Etymology dictionary

option (n.) — original (adj.)

option (n.)

c. 1600, "action of choosing;" 1630s, "power or liberty of choosing," from French option (Old French opcion), from Latin optionem (nominative optio) "choice, free choice, liberty to choose," from optare "to desire, pray for, choose," which is of uncertain origin. De Vaan derives it from Proto-Italic *opeje- "to choose, grab," from PIE *hopeie- "to choose, grab," and compares Hittite epp/app- "to take, grab," Sanskrit apa, Avestan apa "has reached."

The meaning "thing that may be chosen" is attested from 1885. The commercial transaction sense of "privilege secured by payment of a premium (on a stock or a certain produce at a specified time and at a specified price)" is recorded from 1755 (the verb in this sense is attested by 1880 in American English). As a North American football play in which the back may either pass the ball or run with it, it is recorded by 1953.

optometry (n.)

"measurement of the range of vision; measurement of the visual powers in general," 1886, from optometer (1738), name given to an instrument for testing vision, from opto- "sight," from Greek optos "seen, visible" (from PIE root *okw- "to see") + -metry "a measuring of." Probably influenced by French optométrie.

optometrist (n.)

"one whose profession is to measure the range and power of vision," 1903; see optometry + -ist.

opus (n.)

"a work, composition," especially a musical one, 1809, from Latin opus "a work, labor, exertion" (source of Italian opera, French oeuvre, Spanish obra), from Proto-Italic *opes- "work," from PIE root *op- "to work, produce in abundance." The plural, seldom used as such, is opera. Opus Dei, literally "the work of God," is a Catholic organization founded in Spain in 1928 to re-establish Christian ideals in society through examples of the lives of the members.

opulence (n.)

"wealth, riches, affluence," c. 1500, from French opulence (16c.), from Latin opulentia "riches, wealth," from opulentus "wealthy," a dissimilation of *op-en-ent-, which is related to ops "wealth, power, ability, resources," and to opus "work, labor, exertion" (from PIE root *op- "to work, produce in abundance").

opulent (adj.)

"wealthy, rich, affluent," c. 1600, from French opulent and directly from Latin opulentem (nominative opulens) "wealthy, rich; splendid, noble," from opulentus (see opulence).

-or

word-forming element making nouns of quality, state, or condition, from Middle English -our, from Old French -our (Modern French -eur), from Latin -orem (nominative -or), a suffix added to past participle verbal stems. Also in some cases from Latin -atorem (nominative -ator).

In U.S., via Noah Webster, -or is nearly universal (but not in glamour), while in Britain -our is used in most cases (but with many exceptions: author, error, tenor, senator, ancestor, horror etc.). The -our form predominated after c. 1300, but Mencken reports that the first three folios of Shakespeare's plays used both spellings indiscriminately and with equal frequency; only in the Fourth Folio of 1685 does -our become consistent.

A partial revival of -or on the Latin model took place from 16c. (governour began to lose its -u- 16c. and it was gone by 19c.), and also among phonetic spellers in both England and America (John Wesley wrote that -or was "a fashionable impropriety" in England in 1791).

Webster criticized the habit of deleting -u- in -our words in his first speller ("A Grammatical Institute of the English Language," commonly called the Blue-Black Speller) in 1783. His own deletion of the -u- began with the revision of 1804, and was enshrined in the influential "Comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language" (1806), which also established in the U.S. -ic for British -ick and -er for -re, along with many other attempts at reformed spelling which never caught on (such as masheen for machine). His attempt to justify them on the grounds of etymology and the custom of great writers does not hold up.

Fowler notes the British drop the -u- when forming adjectives ending in -orous (humorous) and derivatives in -ation and -ize, in which cases the Latin origin is respected (such as vaporize). When the Americans began to consistently spell it one way, however, the British reflexively hardened their insistence on the other. "The American abolition of -our in such words as honour and favour has probably retarded rather than quickened English progress in the same direction." [Fowler]

ore (n.)

"a metalliferous mineral or rock," especially one worth mining, 12c., a merger of Old English ora "ore, unworked metal" (related to eorþe "earth;" see earth (n.); and cognate with Low German ur "iron-containing ore," Dutch oer, Old Norse aurr "gravel"); and Old English ar "brass, copper, bronze," from Proto-Germanic *ajiz- (source also of Old Norse eir "brass, copper," German ehern "brazen," Gothic aiz "bronze"), from PIE root *aus- (2) "gold" (see aureate). The two words were not fully assimilated till 17c.; what emerged has the regular modern form of ar but the meaning of ora.

or (conj.)

c. 1200, "either, else, otherwise, as an alternative or substitute," from Old English conjunction oþþe "either, or," which is related to Old Frisian ieftha, Middle Dutch ofte, Old Norse eða, Old High German odar, German oder, Gothic aiþþau "or."

This word was extended in early Middle English (and Old High German) with an -r ending, perhaps by analogy with "choice between alternative" words that ended thus (such as either, whether); then it was reduced to oþþr, at first in unstressed positions (commonly thus in Northern and Midlands English by 1300), and finally to or, though other survived in this sense until 16c.

