Etymology dictionary

Platonism (n.) — PLO

Platonism (n.)

"the doctrines, opinions, or philosophy of Plato or of the Academic school," 1560s, from Plato (Greek Platōn; see Platonic) + -ism.

1530s, "of or pertaining to Greek philosopher Plato" (429 B.C.E.-c. 347 B.C.E.), from Latin Platonicus, from Greek Platōnikos. The name is Greek Platōn, a nickname in reference to his broad shoulders (from platys "broad;" from PIE root *plat- "to spread"); his original name was Aristocles, son of Ariston.

The meaning "free of sensual desire" (1630s, in Platonic love "pure spiritual affection unmixed with sexual desire," translating Latin Amor platonicus) which the word usually carries nowadays, is a Renaissance notion; it is based on Plato's writings in "Symposium" about the kind of interest Socrates took in young men and originally had no reference to women. Related: Platonically.

Platonist (n.)

"a follower of Plato or an adherent of his philosophy," 1540s, from Plato (Greek Platōn; see Platonic) + -ist.

platoon (n.)

1630s, "a small body of soldiers acting together but separate from the main body of troops," from French peloton "platoon, group of people," literally "little ball" (15c.), hence, "agglomeration," diminutive of Old French pelote "ball" (see pellet). Football sense of "group of players trained to act as a unit on the field" is by 1941.

platoon (v.)

in baseball, "to alternate (a player) with another in the same position," 1967, from platoon (n.), which had been used in team sports since 1941.

Plattdeutsch

"Low German dialect of northern Germany," 1814, from German, from Dutch platduits, literally "flat (or low) German," from plat "flat, plain, clear" + duits "German" (see Dutch). In contrast to the speech of the upland parts of Germany (High German).

platter (n.)

"large, shallow dish for holding eatables," late 13c., platere, from Anglo-French plater, Old French plate "metal plate" (see plate (n.)). Especially a large plate on which meat is placed to be carved.

platypus (n.)

"Australian duck-mole," 1799, from Modern Latin, from Greek platypous, literally "flat-footed," from platys "broad, flat" (from PIE root *plat- "to spread") + pous "foot," from PIE root *ped- "foot." Originally the genus name, but entomologists had given it earlier to a genus of beetles; it was retained for the species after the genus name was changed in 1800 to Ornithorhyncus. OED has Australian platypussary (1945) "enclosure in which platypuses are kept."

plaudit (n.)

"expression or round of applause, praise bestowed with audible demonstrations," 1620s, short for plaudite "an actor's request for applause" (1560s), from Latin plaudite! "applaud!" second person plural present imperative of plaudere "to clap, strike, beat; applaud, clap the hands; approve," a word of unknown origin (also in applaud, explode). This was the customary appeal for applause that Roman actors made at the end of a play. In English, the -e went silent then was dropped. Related: Plauditor; plauditory.

plausible (adj.)

1540s, "acceptable, agreeable; deserving applause or approval" (senses now obsolete), from Latin plausibilis "praiseworthy, pleasing, acceptable," from plaus-, past-participle stem of plaudere "to applaud" (see plaudit). Meaning "having the appearance of truth, apparently right, seemingly worthy of acceptance or approval" is recorded from 1560s; especially "having a specious or superficial appearance of trustworthiness." Related: Plausibly.

The expression plausible deniability emerged during the Watergate scandal (1973) but is said to be from CIA jargon in the 1950s (Allen Dulles sometimes is credited with the first public use); the thing itself is older: "the situation that allows senior officials or powers to deny responsibility for discreditable actions by others in their hierarchy because no one can confirm the deniers knew of the actions."

plausibility (n.)

1590s, "quality of being worthy of praise or acceptance," from plausible + -ity. Especially "a specious or superficial appearance of being right or worthy of acceptance" (by 1640s).

plausive (adj.)

"expressing approval by or as by applause," c. 1600, from Latin plaus-, past-participle stem of plaudere "to applaud" (see plaudit) + -ive.

playful (adj.)

