A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

boggle --- 1598, "to start with fright" (as a startled horse does), from M.E. bugge "specter" (among other things, supposed to scare horses at night); see bug. The meaning "to raise scruples, hesitate" is from 1638.

bogus --- counterfeit money, 1839, Amer.Eng., apparently from a slang word applied in Ohio in 1827 to a counterfeiter's apparatus. Some trace this to tantrabobus, a late 18c. colloquial Vermont word for any odd-looking object, which may be connected to tantarabobs, recorded as a Devonshire name for the devil. Others trace it to the same source as bogey.

bohemian --- a gypsy of society, 1848, from Fr. bohemién (1559), from the country name, from M.Fr. Boheme "Bohemia," from L. Boiohaemum (Tacitus), from Boii, the Celtic people who settled in what is now Bohemia (and were driven from it by the Gmc. Marcomans early 1c.). The modern sense is perhaps from the use of this country name since 15c. in Fr. for "gypsy" (they were believed falsely to have come from there, though their first appearance in W.Europe may have been from there), or from association with Bohemian heretics. It was popularized by Henri Murger's 1845 story collection "Scenes de la Vie de Boheme," the basis of Puccini's "La Bohème." Used in Eng. 1848 in Thackary's "Vanity Fair." "The term 'Bohemian' has come to be very commonly accepted in our day as the description of a certain kind of literary gipsey, no matter in what language he speaks, or what city he inhabits .... A Bohemian is simply an artist or littérateur who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art." ["Westminster Review," 1862]

Bohunk --- 1903, U.S. derogatory slang for "lower class immigrant from Central or Eastern Europe," probably from Bohemian + a distortion of Hungarian.

boil (n.) --- hard tumor, altered from M.E. bile (Kentish bele), perhaps by assoc. with the verb; from O.E. byl, byle, from W.Gmc. *bulja "swelling" (cf. Goth. ufbauljan "to puff up," Icel. beyla "hump"), from PIE base *bhel- "to swell" (see bole).

boil (v.) --- c.1225, from O.Fr. boillir, from L. bullire "to bubble, seethe," from bulla "a bubble, knob." The native word is seethe. Fig. sense of "to agitate the feelings" is from 1648. "I am impatient, and my blood boyls high." [Otway, "Alcibiades," 1675] Boiler in the steam engine sense is from 1757; boilermaker "shot of whiskey with a glass of beer" is short for boilermaker's delight (1910), strong cheap whiskey, so called in jest from the notion that it would clean the scales from the interior of a boiler.

boilerplate --- newspaper (and now information technology) slang for "unit of writing that can be used over and over without change," 1893, from a literal meaning (1840) "metal rolled in large, flat plates for use in making steam boilers." The connecting notion is probably of sturdiness or reusability. From 1890s to 1950s it was literal: publicity items were cast or stamped in metal ready for the printing press and distributed to newspapers as filler. The largest supplier was Western Newspaper Union.

boisterous --- 1474, from boistous (c.1300), from Anglo-Fr. bustous "rough (road);" perhaps from O.Fr. boitous "noisy," or O.Fr. boisteus "curved, lame;" origin obscure. Originally "rough, coarse" (as of food); used of persons from 1568.

bold --- O.E. beald (W.Saxon), bald (Anglian) "bold, brave," from P.Gmc. *balthaz (cf. O.H.G. bald "bold, swift," in names such as Archibald, Leopold, Theobald; Goth. balþei "boldness;" O.N. ballr "frightful, dangerous"), perhaps from PIE *bhol-to-, suffixed form of *bhel- "to blow, swell" (see bole). O.Fr./Prov. baut, It. baldo "bold, daring, fearless" are Gmc. loan-words.

bole --- c.1314, from O.N. bolr "tree trunk," from P.Gmc. *bulas, from PIE *bhel- "to blow, swell" (cf. Gk. phyllon "leaf," phallos "swollen penis;" L. flos "flower," florere "to blossom, flourish," folium "leaf;" O.Prus. balsinis "cushion;" O.N. belgr "bag, bellows;" O.E. bolla "pot, cup, bowl;" O.Ir. bolgaim "I swell," blath "blossom, flower," bolach "pimple," bolg "bag;" Bret. bolc'h "flax pod;" Serb. buljiti "to stare, be bug-eyed;" Serbo-Croat. blazina "pillow").

bolero --- Sp. dance, 1787, probably from bola "ball," from L. bulla. In ref. to a type of short jacket, it is first recorded 1892.