Compare either, which is originally the same word. The contraction took place in the second term of an alternative, such as either ... or, descended from a common construction in Old English, where both words originally were oþþe (see nor). Or else "otherwise" is by c. 1300.

orach (n.)

also arach, arrach, or orage, one of several old-world plants of the genus Atriplex, c. 1300, from Old French arrache, said to be from Latin atriplice, from Greek atraphaxus, but Prior proposes the source of the French is an unattested Medieval Latin *aurago from aurum, "gold" + ago, "wort" (as in borage, plantago, etc.).

oracle (n.)

late 14c., "a message from a god expressed by divine inspiration through a priest or priestess," in answer to a human inquiry, usually respecting some future event, from Old French oracle "temple, house of prayer; oracle" (12c.) and directly from Latin oraculum, oraclum "divine announcement, oracle; place where oracles are given," from ōrare "to pray to, plead to, beseech" (see orator), with material instrumental suffix -culo-.

In antiquity, "the agency or medium of a god," also "the place where such divine utterances were given." This last sense is attested in English from early 15c. Extended sense of "uncommonly wise person" is from 1590s.

oracular (adj.)

"of or pertaining to, or of the nature of, an oracle or oracles," 1670s, from Latin oraculum (see oracle) + -ar. The older word was oraculous (1610s). Related: Oracularity.

orage (n.)

"violent or tempestuous windstorm," late 15c. (Caxton), obsolete from 18c., from French orage "a storm," from Vulgar Latin *auraticum, from Latin aura "breeze, wind" (see aura (n.)). Related: Oragious.

oral (adj.)

1620s, "uttered by the mouth or in words;" 1650s, "of or pertaining to the mouth," from Late Latin oralis, from Latin os (genitive oris) "mouth, opening, face, entrance," from PIE *os- "mouth" (source also of Sanskrit asan "mouth," asyam "mouth, opening," Avestan ah-, Hittite aish, Middle Irish a "mouth," Old Norse oss "mouth of a river," Old English or "beginning, origin, front").

Os was the usual word for "mouth" in Latin, but as the vowel distinction was lost it became similar in sound to os "bone" (see osseous). Thus bucca, originally "cheek" but used colloquially as "mouth," became the usual word for "mouth" (see bouche).

The psychological meaning "of the mouth as the focus of infantile sexual energy" (as in oral fixation) is attested from 1910. The sex-act sense is first recorded 1948, in Kinsey. As a noun, "oral examination," attested from 1876. Related: Orally (c. 1600); orality.

orange (n.)

late 14c., in reference to the fruit of the orange tree (late 13c. as a surname), from Old French orange, orenge (12c., Modern French orange), from Medieval Latin pomum de orenge, from Italian arancia, originally narancia (Venetian naranza), an alteration of Arabic naranj, from Persian narang, from Sanskrit naranga-s "orange tree," a word of uncertain origin.

Not used as a color word in English until 1510s (orange color), "a reddish-yellow color like that of a ripe orange." Colors similar to modern orange in Middle English might be called citrine or saffron. Loss of initial n- probably is due to confusion with the definite article (as in une narange, una narancia), but also perhaps was by influence of French or "gold." The name of the town of Orange in France (see Orangemen) perhaps was deformed by the name of the fruit. Orange juice is attested from 1723.

The tree's original range probably was northern India. The Persian orange, grown widely in southern Europe after its introduction in Italy 11c., was bitter; sweet oranges were brought to Europe 15c. from India by Portuguese traders and quickly displaced the bitter variety, but only Modern Greek still seems to distinguish the bitter (nerantzi) from the sweet (portokali "Portuguese") orange.

Portuguese, Spanish, Arab, and Dutch sailors planted citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy. On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus brought the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean. Introduced in Florida (along with lemons) in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. It was introduced to Hawaii in 1792.

orangeade (n.)

"drink made from orange juice and sweetened water," 1706, from French, from orange + ending from lemonade.

orange-blossom (n.)

"fragrant, white blossom of the orange tree," 1786, from orange (n.) + blossom (n.). Especially as worn by brides; "the custom appears to have been introduced from France c 1820-30" [OED].

Orangemen (n.)

1796 in reference to members of a secret politico-religious society founded 1795 in Belfast to promote Protestant power in Northern Ireland, named for William of Orange (who became King William III of England and triumphed in Ireland at the head of a Protestant army at the Battle of the Boyne), of the German House of Nassau. His cousins and their descendants constitute the royal line of Holland.

The name is from the town of Orange on the Rhone in France, which became part of the Nassau principality in 1530. Its Roman name was Arausio, which is said in 19c. sources to be from aura "a breeze" and a reference to the north winds which rush down the valley, but perhaps this is folk etymology of a Celtic word. The name subsequently was corrupted to Auranche, then Orange.

The town has no obvious association with the fruit other than being on the road from Marseilles to Paris, along which masses of oranges were transported to northern France and beyond. In this roundabout way the political/religious movement of Northern Irish Protestantism acquired an association with the color orange, the Irish national flag acquired its orange band, and Syracuse University in New York state acquired its "Otto the Orange" mascot.

orange-peel (n.)

"the rind of an orange, separated from the pulp," 1610s, from orange (n.) + peel (n.).

orangery (n.)