"lighthearted, full of play, frolicsome, frisky," early 13c., pleiful, from play (n.) + -ful. Related: Playfully; playfulness.

playable (adj.)

late 15c., plaiabil, "playful, sportive," from play (v.) + -able. Original sense is obsolete; the meaning "capable of being played" in various senses is from 1860. Related: Playability.

playback (n.)

"reproduction of a recording," 1929, from the verbal phrase; see play (v.) + back (adv.).

play-bill (n.)

also playbill, 1670s, "placard displayed as an advertisement of a play," giving more or less information about it, from play (n.) in the theatrical sense + bill (n.1).

playboy (n.)

1829, "wealthy bon vivant," from play (v.) + boy. As the name of a U.S.-based magazine for men, from December 1953. Earlier (1620s), play-boy meant "schoolboy actor." Fem. equivalent playgirl is recorded by 1934.

playbook (n.)

also play-book, 1530s, "book of stage plays," from play (n.) + book (n.). From 1690s as "book containing material for amusement," especially "a picture book for children." Meaning "book of football plays" recorded from 1965.

play-day (n.)

"day given to pastime or diversion, a day exempt from work," c. 1600, from play (v.) + day.

play-dough (n.)

"children's modelling clay," 1959, from play + dough.

player (n.)

Middle English pleiere, from Old English plegere "one who takes part in pastimes or amusements," an agent noun from play (v.). The stage senses of "performer of plays, professional actor," also "one who performs on a musical instrument" are from c. 1400. The meaning "contestant in field or martial games" is from early 15c.; of table games, late 14c. As a pimp's word for himself (also playa), it is attested from 1974 (the sexual senses of play (v.) go back to 13c.). Player-piano is attested from 1901.

playfellow (n.)

also play-fellow, "companion in amusements or sports," 1510s, from play (n.) + fellow (n.).

playground (n.)

"piece of ground set aside for open-air recreation," especially as connected with a school, 1780; see play (v.) + ground (n.). Old English had plegstow, plaeg-stede, "village sports ground, gymnasium," literally "place for play."

playhouse (n.)

"theater, house appropriated to dramatic performances," late Old English pleghus; see play (n.) + house (n.).

play-list (n.)

also playlist, 1975, "list of recordings to be played on the air by a radio station," from play (v.) + list (n.1).

playmate (n.)

1640s, "companion in play or amusement, playfellow," from play (v.) + mate (n.). The sexual sense is from 1954 and the launch of "Playboy" magazine. The earlier word was Middle English playfere (also playfeer, playpheer) with obsolete fere "companion."

play-pen (n.)

also playpen, "enclosure in which a young child may play," 1916, from play + pen (n.2).

plaything (n.)

"a toy, anything that serves to amuse," 1670s, from play (v.) + thing.

play-time (n.)

also playtime, 1660s in the recreational sense, from play (n.) + time (n.).

playwright (n.)

"writer or adapter of plays for the stage," 1680s (Ben Jonson used it 1610s as a mock-name), from play (n.) + wright (n.).

plaza (n.)

"public square or open space surrounded by houses," originally in a Spanish or Spanish-American town or city, 1830, from Spanish plaza "square, place," from Vulgar Latin *plattia, from Latin platea "courtyard, broad street" (from PIE root *plat- "to spread").

plea (n.)

early 13c., ple, "lawsuit, legal conflict," also "strife, contention, complaint," from Anglo-French plai (late 12c.), Old French plait "lawsuit, decision, decree" (9c.), from Medieval Latin placitum, plactum "lawsuit," in classical Latin, "opinion, decree," literally "that which pleases, thing which is agreed upon," properly neuter past participle of placere "to please, give pleasure, be approved" (see please).

