hindi word is ultimately from PIE root *penkwe- "five.")
The explanation traces to John Fryer's "A New Account of East India and Persia, in Eight Letters" (1698), but lexicographers have long noted phonetic and historical difficulties. There is no evidence of a drink called panch in India, or elsewhere, before the English word; and the English word is now known to have been in use before the English became regular traders to the Indies or attempted settlements in India.
Mixtures similar to the five-ingredient punch had been drunk in Europe since the Middle Ages, made with wine. Distilled spirits became common in England only during 17c., which also was when the punch drink became common. By 1650s punch is called "an Indian drink." It much resembles the Middle Eastern drink sherbet, which differed only in being non-alcoholic; but the association could have been with the East India Company trade that made the drink's exotic ingredients affordable in England. In 17c. sources it is as often associated with the West Indies:
English punch is first attested in the term punch pot (spelled paunche pot), and the reference might be to a drink served from a particular type of vessel rather than to a particular beverage recipe. Older spelling suggests possible connection with or influence from paunch. A proposed connection to puncheon (n.1) is noted in OED: "the name [...] may have been a sailors' shortening of puncheon, as that to which sailors would look for their allowance of liquor." But earliest use does not suggest nautical origin.
A puncheon or poncheon (attested by c. 1400) also was the name of a unit of measurement for wine or liquor of roughly 70 gallons, more than a household’s daily use, but history records punch bowls of considerable size meant to serve large gatherings, which could link it to the vessel. Also compare Middle French dialectal variants of poncheon, such as pochon, with senses that included: a cup or glass, a large ladle for soup, and a kind of three-footed pan or casserole dish.
Compare also Falernum and daiquiri.
punch (n.1)
"pointed tool for making holes, pricking, or embossing," late 14c., short for puncheon, from Old French ponchon, poinchon "pointed tool, piercing weapon," from Vulgar Latin *punctionem (nominative *punctio) "pointed tool," from past-participle stem of Latin pungere "to prick, pierce, sting" (from suffixed form of PIE root *peuk- "to prick").
From mid-15c. as "a stab, thrust;" late 15c. as "a dagger." Extended from the simple instrument to machines doing similar work; the meaning "machine for pressing or stamping a die" is from 1620s.