"place where oranges are cultivated, especially in colder climates," 1660s, from French orangerie; see orange (n.) + -ery.

orangutan (n.)

also orang-utan, orang-outang, "anthropoid ape of the lowlands of Borneo and Sumatra," 1690s, from French orang-ou-tang and directly from Dutch orang-outang (1631), from Malay (Austronesian) orang utan, literally "man of the woods," from orang "man" + utan, hutan "forest, wilderness, the wild." It is possible that the word originally was used by town-dwellers on Java to describe savage forest tribes of the Sunda Islands and that Europeans misunderstood it to mean the ape. The name is not now applied in Malay to the animal, but there is evidence that it was used so in 17c. [OED]

orate (v.)

c. 1600, "to pray, to plead," from Latin oratus, past participle of ōrare "speak, pray to, plead, speak before a court or assembly" (see orator). The meaning "make a formal speech, talk loftily," used humorously or contemptuously, emerged c. 1860 in American English as a back-formation of oration. Related: Orated; orating.

oration (n.)

late 14c., oracioun, "a prayer," from Late Latin orationem (nominative oratio) "a speaking, speech, discourse; language, faculty of speech, mode of expressing; prayer," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin ōrare "to pray to, plead, speak before an assembly" (see orator). The usual Old French form was oraison. Meaning "formal speech, discourse, eloquent or weighty address" is recorded from c. 1500.

orator (n.)

late 14c., oratour, "an eloquent or skilled speaker; one who pleads or argues for a cause," from Anglo-French oratour (Modern French orateur) and directly from Latin orator "speaker," from ōrare "to speak, speak before a court or assembly, pray to, plead."

This is sometimes said to be from PIE root *or- "to pronounce a ritual formula" (source also of Sanskrit aryanti "they praise," Homeric Greek are, Attic ara "prayer," Hittite ariya- "to ask the oracle," aruwai- "to revere, worship"). But according to de Vaan, the Latin word is rather from Proto-Italic *ōs- "mouth," from PIE *os- "mouth" (see oral). He writes:

The general meaning "public speaker," is attested from early 15c. Fem. forms were oratrice (early 15c., from Anglo-French); oratrix (mid-15c., from Latin); oratress (1580s).

oratorical (adj.)

"pertaining to an orator or oratory," 1580s, from orator or oratory + -ical, or else from Latin oratorius "pertaining to an orator or to speaking or pleading" (see oratory (n.1)). Related: Oratorically. Earlier form was oratorial (1540s).

oratory (n.1)

"formal public speaking; the art of eloquence," 1580s, from Latin (ars) oratoria "oratorical (art)," fem. of oratorius "of speaking or pleading, pertaining to an orator," from ōrare "to speak, pray, plead" (see orator).

oratory (n.2)

"small chapel for prayer or worship," early 14c., oratorie, from Old French oratorie and directly from Late Latin oratorium "place of prayer" (especially the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Rome, where musical services were presented; see oratorio), noun use of an adjective, as in oratorium templum, from neuter of Latin oratorius "of or for praying," from ōrare "to pray, plead, speak" (see orator).

oratorio (n.)

"long musical composition, usually with a text based on Scripture," 1727 (in English from 1640s in native form oratory), from Italian oratorio (late 16c.), from Church Latin oratorium "a place of prayer, an oratory or chapel," noun use of an adjective, as in oratorium templum, from neuter of Latin oratorius "of or for praying," from ōrare "to pray, plead, speak" (see orator). The purely musical sense stems from the Oratory musical services of prayers and hymns instituted in Rome in the 1550s by St. Philip Neri and performed in the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella.

orbed (adj.)

"having the form of an orb, round circular," 1590s, an adjective in past-participle form from orb (n.). The verb orb is attested from 1640s as "enclose in an orb," 1650s as "make an orb," and 1850 in the intransitive sense of "to become an orb."

orb (n.)

mid-15c., "sphere, globe, something spherical or circular, orbit of a heavenly body," from Old French orbe "orb, globe" (13c.) and directly from Latin orbem (nominative orbis) "circle, disk, ring, hoop, orbit," probably related to orbita "wheel track, rut," a word of unknown and much-disputed origin. Watkins suggests a connection with the root of orchid. De Vaan suggests *horbi- "turning thing."

A three-dimensional extension of a word originally describing two-dimensional shapes. The ancient astronomical sense is in reference to the hollow "spheres" that carried each of the planets and the stars through their heavenly motions in the Ptolemaic system. Used poetically of the earth, sun, or moon from 1590s; used rhetorically of the eye from 1650s. As a verb from c. 1600.

Orb-weaver in reference to spiders that make webs formed of lines radiating from a central point (as distinguished from tube- or tunnel-weavers) is recorded from 1889.

orbicular (adj.)

"round, circular, spherical, having the shape of an orb," mid-15c., from Old French orbiculaire "round, circular," or directly from Late Latin orbicularis "circular, orbicular," from Latin orbiculus, diminutive of orbis "circle" (see orb). Related: Orbicularity.

orbit (v.)

"revolve round in an orb," 1946, from orbit (n.). Related: Orbited; orbiting.

orbit (n.)

late 14c., "the eye-socket, the bony cavity of the skull which contains the eye," from Old French orbite or directly from Medieval Latin orbita, a transferred use of Latin orbita "wheel track, beaten path, rut, course" (see orb). The astronomical sense of "circular or elliptical path of a planet or comet" (recorded in English from 1690s; later also of artificial satellites) was in classical Latin and was revived in Gerard of Cremona's translation of Avicenna. The Old English word for "eye socket" was eaghring.

orbital (adj.)

1540s, "of or pertaining to the eye socket;" 1839 with reference to heavenly bodies; from orbit (n.) + -al (1).

orbiter (n.)