The sense development seems to have been from "something pleasant," to "something that pleases both sides," to "something that has been decided." Meaning "an entreaty, a pleading, an argument in a suit" is attested from late 14c. Plea-bargaining is attested by 1963. Common pleas (early 13c.) originally were legal proceedings over which the Crown did not claim exclusive jurisdiction (as distinct from pleas of the Crown "public prosecution in criminal cases"); later "actions brought by one subject against another."

pleading (n.)

mid-14c., "debate, dispute;" late 14c., "litigation, the carrying on of a suit at court," verbal noun from plead (v.). Meaning "supplication, intercession" is from early 15c.

plead (v.)

mid-13c., pleden, "make a plea in court," from Anglo-French pleder, Old French plaidier, "plead at court" (11c.), from Medieval Latin placitare, from Late Latin placitum "lawsuit," in classical Latin, "opinion, decree," literally "that which pleases, thing which is agreed upon," properly neuter past participle of placere "to please, give pleasure, be approved" (see please).

From mid-14c. as "advance (something) as evidence, cite (something) in support of an action or in response to a complaint." Sense of "request, beg" is recorded from c. 1400. Related: Pleaded; pleading; pleadingly.

please (v.)

c. 1300, plesen, "to please or satisfy (a deity), propitiate, appease," from Old French plaisir "to please, give pleasure to, satisfy" (11c., Modern French plaire, the form of which is perhaps due to analogy of faire), from Latin placere "to be acceptable, be liked, be approved," related to placare "to soothe, quiet" (source of Spanish placer, Italian piacere), from PIE *pl(e)hk- "to agree, be pleasant," with cognates in Tocharian plak- "to agree," plaki "permission."

By mid-14c. as "satisfy (a person), be agreeable to, be satisfactory or acceptable; to be satisfied." Meaning "to delight, attract (someone), amuse, entertain, excite agreeable sensations in" in English is from late 14c. Inverted use for "to be pleased, be satisfied" parallels the evolution of like (v.).

Impersonal constructions with it, followed by an object and originally dative are common from mid-14c. Intransitive sense of "to like, choose, think fit" (do as you please) is recorded from c. 1500; imperative use (please do this), is recorded from 1620s (as please to), was probably a shortening of if it please (you) (late 14c.).

Verbs for "please" supply the stereotype polite word ("Please come in," short for may it please you to ...) in many languages (French, Italian), "But more widespread is the use of the first singular of a verb for 'ask, request' " [Buck, who cites German bitte, Polish proszę, etc.]. Spanish favor is short for hace el favor "do the favor." Danish has in this sense vær saa god, literally "be so good."

pleased (adj.)

mid-14c., plesed, "gratified, delighted, charmed;" late 14c., "satisfied, contented," past-participle adjective from please (v.). Related: Pleasedly.

pleasing (adj.)

late 14c., plesing, "acceptable, giving satisfaction; attractive, giving pleasure," present-participle adjective from please (v.). Related: Pleasingly.

pleasance (n.)

mid-14c., plesaunce, "the gratification or propitiation of God or some other deity;" late 14c., "satisfaction, enjoyment, delight; moral, spiritual, or intellectual satisfaction," from Old French plaisance "pleasure, delight, enjoyment," from plaisant "pleasant, pleasing, agreeable" (see pleasant).

pleasant (adj.)

late 14c., plesaunte (early 14c. as a surname), "pleasing or acceptable to God;" also "agreeable, desirable; delightful, delicious; satisfying to the mind or senses;" of persons, "charming, gracious," from Old French plaisant "pleasant, pleasing, agreeable" (12c.), present participle of plaisir "to please, give pleasure to, satisfy," from Latin placere "to be acceptable, be liked, be approved" (see please). Pleasantry has the word's modern French sense of "funny, jocular, witty." Related: Pleasantly. Pleasantness "pleasing or agreeable character or quality" is attested from 1520s.

pleasantry (n.)

1650s, "sprightly humor in conversation, witticism, raillery," from French plaisanterie "joke, jest; joking, jesting," from plaisant "pleasant, pleasing, agreeable" (see pleasant). From 1701 as "a sprightly or humorous saying." Related: Pleasantries.

pleaser (n.)

"one who seeks to please," mid-15c., plesere, agent noun from please (v.).

pleasurable (adj.)

1570s, "giving or capable of giving pleasure," from pleasure (n.) + -able. Related: Pleasurability; pleasurably; pleasurableness. For sense, compare comfortable. The meaning "capable of receiving pleasure" has been rare. Middle English had plesable "capable of pleasing."

pleasure (v.)