Bolivia --- South Amer. republic, founded 1825, named for Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), S.Amer. statesman and soldier.

boll --- O.E. bolla "bowl," merged with M.Du. bolle "round object," borrowed 13c., both from P.Gmc. *bul-, from PIE *bhel- "to blow, swell" (see bole). Infl. in meaning by L. bulla "bubble, ball," ult. from the same PIE root. Extended 1500 to "round seed pod of flax or cotton." Boll weevil is 1895, Amer.Eng.

bollard --- 1844, originally a post for fixing mooring ropes; since 1948, usually a traffic control device; probably from bole (q.v.) + suffix -ard.

bollix --- bungle, respelling (euphemistic?) of bollocks, pl. of bollock "testicle," from O.E. beallucas "testicles," from P.Gmc. *ball-, from PIE *bhel- "to inflate, swell."

bollocks --- testicles, 1744, also, in British slang, "nonsense," see bollix.

Bolo --- traitor, 1917, from Paul Bolo, Fr. adventurer shot for treason April 17, 1918; used in World War I with reference to pacifist propagandists; later somewhat assimilated to Bolshevik (q.v.).

bologna --- 1850, variant of bologna sausage (1596), named for the city in Italy, from L. Bononia, which either represents Gaul. bona "foundation, fortress," or Boii, the name of the Gaulish people who occupied the region 4c. B.C.E. Also see baloney.

Bolshevik --- 1917, from Rus. bol'shiy "greater," comp. of adj. bol'shoy "big, great" (cf. Bolshoi Ballet), from O.C.S. boljiji "larger," from PIE base *bel- "strong" (cf. Skt. balam "strength, force," Gk. beltion "better," Phrygian balaios "big, fast," O.Ir. odbal "strong," Welsh balch "proud;" M.Du., Low Ger., Fris. pal "strong, firm"). It was the faction of Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party after a split in 1903 that was either larger or more extreme (or both) than the Mensheviks (from Rus. men'shij "less"); after they seized power in 1917, applied generally to Rus. communists.

bolster --- O.E. bolster "something stuffed so that it swells up," especially "long, stuffed pillow," from P.Gmc. *bolkhstraz, from PIE *bhelgh- "to swell" (see belly). The verb in fig. sense is from 1508, on the notion of "to support with a bolster, prop up."

bolt --- O.E. bolt, from P.Gmc. *bultas (cf. Dan. bolt, Ger. Bolzen), perhaps from PIE base *bheld- "to knock, strike" (cf. Lith. beldu "I knock," baldas "pole for striking"). Originally a short, stout arrow with a heavy head; applied since M.E. to other short metal rods (especially those with knobbed ends). The notion of "quick escape" (c.1225) is from a crossbow arrow's flight, as is lightning bolt. A bolt of canvas (1407) was so called for its shape. Phrase bolt upright is from c.1386.

bomb (n.) --- 1588, from Fr. bombe, from It. bomba, probably from L. bombus "a buzzing or booming sound," from Gk. bombos "deep and hollow sound," echoic. Originally of mortar shells, etc.; modern sense of "explosive device placed by hand or dropped from airplane" is 1909. Meaning "old car" is from 1953. Meaning "success" is from 1954 (though late 1990s slang in the bomb "the best" is probably a fresh formation); opposite sense of "a failure" is from 1963. The bomb "atomic bomb" is from 1945. Bombshell in the fig. sense of "shattering or devastating thing or event" is from 1860; in ref. to a pretty woman (esp. a blonde) it is attested from 1942 ("bombshell blonde" as a movie title in ref. to U.S. actress Jean Harlow is from 1933). Bomber as a type of military aircraft is from 1917. Bombed "drunk" is from 1959.