"spacecraft intended to go into orbit," 1954, agent noun from orbit (v.).

orc (n.)

"ogre, devouring monster," 1590s, perhaps a reborrowing of the same word that became Old English orcþyrs, orcneas (plural), which is perhaps from a Romanic source akin to ogre, and ultimately from Latin Orcus "Hell," a word of unknown origin. Also see Orca. Revived by J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), who might have got it from Beowulf, as the name of a brutal race in Middle Earth.

Orca (n.)

"killer whale," introduced as a generic term for the species by 1841, from earlier use in scientific names, from Latin orca "cetacean, a kind of whale." Earlier in English, orc, ork "large marine mammal, deadly sea-creature" (by mid-17c.), from French orque, had been used vaguely of sea monsters (see orc). Strong, ferocious, and predatory, they are the only cetaceans which habitually prey upon warm-blooded animals.

orchard (n.)

late Old English orceard "fruit garden; piece of ground, usually enclosed, devoted to the culture of fruit-trees," also for meeting, recreation, etc., earlier ortgeard, perhaps reduced from wortgeard, from wort (Old English wyrt "vegetable, plant root") + geard "garden, yard" (also "vegetable garden" until 15c.); see yard (n.1). The first element would have been influenced in Middle English by Latin hortus (in Late Latin ortus) "garden," which also is from the PIE root (*gher- (1) "to grasp, enclose") that yielded yard (n.1). Orchard-house "glass house for the cultivation of fruits too delicate to be grown in open air" is by 1850.

orchestral (adj.)

"pertaining to an orchestra; suitable for performance by an orchestra," 1811, from orchestra + -al (1).

orchestrate (v.)

"to compose or arrange (music) for an orchestra," 1855, back-formation from orchestration. The figurative sense ("to coordinate, combine harmoniously") is attested from 1883. Related: Orchestrated; orchestrating.

orchestration (n.)

1840, "the act, process, or art of arranging music for an orchestra," from French orchestration (see orchestrate). U.S. slang sense of "an overcoat" is by 1940.

orchestra (n.)

c. 1600, "area in an ancient theater for the chorus," from Latin orchestra, from Greek orkhēstra, semicircular space where the chorus of dancers performed, with suffix -tra denoting place + orkheisthai "to dance," perhaps an intensive of erkhesthai "to go, come," but not all experts accept that (see Beekes).

In ancient Rome, orchestra referred to the place in the theater reserved for senators and other dignitaries. Meaning "group of musicians performing at a concert, opera, etc." is recorded by 1720, so called because they occupy the position of the orchestra relative to the stage ; that of "part of theater in front of the stage" is from 1768 in English.

Some related words still retain the "dancing" sense: Orchestic "of or pertaining to dancing" (1712), also orchestric (1740).

orchid (n.)

1845, introduced by John Lindley in the third edition of "School Botany," from Modern Latin Orchideæ (Linnaeus), the plant's family name, from Latin orchis, a kind of orchid, from Greek orkhis (genitive orkheos) "orchid," literally "testicle," from PIE *h(o)rghi-, the standard Indo-European word for "testicle" (source also of Avestan erezi, Armenian orjik' "testicles," Old Irish uirge, Hittite arki- "testicle," Lithuanian eržilas "stallion").

The plant so called because of the shape of its root; Greek orkhis also was the name of a kind of olive, also so called for its shape. Earlier in English in Latin form, orchis (1560s), and in Middle English it was ballockwort (c. 1300; see ballocks). The modern word is marred by an extraneous -d- in an attempt to extract the Latin stem. Related: Orchidaceous.

orchidectomy (n.)

"a cutting out of one or both of the testicles," 1870, from Latinized form of Greek orkhis "testicle" (see orchid) + -ectomy "a cutting, surgical removal." Coined by medical men in an attempt to avoid the common word castration.

ordain (v.)

c. 1300, ordeinen, "to appoint or admit to the ministry of the Church," also "to decree, enact," from stem of Old French ordener "place in order, arrange, prepare; consecrate, designate" (Modern French ordonner) and directly from Latin ordinare "put in order, arrange, dispose, appoint," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)). The notion is "to confer holy orders upon." Sense of "establish, set (something) that will continue in a certain order" is from early 14c. Related: Ordained; ordaining.

ordeal (n.)

Old English ordel, ordal, "trial by physical test," literally "judgment, verdict," from Proto-Germanic noun *uz-dailjam "a portioning out, judgment" (source also of Old Saxon urdeli, Old Frisian urdel, Dutch oordeel, German urteil "judgment"), literally "that which is dealt out" (by the gods), from *uzdailijan "to share out," related to Old English adælan "to deal out," from *uz‑ "out" + PIE *dail- "to divide," ‌‌Northern Indo-European extended form of root *da- "to divide." It is rare in Middle English, and perhaps the modern word is a 16c. reborrowing from Medieval Latin or French, both of which got it from Germanic.

The notion is of the kind of arduous physical test (such as walking blindfolded and barefoot between red-hot plowshares) that was believed to determine a person's guilt or innocence by immediate judgment of the deity, an ancient Teutonic mode of trial. They were abolished in England in the reign of Henry III. English retains a more exact sense of the word; its cognates in German, etc., have been generalized as "judicial decision."