1530s, "to take pleasure in;" 1550s as "give pleasure to," from pleasure (n.). Sexual sense by 1610s. Related: Pleasured; pleasuring.

pleasure (n.)

late 14c., plesire, "source of enjoyment, pleasing quality or thing, that which pleases or gratifies the senses or the mind," from Old French plesir, also plaisir "enjoyment, delight, desire, will" (12c.), from noun use of infinitive plaisir (v.) "to please," from Latin placere "to please, give pleasure, be approved" (see please (v.)).

Also from late 14c. as "discretion, will, desire, preference," as in at (one's) pleasure "when one wishes." From mid-15c. as "gratification; feeling of enjoyment, liking." The meaning "sensual gratification" is from early 15c. That of "indulgence of the appetites as the chief object of life" is attested from 1520s. The ending was altered in Middle English by influence of words in -ure (measure, etc.).

pleasureless (adj.)

"devoid of pleasure, without enjoyment or satisfaction," 1814, from pleasure (n.) + -less.

pleasure-seeker (n.)

"one who seeks pleasure," 1825, from pleasure (n.) + agent noun from seek.

pleat (n.)

"a fold," 1580s, variant of plait (n.). With a gap in the printed record 17c.-18c., but according to OED probably it was in continuous oral use. Compare the verb.

pleat (v.)

"to fold or gather in pleats," 1560s, used as the verb version of plait (n.) and probably representing an alternative pronunciation. Related: Pleated; pleating.

pleather (n.)

"artificial or synthetic leather as a material in clothing, upholstery, etc.," by 1991, from plastic + leather.

pleb (n.)

"one of the common people, a low-born person," 1856 as a colloquial shortening of plebeian in the ancient Roman sense. West Point sense attested by 1851 (see plebe). Related: Plebbish.

plebe (n.)

also pleb, "member of the lowest class at a U.S. military academy," 1833, probably a shortened form of plebeian "one of the lower class," which in Latin had also the short form plebs or plebes.

plebeian (adj.)

"of or characteristic of the lower class or the common people," 1560s in a Roman historical sense, from Latin plebeius "belonging to the plebs," earlier plebes, "the populace, the common people" (as opposed to patricians, etc.), also "commonality; the mass, the multitude; the lower class" (from PIE *ple-, from root *pele- (1) "to fill"). In general (non-historical) use from 1580s.

plebeian (n.)

"member of the lowest class or the common people," 1530s, from Latin plebius "person not of noble rank," from adjective meaning "of the common people" (see plebeian (adj.)).

plebiscite (n.)

"direct vote of the people, an expression of the will or pleasure of the whole people in regard to some matter already decided upon," 1852 (originally in English in reference to France), from French plébiscite (1776 in modern sense, originally with reference to Switzerland), from Latin plebiscitum "a decree or resolution of the people," from plebs (genitive plebis) "the common people" (see plebeian (adj.)) + scitum "decree," noun use of neuter past participle of sciscere "to assent, vote for, approve," inchoative of scire "to know" (see science). Used earlier (1530s) in a purely historical context, "law enacted in ancient Rome by the lower rank of citizens, meeting in assembly under the presidency of a plebeian magistrate." The word was attested earlier in a purely classical context. Related: Plebiscitary.

plectrum (n.)

small instrument used to pluck the strings of a lyre or other stringed musical instrument, late 14c., from Latin plectrum (plural plectra), from Greek plēktron "thing to strike with" (pick for a lyre, cock's spur, spear point, etc.), from plēk-, root of plēssein "to strike" (from PIE root *plak- (2) "to strike").

pled

alternative past tense and past participle of plead (v.). Whether pled is an allowable alternative form or an American/Scottish barbarism is much disputed (especially among attorneys). No prize for guessing which side the English take.

pledge (n.)

mid-14c., plegge, "surety, bail," from Old French plege (Modern French pleige) "hostage, security, bail," also Anglo-Latin plegium, both probably from Frankish *plegan "to guarantee," from *pleg-, a West Germanic root meaning "have responsibility for" (source also of Old Saxon plegan "vouch for," Middle Dutch plien "to answer for, guarantee," Old High German pflegan "to care for, be accustomed to," Old English pleon "to risk the loss of, expose to danger"), from PIE root *dlegh- "to engage oneself, be or become fixed" [Watkins].