bombard --- c.1430 (n.), 1598 (v.), from Fr. bombarder, from bombarde "mortar, catapult," from bombe (see bomb). The same word, from the same source, was used c.1393 in reference to a bassoon-like musical instrument. Bombardier is first recorded 1560.

bombast (n.) --- 1568, "cotton padding," from O.Fr. bombace, from M.L. bambacem, acc. of bambax "cotton," from Gk. pambax, from Persian pambak "cotton." From stuffing and padding for clothes or upholstery, meaning extended to "pompous, empty speech" (1589).

bon --- from Fr., lit. "good" (adj.), from L. bonus "good." In phrases such as bon apétit (1860), lit. "good appetite;" bonjour (1577) "good day;" bon-ton (1744) "good style;" bon mot (1735), see mot; and bon voyage (1680) "pleasant journey."

bona fide --- 1542, from L., lit. "in good faith," abl. of bona fides "good faith" (see faith).

bonanza --- 1844, Amer.Eng., from Sp. bonanza "a rich lode," originally "fair weather at sea, prosperity," from V.L. *bonacia, from L. bonus "good."

bonbon --- 1796, from Fr., childish reduplication of bon "good." Hence, bonbonniere (1818) "a box for sweets."

bond (n.) --- c.1225 phonetic variant of band (q.v., for vowel change, see long), influenced by O.E. bonda "householder," lit. "dweller" (see bondage). The verb is 1677 (trans.), 1836 (intr.). Legalistic sense first recorded 1592.

bondage --- 1303, "condition of a serf or slave," from Anglo-L. bondagium, from M.E. bond "a serf, tenant farmer," from O.E. bonda "householder," from O.N. bondi, from boandi "free-born farmer," lit. prp. of boa "dwell, prepare, inhabit." Meaning in Eng. changed by infl. of bond. The sexual sado-masochism sense is first recorded 1966.

bone --- O.E. ban, from P.Gmc. *bainam (cf. O.N. bein, Dan. ben, Ger. Bein). No cognates outside Gmc. (the common PIE root is *ost-); the O.N., Du., and Ger. cognates also mean "shank of the leg," and this is the main sense in Mod.Ger., but Eng. never seems to have had this sense. To make bones about (1459) refers to bones found in soup, etc., as an obstacle to being swallowed. To bone up "study" is 1880s student slang, from "Bohn's Classical Library," a popular series in higher education. To feel something in one's bones "have a presentiment" is c.1880, Amer.Eng.

boner --- blunder, 1912, baseball slang, probably from bonehead "stupid person" (1908). Meaning "erect penis" is 1950s, from earlier bone-on (1940s), probably a variation (with connection notion of "hardness") of hard-on (1893).

bonfire --- 1556, from M.E. banefire (1483), originally a fire in which bones were burned. Johnson mistakenly derived it from Fr. bon "good."

bong --- water pipe for marijuana, 1960s, U.S. slang, said to have been introduced by Vietnam veterans, from Thai baung, lit. "cylindrical wooden tube."

bongo --- 1920, from Amer.Sp. (West Indies, esp. Cuban), from a word of W. African origin, cf. Lokele (Zaire) boungu.

bonhomie --- good nature, from Fr., from bon "good" + homme "man."

Boniface --- innkeeper, 1803, from Will Boniface, character in George Farquhar's comedy "The Beaux' Stratagem" (1707). "Contrary to the common opinion, this name derives not from Latin bonifacius 'well-doer,' but from bonifatius, from bonum 'good' and fatum 'fate.' The change to Bonifacius was due to pronunciation and from this was deduced a false etymology. Bonifatius is frequent on Latin inscriptions. Bonifacius is found only twice and these late (Thesaurus)" ["Dictionary of English Surnames"]

bonk --- to hit, 1931, probably of imitative origin; 1975 in sense of "have sexual intercourse with." Bonkers "crazy," 1957, British slang, perhaps from earlier naval slang meaning "slightly drunk" (1948), from notion of a thump on the head.

bonnet --- 1375, from Scottish bonat "brimless hat for men," from O.Fr. bonet, from M.L. bonitum "material for hats," from a Gmc. source, or perhaps aphetic of L.L. abonnis "a kind of cap" (7c.).