Metaphoric extension to "severe trial, test of courage or patience, anything which tests character or endurance" is attested from 1650s. The prefix or- survives in English only in this word, but was common in Old English and other Germanic languages (Gothic ur-, Old Norse or-, etc.) and originally was an adverb and preposition meaning "out."

order (n.)

c. 1200, "body of persons living under a religious discipline," from Old French ordre "position, estate; rule, regulation; religious order" (11c.), from earlier ordene, from Latin ordinem (nominative ordo) "row, line, rank; series, pattern, arrangement, routine," originally "a row of threads in a loom," from Proto-Italic *ordn- "row, order" (source also of ordiri "to begin to weave;" compare primordial), which is of uncertain origin. Watkins suggests it is a variant of PIE root *ar- "to fit together," and De Vaan finds this "semantically attractive."

The original English word reflects a medieval notion: "a system of parts subject to certain uniform, established ranks or proportions," and was used of everything from architecture to angels. Old English expressed many of the same ideas with endebyrdnes. From the notion of "formal disposition or array, methodical or harmonious arrangement" comes the meaning "fit or consistent collocation of parts" (late 14c.).

Meaning "a rank in the (secular) community" is first recorded c. 1300. Sense of "a regular sequence or succession" is from late 14c. The meaning "command, directive" is first recorded 1540s, from the notion of "that which keep things in order." Military and honorary orders grew out of the fraternities of Crusader knights.

The business and commerce sense of "a written direction to pay money or deliver property" is attested by 1837; as "a request for food or drink in a restaurant" from 1836. In natural history, as a classification of living things next below class and next above family, it is recorded from 1760. Meaning "condition of a community which is under the rule of law" is from late 15c.

In order "in proper sequence or arrangement" is from c. 1400; out of order "not in proper sequence or orderly arrangement" is from 1540s; since 20c. principally mechanical, but not originally so ("and so home, and there find my wife mightily out of order, and reproaching of Mrs. Pierce and Knipp as wenches, and I know not what," - Pepys, diary, Aug. 6, 1666).

Phrase in order to "for the purpose of" (1650s) preserves etymological notion of "sequence." In short order "without delay" is from 1834, American English; order of battle "arrangement and disposition of an army or fleet for the purposes of engagement" is from 1769. The scientific/mathematical order of magnitude is attested from 1723.

order (v.)

c. 1200, ordren, "give order to, to arrange in a row or rank," from order (n.). Sense of "set or keep in order" is from c. 1500. Meaning "to give commands for or to, instruct authoritatively" is from 1540s; that of "command to be made, done, or issued" is from 1763. Related: Ordered; ordering.

orderly (n.)

"military attendant who carries orders," 1781, short for orderly corporal, etc. Extended 1809 to an attendant at a hospital (originally a military hospital) charged with keeping things clean and in order, from orderly (adj.) in the military sense of "of or pertaining to communication or execution of orders" (1723).

orderly (adj.)

1570s, "arranged in order," from order (n.) + -ly (1). Meaning "observant of rule or discipline, not unruly" is from 1590s. Related: Orderliness.

orderly (adv.)

late 15c., "in due order, duly, properly," from order + -ly (2).

ordinal (n.)

early 14c., "book setting forth the order of services in the Church," from Late Latin adjective ordinalis (see ordinal (adj.)), which was used as a noun in Medieval Latin.

ordinate (v.)

1560s, "ordain, appoint authoritatively" (a sense now obsolete); 1590s, "direct, dispose," from Latin ordinatus, past participle of ordinare "arrange, set in order," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)). Related: Ordinated; ordinating.

ordinance (n.)

c. 1300, ordinaunce, "an authoritative direction, decree, or command" (narrower or more transitory than a law), from Old French ordenance (Modern French ordonnance) or directly from Medieval Latin ordinantia, from Latin ordinantem (nominative ordinans), present participle of ordinare "put in order," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)). By early 14c. senses had emerged of "arrangement in ranks or rows" (especially in order of battle), also "warlike provisions, equipment" (a sense now in ordnance).

ordinate (adj.)

late 14c., "regular, normal," of behavior, thoughts, etc., "properly directed, proper," from Latin ordinatus, past participle of ordinare "arrange, set in order," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)). Related: Ordinately.

ordinal (adj.)

c. 1400, "regular, ordinary; well-regulated, proper," from Old French ordinel and directly from Late Latin ordinalis "showing order, denoting an order of succession," from Latin ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, series" (see order (n.)). Meaning "marking the place or position of an object in an order or series" is from 1590s.

ordination (n.)

c. 1400, ordinacioun, "divine decree;" early 15c., "arrangement, putting in order," also "the act of admitting to holy orders or the Christian ministry" (the main surviving sense), from Old French ordinacion (12c.) or directly from Latin ordinationem (nominative ordinatio) "a setting in order, ordinance," noun of action from past participle stem of ordinare "to put in order, arrange, dispose, appoint," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)).

ordinary (adj.)

c. 1400, ordinarie, "regular, customary, belonging to the usual order or course, conformed to a regulated sequence or arrangement," from Old French ordinarie "ordinary, usual" and directly from Latin ordinarius "customary, regular, usual, orderly," from ordo (genitive ordinis) "row, rank, series, arrangement" (see order (n.)).

From 1580s as "common in occurrence, not distinguished in any way." Its various noun uses, dating to late 14c. and common until 19c., are now largely extinct except in out of the ordinary (1893) in which the sense of ordinary is "established or due sequence; something regular or customary." In British education, Ordinary level (abbrev. O level), "lowest of the three levels of General Certificate of Education," is attested from 1947. Related: Ordinarily.

ordnance (n.)