From late 14c. as "person who goes surety or gives bail for another;" late 15c. (Caxton) as "personal property given as surety for a debt or engagement. By 1520s as "a token or sign of favor, agreement, etc.

Meaning "allegiance vow attested by drinking with another" is from 1630s. Sense of "solemn promise, one's word given or considered as security for the performance (or refraining from) an act" is recorded by 1814, though this notion is from 16c. in the verb. Weekley notes the "curious contradiction" in pledge (v.) "to toast with a drink" (1540s) and pledge (n.) "the vow to abstain from drinking" (1833). Meaning "student who has agreed to join a fraternity or sorority" dates from 1901.

pledge (v.)

c. 1400, pleggen, "to promise" (something to someone), "to give (something) over as security for repayment," also "promise faith to," from pledge (n.) and from Old French plegier, from plege (n.). From mid-15c. as "to stand surety for, be responsible for;" late 15c. as "to mortgage." The transitive meaning "put (someone) under oath" is from 1570s; sense of "to solemnly promise or guarantee" is from 1590s, as is the sense of "to drink a toast." Related: Pledged; pledging.

Pleiades (n.)

late 14c., Pliades, "visible open star cluster in the constellation Taurus," in Greek mythology they represent the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione, transformed by Zeus into seven stars. From Latin Pleiades, from Greek Pleiades (singular Plēias), perhaps literally "constellation of the doves" from a shortened form of peleiades, plural of peleias "dove" (from PIE root *pel- "dark-colored, gray"). Or perhaps from plein "to sail," because the season of navigation begins with their heliacal rising.

Old English had the name from Latin as Pliade. The star cluster is mentioned by Hesiod (pre-700 B.C.E.); only six now are visible to most people; on a clear night a good eye can see nine (in 1579, well before the invention of the telescope, the German astronomer Michael Moestlin (1550-1631) correctly drew 11 Pleiades stars); telescopes reveal at least 500. Hence French pleiade, used for a meeting or grouping of seven persons.

plein-air (adj.)

1894, from French phrase en plein air, literally "in the open air." The style developed among French impressionists c. 1870.

pleio-

also pleo-, word-forming element meaning "more," from Greek pleiōn "larger, greater in quantity, the more part, very many" (comparative of polys "much"), from PIE *ple- (source also of Latin plere "to fill," plebes, "the populace, the common people;" Greek plēthein "be full," plērēs "full"), possibly a variant of root *pele- (1) "to fill."

pleiotropy (n.)

"production by a single gene of two or more apparently unrelated effects," 1921, from German pleiotrop (1910), from Greek pleiōn "greater in quantity, the more part, very many" (see pleio-) + trope "a turn, turning" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn"). Related: Pleiotropic; pleiotropism.

Pleistocene (adj.)

a name given by geologists to the lower division of the Quaternary, now reckoned as from about 2.6 million years ago and essentially "pertaining to the glacial period," 1839, coined by Lyell from Greek pleistos "most" (superlative of polys "much;" see pleio-) + -cene "recent."

pleistodox (adj.)

"holding the opinion of the majority," 1814 (Coleridge), from Greek pleistos "most," from pleiōn "the more part, very man" (see pleio-) + doxa "opinion, praise" (from dokein "to seem," from PIE root *dek- "to take, accept").

*plek-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to plait." It is an extended form of root *pel- (2) "to fold."

It forms all or part of: accomplice; application; apply; complex; complexion; complicate; complication; complicity; deploy; display; duplex; duplicate; duplicity; employ; explicate; explicit; exploit; flax; implex; implicate; implication; implicit; imply; multiply; perplex; perplexity; plait; plash (v.2) "to interlace;" pleat; -plex; plexus; pliable; pliant; plie; plight (n.1) "condition or state;" ply (v.1) "work with, use;" ply (v.2) "to bend; ply (n.) "a layer, fold;" replica; replicate; replication; reply; simplex; splay; triplicate.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit prasna- "turban;" Greek plekein "to plait, braid, wind, twine," plektos "twisted;" Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist," plectere (past participle plexus) "to plait, braid, intertwine;" Old Church Slavonic plesti "to braid, plait, twist," Russian plesti; Gothic flahta "braid;" Old Norse fletta, Old High German flehtan "to plait;" Old English fleax "cloth made with flax, linen."

plenary (adj.)

early 15c., plenarie, "full, complete," earlier plenar (mid-13c.), from Old French plenier and directly from Medieval Latin plenarius "entire, complete," from Latin plenus "full, filled, greatly crowded; stout, pregnant; abundant, abounding; complete," from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill." Of an assembly, "fully attended," 1530s. Meaning "having full power" is from 1861. Related: Plenarily.

plenipotentiary (adj.)

"invested with, having, or bestowing full power," 1640s, from French plénipotentiaire and directly from Medieval Latin plenipotentiarius "having full power," from Late Latin plenipotens, from Latin plenus "complete, full" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill") + potentem "powerful" (see potent). As a noun from 1650s, "person invested with full powers to transact any business," especially with reference to an ambassador to a foreign court or government, given full power to negotiate a treaty or transact other business.

plenitude (n.)

early 15c., "fullness, completeness, perfection," from Old French plenitude and directly from Latin plenitudinem (nominative plenitudo) "abundance, completeness, fullness," from plenus "full, filled, greatly crowded; stout, pregnant; abundant, abounding; complete," from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill." Related: Plenitudinary.

plenteous (adj.)

c. 1300, plenteivous, "fertile, fruitful, prolific," from Old French plentivos, plentiveus "fertile, rich" (early 13c.), from plentif "abundant," from plentee "abundance" (see plenty). From late 14c. as "abundant, plentiful, copious." Modern form by late 14c. Related: Plenteously; plenteousness.

plentiful (adj.)

c. 1400, plenteful, "abundant, existing in great plenty," from plenty + -ful. Related: Plentifully; plentifulness.

plenty (n.)

mid-13c., "abundance; as much as one could desire; an ample supply," from Old French plentee, earlier plentet "abundance, profusion" (12c., Modern French dialectal plenté), from Latin plenitatem (nominative plenitas) "fullness," from plenus "full, filled, greatly crowded; stout, pregnant; abundant, abounding; complete," from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill."

From early 14c. as "a large amount, a great deal." The meaning "condition of general abundance" is from late 14c. The colloquial adverb meaning "very much" is first attested 1842. Middle English had parallel formation plenteth, from the older Old French form of the word.

plentitude (n.)

1610s, erroneous form of plenitude, probably by influence of plenty, etc.

plenum (n.)

1670s, "filled space, the fullness of matter in space" (opposite of vacuum), from Latin plenum (spatium) "full (space)," neuter of adjective plenus "full, filled, greatly crowded; stout, pregnant; abundant, abounding; complete," from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill." Used to denote fullness in general, hence the meaning "of a full assembly of legislators" is recorded by 1772.

pleo-

see pleio-.

pleomorphic (adj.)

"having more than one form," 1886, from pleo- "more" + -morphy "form, shape," from Greek morphē "form," a word of uncertain etymology. Pleomorphous is by 1854. Related: Pleomorphism.

pleonasm (n.)

"redundancy in words," 1580s, from Late Latin pleonasmus, from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein "to be more than enough, to be superfluous," in grammatical use, "to add superfluously," from combining form of pleon "more" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill"). Not necessarily a flaw in rhetoric and sometimes used effectively for emphasis. As Fowler writes, "The writer who uses [pleonasm] in that way must be judged by whether he does produce his effect & whether the occasion is worthy of it."

pleonastic (adj.)