"cannon and great guns collectively, artillery," 1540s, an old, clipped form of ordinance (q.v.) which word was attested from late 14c. in the sense of "military materials, provisions of war;" a sense now obsolete but which led to the specialized meanings "engines for discharging missiles" (early 15c.) and "branch of the military concerned with stores and materials" (late 15c.). The shorter word was established in these distinct senses by 17c.

The Ordnance survey (1833), an official geographical survey of Great Britain and Ireland, was undertaken by the government under the direction of the Master-General of the Ordnance (the natural choice, gunners being thoroughly trained in surveying ranges and distances).

Ordovician (adj.)

in reference to the geological period following the Cambrian and preceding the Silurian, 1879, coined by English geologist Charles Lapworth (1842-1920) from Latin Ordovices, name of an ancient British tribe in North Wales. The period was so called because rocks from it first were studied extensively in the region around Bala in North Wales. The tribe's name is Celtic, literally "those who fight with hammers," from Celtic base *ordo "hammer" + PIE root *weik- (3) "to fight, conquer." The geological period at first was considered as either part of the Silurian or the Cambrian, and Lapworth's proposed name took time to win universal acceptance, not receiving international approval as an official period until 1960.

ordure (n.)

late 14c., "dung, excrement, feces; filth, dirt," from Old French ordure "filth, uncleanliness" (12c.), from ord, ort "filthy, dirty, foul," from Latin horridus "dreadful" (see horrid). Related: Ordurous.

oread (n.)

a mountain nymph," "1580s, from Latin Oreas (genitive Oreadis), from Greek Oreias "mountain nymph," from oros "mountain, height," also (in Egypt) "desert," in contrast to the cultivated plain, probably from PIE *heros- "elevation." Also see -ad. Attested in English from late 14c. in Latin plural form Oreades. An Old English word for a similar thing was dunælfa ("mountain elf").

oregano (n.)

flowering plant in the mint family, used for thousands of years in medicine and cookery, 1771, from Spanish or American Spanish oregano, from Latin origanus, origanum, from Greek oreiganon, from oros "mountain" (see oread) + ganos "brightness, ornament." In Europe, the dried leaves of wild marjoram; in southwestern America, the name is given to a different, and more pungent, shrub, also known as Mexican oregano.

A staple of Italian cooking, its modern American popularity is said to date to World War II; a 1957 food industry publication in the U.S. says of oregano, "Here is a spice that was unheard of in 99 out of 100 households just a few years ago." Its rise seems to coincide with the popularity of pizza. The older form of the word in English was the Latin-derived origanum (c. 1300), also origan (early 15c., from Old French). Late Old English had it as organe.

Oregon

1765 as the name of a large river in the west of North America, probably the modern Columbia; a word of uncertain and disputed origin. It seems to be of Algonquian origin. In the U.S. it came to be applied to the northwest generally. From 1848 as the name of a U.S. territory, admitted as a state 1859. The Oregon in Pennsylvania was named for the western territory. Related: Oregonian.

Oreo (n.)

type of cookie (made by Nabisco), 1912; the source of the name has been forgotten. As a derogatory word for "black person felt to have a 'white' mentality," 1968, African-American vernacular, from the snack cookies, which consist of dark chocolate wafers and white sugar cream filling (hence "brown outside, white inside"). Compare radish-communist (1920), one who proclaims enthusiasm for the Party but privately opposes it, on the notion of red outside, white inside.

ore rotundo (adv.)

1720, Latin, literally "with round mouth," from ablative of os "mouth" (see oral) + ablative of rotundus "round" (see rotund). From Horace ("Grais ingenium, Grais dedit ore rotundo Musa loqui," in "Ars Poetica").

Orestes

son of Agamemnon and Clytaemnestra, from Greek Orestes, literally "mountaineer," from oros "mountain" (see oread).

organ (n.)

fusion of late Old English organe, and Old French orgene (12c.), both meaning "musical instrument," both from Latin organa, plural of organum "a musical instrument," from Greek organon "implement, tool for making or doing; musical instrument; organ of sense, organ of the body," literally "that with which one works," from PIE *werg-ano-, from root *werg- "to do."

Applied vaguely in late Old English to musical instruments; by late 14c. the sense of the word (used in both singular and plural form) narrowed to the large, complicated musical instrument now known by that name (involving pipes sounded by means of compressed air supplied by a bellows and worked by means of keys), though Augustine (c. 400) knew this as a specific sense of Latin organa.

The biological meaning "body part of a human or animal adapted to a certain function" is attested from late 14c., from a Medieval Latin sense of Latin organum. From early 15c. as "a tool, an instrument." The broad, etymological sense of "that which performs some function" is attested in English from 1540s. By 1788 as "a medium, an instrument of communication." Organ-grinder, "strolling musician who 'grinds' music on a barrel-organ" is attested by 1803.

organic (adj.)

1510s, "serving as a means or instrument," from Latin organicus, from Greek organikos "of or pertaining to an organ, serving as instruments or engines," from organon "instrument" (see organ). The sense of "from or characteristic of organized living beings" (objects that have organs) is attested from 1778. The sense of "forming a whole with a systematic arrangement or coordination of parts" is by 1817. The meaning "free from pesticides and fertilizers" is attested by 1942. Organic chemistry is attested from 1831. Earlier was organical "relating to the body or its organs" (mid-15c.) and Middle English had organik, of body parts, "composed of distinct substances, possessing distinct properties" (c. 1400).

organism (n.)