"characterized by pleonasm, redundant in language, using more words than are necessary to express an idea," 1778, with -ic + Greek pleonastos "abundant," from pleonazein (see pleonasm). Related: Pleonastical (1650s).

plesiosaurus (n.)

extinct gigantic long-necked marine reptile, 1825, from Modern Latin Pleisiosaurus (1821), coined by English paleontologist William Daniel Conybeare (1787-1857) from Greek plēsios "near" (related to pelas "near, nearby," and probably from PIE *pelh- "to approach") + sauros "lizard" (see -saurus). It was one of the earliest "antediluvian" reptile fossils discovered in the scientific age and was so called for being more like a modern lizard than the ichthyosaur fossils that had been found a few years earlier in the same rock in England.

plethora (n.)

1540s, a medical word for "excess of body fluid, overfullness of blood," from Late Latin plethora, from Greek plēthōrē "fullness," from plēthein "be full" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill"). Figurative meaning "too-muchness, overfullness" in any respect is recorded by 1700. Related: Plethoric.

*pleu-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to flow."

It forms all or part of: fletcher; fledge; flee; fleet (adj.) "swift;" fleet (n.) "group of ships under one command;" fleet (v.) "to float, drift; flow, run;" fleeting; flight (n.1) "act of flying;" flight (n.2) "act of fleeing;" flit; float; flood; flotsam; flotilla; flow; flue; flugelhorn; fluster; flutter; fly (v.1) "move through the air with wings;" fly (n.) "winged insect;" fowl; plover; Pluto; plutocracy; pluvial; pneumo-; pneumonia; pneumonic; pulmonary.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit plavate "navigates, swims;" Greek plynein "to wash," plein "to navigate," ploein "to float, swim," plotos "floating, navigable," pyelos "trough, basin;" Latin plovere "to rain," pluvius "rainy;" Armenian luanam "I wash;" Old English flowan "to flow;" Old Church Slavonic plovo "to flow, navigate;" Lithuanian pilu, pilti "to pour out," plauju, plauti "to swim, rinse."

pleura (n.)

"sereus membrane lining the chest cavity," early 15c., from medical Latin, from Greek pleuron "a rib," in plural, pleura, "the ribs, side of the body," also "flank of an army, page of a book," a word of unknown origin.

pleural (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the pleura," 1835, from pleura + -al (1). Alternative pleuric is attested from 1825.

pleurisy (n.)

"inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs," late 14c., pleoresi, from Old French pleurisie (13c., Modern French pleurésie) and directly from Late Latin pleurisis "pleurisy," alteration of Latin pleuritis "pain in the side," from Greek pleuritis, from pleura "side of the body, rib," a word of unknown origin. Spelling altered in Late Latin on model of Latin stem plur- "more" (as in Medieval Latin pluritas "multitude"), as if in reference to "excess of humors." Related: Pleuritic.

pleuro-

before vowels pleur-, word-forming element meaning "pertaining to the side; pertaining to the pleura," from Greek pleura "the side, the ribs" (see pleura).

-plex

word-forming element, from Latin -plex, from PIE root *plek- "to plait." De Vaan writes, "Probably, duplex was the archetype of this category of compounds."

Plexiglas (n.)

1935, proprietary name (Röhm & Haas) for a substance also sold as Perspex and Lucite. Often written incorrectly as plexiglass.

plexus (n.)

1680s, in anatomy, "an interlacing of nerves, vessels, or fibers," Modern Latin, literally "braid, network," noun use of past participle of Latin plectere "to twine, braid, fold," from suffixed form of PIE root *plek- "to plait." Original use in solar plexus "network of nerves in the abdomen" (see solar). General sense of "net-like arrangement of parts" is from 1760s. Related: Plexal.

pliable (adj.)

late 14c., "easy to be bent, readily yielding to force or pressure without rupture," from Old French ploiable "flexible, bendable," from plier "to bend," from Latin plicare "to fold, lay" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). The figurative sense of "flexible in disposition, readily yielding to influence or argument" is by late 15c. Related: Pliably, pliability.

pliant (adj.)

late 14c., pliaunt, "capable of being easily bent, flexible, supple," from Old French ploiant "bending, supple; compliant, fickle," as a noun, "turncoat" (13c.), present participle of ploier "to bend," from Latin plicare "to fold, lay" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). Figurative sense of "readily influenced (for good or ill), easily persuaded" is from c. 1400. Related: Pliancy.

plie (n.)

in ballet, 1892, from French plié, literally "bent," from plier "to bend," from Old French ploier "fold, pleat, layer" (12c.), verbal noun from ployer (later pleier) "to bend, to fold," from Latin plicare "to fold, lay" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). Compare ply (v.2).

pliers (n.)