1660s, "organic structure, organization" (a sense now rare or obsolete), from organize + -ism. Sense of "living animal or plant, body exhibiting organic life" is by 1842. Related: Organismic; organismal.

organization (n.)

early 15c., organisacioun, "structure of the body or its parts;" mid-15c., "act or process of organizing, the arranging of parts in an organic whole" from Medieval Latin organizationem (nominative organizatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of organizare, from Latin organum "instrument, organ" (see organ).

Sense of "that which is organized" is by 1707; especially "an organized body of persons" (1829). Meaning "system, establishment, constitution" is from 1873. Disparaging organization man, one who conforms his individuality to the organization he serves, is from the title of the 1956 book by American sociologist William H. Whyte (1917-1999). Related: Organizational.

organizer (n.)

"one who organizes," 1795, agent noun from organize.

organize (v.)

early 15c., organisen, "to construct, establish," from Old French organiser and directly from Medieval Latin organizare, from Latin organum "instrument, organ" (see organ). Meaning "to form into a whole consisting of interdependent parts" is from 1630s. The intransitive sense of "assume an organic structure" is by 1880. Related: Organized; organizing; organizable.

organically (adv.)

1680s in reference to bodily organs, "in an organic manner;" 1862 in reference to living beings; 1841 as "as part of an organized whole;" from organic. From 1971 as "without the use of pesticides, etc."

organized (adj.)

1590s, "furnished with organs," past-participle adjective from organize (v.). Meaning "forming a whole of interdependent parts" is from 1817. Organized crime is attested from 1849.

organdy (n.)

also organdie, "fine, transparent muslin used for women's dresses," 1829, from French organdi, defined as "sorte de Mousseline ou toile de coton" (1725), of unknown origin. Barnhart suggests it is an alteration of Organzi, from the medieval form of Urgench, a city in Uzbekistan that was a cotton textile center.

organelle (n.)

"small specialized structure within a cell," 1910, from Modern Latin organella (1909), a diminutive from Latin organum "instrument," in Medieval Latin "organ of the body" (see organ).

organisation (n.)

chiefly British English spelling of organization. For spelling, see -ize. Related: Organisational.

organiser (n.)

chiefly British English spelling of organizer (q.v.); for spelling, see -ize.

organist (n.)

"one who plays on an organ," especially a pipe organ, 1590s, from organ in the musical sense + -ist, or from or influenced by French organiste, from Medieval Latin organista "one who plays an organ," from Latin organum. In 19c. churches often an official person charged with managing the music of the service. Organer is attested from c. 1300 as a surname.

organza (n.)

"thin, stiff, transparent dress fabric," 1820, from French organsin (1660s), and Italian organzino, a strong kind of silk thread, a word of unknown origin; perhaps from the same source as organdy.

orgasm (v.)

1973, originally and usually in reference to a woman's sexual climax, from orgasm (n.). Related: Orgasmed; orgasming.

orgasm (n.)

1680s, "sexual climax, the acme of venereal excitement," from French orgasme or Modern Latin orgasmus, from Greek orgasmos "excitement, swelling," from organ "be in heat, become ripe for," literally "to swell, be excited," related to orge "impulse, excitement, anger," from PIE root *wrog- "to burgeon, swell with strength" (source also of Sanskrit urja "a nourishment, sap, vigor," Old Irish ferc, ferg "anger"). Also used 17c. of other violent excitements of emotion or other bodily functions; broader sense of "immoderate excitement or action" is from 1763.

orgasmic (adj.)

1935, "of or pertaining to sexual orgasm," from orgasm (n.) + -ic. Orgastic "characterized by or exhibiting orgasm" is attested by 1834.

orgy (n.)

1560s, orgies (plural) "secret rites or ceremonies in the worship of certain Greek and Roman gods," especially Dionysus, from French orgies (c. 1500, from Latin orgia), and directly from Greek orgia (plural) "secret rites," especially those of Bacchus. This is traditionally considered a derivative of the root of ergon "work, activity" (from PIE root *werg- "to do"), but perhaps it is a foreign word. The singular was rare in Latin and Greek; in English, orgy was first used 1660s, in the extended sense of "any licentious revelry, a wild carousal." OED says of the ancient rites that they were "celebrated with extravagant dancing, singing, drinking, etc.," which gives "etc." quite a workout.

orgiastic (adj.)

"pertaining to or characteristic of the mystic festivals of ancient Greece; characterized by wild revelry, frantically enthusiastic," 1690s, from Latinized form of Greek orgiastikos "fit for orgies, exciting," from orgiastes "one who celebrates orgies," from orgiazein "to celebrate orgies," from orgia "secret religous rites or customs" (see orgy).

-ory

adjective and noun suffix, "having to do with, characterized by, tending to, place for," from Middle English -orie, from Old North French -ory, -orie (Old French -oir, -oire), from Latin -orius, -oria, -orium.

Latin adjectives in -orius, according to "An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language," tended to "indicate a quality proper to the action accomplished by the agent; as oratorius from orator; laudatorius from laudator. The neuter of these adjectives was early employed as a substantive, and usually denoted the place of residence of the agent or the instrument that he uses; as praetorium from praetor; dormitorium from dormitor; auditorium, dolatorium.

"These newer words, already frequent under the Empire, became exceedingly numerous at a later time, especially in ecclesiastical and scholastic Latin; as purgatorium, refectorium, laboratorium, observatorium, &c." [transl. G.W. Kitchin, Oxford, 1878]

oriel (n.)

mid-13c, "a portico or small room forming a projection, a room or building in the form of a large bay window;" mid-14c., "large recessed window, a bay window," from Old French oriol "hall, vestibule; oriel," and Medieval Latin oriolum "porch, small room, gallery," which are perhaps from Vulgar Latin *auraeolum, a dissimilation of aulaeolum, a diminutive of Latin aulaeum "curtain." "Although much research has been expended upon the history of this word, and especially upon the development of the current use in oriel window, the sense history remains in many points obscure and perplexed" [OED].

orient (v.)

by 1741, "to arrange (something) so as to face east," from French s'orienter "to take one's bearings," literally "to face the east" (also the source of German orientierung), from Old French orient "east," from Latin orientum (see orient (n.)). Extended meaning "place or arrange in any definite position with reference to the points of the compass" is by 1842; the figurative sense, with reference to new situations or ideas, is by 1850. Related: Oriented; orienting.

orientate (v.)

1849, "to turn or cause to turn toward the east," a back-formation from orientation. Intransitive sense of "assume an easterly direction" is by 1850. Figurative meaning "take one's proper bearings mentally" is by 1866. Related: Orientated; orientating.

orientation (n.)

1839, "arrangement (of a building, etc.) to face east or any other specified direction," noun of action from orient (v.). Meaning "process of determining the points of the compass is by 1868, hence the extended sense of "action of determining one's mental bearings," with reference to new ideas, etc. (1870). Meaning "introduction to a situation" is from 1942. Sense of "the position or arrangement (of something) relative to the points of the compass" is from 1875. Related: Orientational.

oriented (adj.)

"having a specified orientation," 1918, past-participle adjective from orient (v.)

orient (n.)

late 14c., "the direction east; the part of the horizon where the sun first appears," also (now with capital O-) "the eastern regions of the world, eastern countries" (originally vaguely meaning the region east and south of Europe, what is now called the Middle East but also sometimes Egypt and India), from Old French orient "east" (11c.), from Latin orientem (nominative oriens) "the rising sun, the east, part of the sky where the sun rises," originally "rising" (adj.), present participle of oriri "to rise" (see origin).

Meaning "a pearl of the first water" is by 1831, short for pearl of the Orient (late 14c.) originally meaning one from the Indian seas. Hence also the meaning "a delicate iridescence, the peculiar luster of a fine pearl" (1755). The Orient Express was a train that ran from Paris to Istanbul via Vienna 1883-1961, from the start it was associated with espionage and intrigue.

Orientalism (n.)

in reference to character, style, trait, or idiom felt to be from the Oriental nations, 1769, from oriental + -ism. In the sense of "the West's patronizing representations of societies and peoples of Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East" it was popularized in the 1978 book of that name by Palestinian intellectual Edward W. Said. Related: Orientalist.

orienteering (n.)

in reference to the competitive sport of finding one's way in the wild with the aid of a map and a compass, 1948, from orient (v.).

oriental (adj.)

late 14c., "of the orient; from the east," from Old French oriental "eastern, from the east" (12c.) and directly from Latin orientalis "of or belonging to the east," from orientem (see orient (n.)). Originally in reference to the sky, geographical sense, often with a capital O-, is attested from late 15c.; oriental carpet is recorded by 1828. Of gems or stones, "of superior quality," late 14c.

Oriental (n.)

"native or inhabitant of the east," 1701, from oriental (adj.). Probably a new use; Middle English had Oriental "a native of the Orient" (late 15c.), also "a resident of the eastern parts of England" (mid-15c.).

orifice (n.)

"an opening, a mouth or aperture," early 15c., from Old French orifice "the opening of a wound" (14c.) and directly from Late Latin orificium "an opening," literally "mouth-making," from Latin os (genitive oris) "mouth" (see oral) + combining form of facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Related: Orificial.

oriflamme (n.)

sacred banner of St. Denis, mid-15c., oriflamble, from Old French orie flambe, from Latin aurea flamma "golden flame." The ancient battle standard of the kings of France, it was supposed to have been of red or orange-red silk, with two or three points, and was given to the kings by the abbot of St. Denis on setting out to war. Cotgrave says it was "borne at first onely in warres made against Infidells; but afterwards vsed in all other warres; and at length vtterly lost in a battell against the Flemings." It is last mentioned in an abbey inventory of 1534.

origami (n.)

Japanese art of folding paper into intricate designs, 1956, from Japanese origami, from ori "fold" + kami "paper."

original (adj.)

early 14c., "first in time, earliest," from Old French original "first" (13c.) and directly from Latin originalis, from originem (nominative origo) "beginning, source, birth," from oriri "to rise" (see origin). The first reference is to sin, synne original, "innate depravity of man's nature," supposed to be inherited from Adam in consequence of the Fall (the modern word order original sin is from 15c.). Also from late 14c., "pertaining to or characteristic of the first stage of anything. Meaning "produced directly by an author, artist, etc." is from 1630s; that of "fresh, novel, new, striking" is by 1782. Related: Originally.