"small pincers with long jaws adapted for holding small articles," 1560s, plural agent noun from ply (v.2). French cognate plieur meant "folder."

plier (n.)

"one who folds or plies," 1670s, agent noun from ply (v.).

plight (n.2)

mid-13c., "solemn pledge, promise," usually concerning a serious matter and involving risk or loss in default, from Old English pliht "danger, risk, peril, damage," from Proto-Germanic *pleg- (source also of Old Frisian plicht "danger, concern, care," Middle Dutch, Dutch plicht "obligation, duty," Old High German pfliht, German Pflicht "obligation, duty," which is perhaps from PIE root *dlegh- "to engage oneself, be or become fixed," or it might be a substratum word. Compare Old English plihtere "look-out man at the prow of a ship," plihtlic "perilous, dangerous."

plight (v.)

"to pledge, engage by solemn promise" (obsolete except in archaic plight one's troth), Middle English plighten, from Old English pligtan, plihtan "to endanger, imperil, compromise," verb form of pliht (n.) "danger, risk" (see plight (n.2)), from Proto-Germanic *plehti-, which ultimately is perhaps from PIE root *dlegh- "to engage oneself, be or become fixed," or else a substratum word. The notion is "to put (something -- honor, troth) in danger or risk of forfeiture;" it is rarely used of physical things. Related: Plighted; plighting.

plight (n.1)

late Old English pliht, "danger, harm, trouble; strife," from Anglo-French plit, pleit, Old French pleit, ploit "condition" (13c.), originally "way of folding," from Vulgar Latin *plictum, from Latin plicitum, neuter past participle of Latin plicare "to fold, lay" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). A doublet of plait (n.).

Originally "condition or state," usually "a bad condition or state" but sometimes in a neutral sense (as in modern French en bon plit "in good condition"); the predominant sense of "harmful state" (and current spelling) probably is from convergence and confusion with plight (n.2) via a notion of "entangling risk, pledge or promise with great risk to the pledger."

Plimsoll (n.)

"mark on the hull of a British ship showing how deeply she may be loaded," 1876 (Plimsoll's mark), from Samuel Plimsoll (1824-1898), M.P. for Derby and advocate of shipping reforms (which were embodied in the Merchant Shipping Act of 1876 and required the load-line mark).

The sense was extended by 1907 to rubber-soled canvas shoe (equivalent of American English sneakers) because the band around the shoes that holds the two parts together reminded people of a ship's Plimsoll line; this sense perhaps also was reinforced by sound association with sole (n.1), which sometimes influenced the spelling to plimsole. The surname is of Huguenot origin.

plink (v.)

"emit a short, sharp metallic sound," 1941, imitative. As a noun by 1971. Related: Plinked; plinking.

plinth (n.)

"flat, square table or slab under the molding of the base of a Roman column; square molding at the base of any architectural part," 1610s, from French plinthe (16c.) and directly from Latin plinthus, from Greek plinthos "brick, squared stone," from PIE *splind- "to split, cleave," from root *(s)plei- "to splice, split" (see flint).

plio-

word-forming element, Latinate form of pleio-.

Pliocene (adj.)

in geology, in reference to the most recent division of the Tertiary, 1833, from plio- "more" (Latinized form of pleio-) + -cene "recent." Execrated by classical purists (along with Miocene and Eocene); a proper form from Greek would be *Plionocene. Roughly 5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago, it is distinguished from the other two epochs by having more fossils of still-existing species. The Pliocene and the more recent Pleistocene, both comparatively brief, commonly now are combined as the Plio-Pleistocene.

PLO

initialism (acronym) of Palestinian Liberation Organization, by 1965.