bonny --- 1548, of unknown origin, apparently connected in some way with O.Fr. bon, bone "good."

bonnyclabber --- 1624 (in shortened form clabber), from Mod.Ir. bainne "milk" (from M.Ir. banne "drop," also, rarely, "milk"; cognate with Skt. bindu- "drop") + claba "thick;" c.f. Ir., Gael. clabar "mud," which sometimes has made its way into Eng. (Yeats, etc.).

bonus --- 1773, "Stock Exchange Latin" [Weekley], from L. bonus "good" (adj.); the correct noun form would be bonum.

bon-vivant --- one fond of good living, 1695, from Fr. (see bon); the fem. is bonne vivante.

boo --- to startle, c.1430, probably because it can be pronounced as a loud, booming sound; as an expression of disapproval, 1816, perhaps imitative of oxen; hence, the verb meaning "shower someone with boos" (1893). Boo-hoo first recorded 1525, originally of laughter or weeping. To say boo "open one's mouth, speak," originally was to say boo to a goose.

boob --- stupid person, 1909, Amer.Eng. slang, perhaps from booby.

boo-boo --- mistake, 1954, apparently a reduplication of boob, which had acquired a secondary sense of "foolish mistake" (1934).

boobs --- breasts, 1929, U.S. slang, probably from much older term boobies (late 17c.), related to 17c. bubby, perhaps ult. from L. puppa, lit. "little girl," hence, in child-talk, "breast" (cf. O.Fr. pope, popel "breast," Ger. dial. Bubbi, etc.).

booby --- 1599, from Sp. bobo "stupid person, slow bird," probably from L. balbus "stammering" (like barbarian, from an imitative root, cf. Czech blblati "to stammer," Skt. balbala-karoti "he stammers"). Booby prize is 1889, an object of little value given to the loser of a game; booby-trap is 1850, originally a schoolboy prank; the more lethal sense developed during World War I.

boogie (v.) --- originally "dance to boogie music," a late 1960s style of rock music (based on blues chords), from earlier boogie, a style of blues (1941), short for boogie-woogie (1928), a reduplication of boogie, 1917, which meant "rent party" in Amer.Eng. slang.

book --- O.E. boc, traditionally from P.Gmc. *bokiz "beech" (cf. Ger. Buch "book" Buche "beech;" the notion being of beechwood tablets on which runes were inscribed), but may be from the tree itself (people still carve initials in them). The O.E. originally meant any written document. Latin and Sanskrit also have words for "writing" that are based on tree names ("birch" and "ash," respectively). Meaning "libretto of an opera" is from 1768. Verb meaning "to enter for a seat or place, issue (railway) tickets" is from 1841; "to engage a performer as a guest" is from 1872. Booklet, with dim. suffix, first recorded 1859. A betting book is from 1856; bookmaker in the wagering sense is from 1862; shortened form bookie is attested from 1885.

bookworm --- 1599 (of people), 1855 of insects or maggots; there is no single species known by this name, which is applied to the anolium beetle, silverfishes, and book lice.

Boolean --- abstract algebraic system, 1851, named for G. Boole (1815-1864), English mathematician.

boom (n.) --- long pole, 1543, from Scottish boun, borrowed from Du. boom "tree, pole, beam," from a M.Du. word analogous to O.E. beam. The business sense (1873) is sometimes said to be from this word, from the nautical meaning "a long spar run out to extend the foot of a sail;" a ship "booming" being one in full sail. But it could just as well be from boom (v.), on the notion of "suddenness."

boom (v.) --- c.1440, earliest use was for bees and wasps, probably echoic of humming. The meaning "make a loud noise" is 15c. Boom box first attested 1978.

boomerang --- 1827, adapted from an extinct Aboriginal languages of New South Wales, Australia. Another variant, perhaps, was wo-mur-rang (1798). The verb is from 1880.

boon (n.) --- c.1175, from O.N. bon "a petition, prayer," from P.Gmc. *boniz (cf. O.E. ben "prayer, petition," bannan "to summon;" see ban). The adj. meaning "jolly" (in boon companion) is first recorded c.1325, from unrelated O.Fr. bon "good" (see bon).

boondocks --- 1910s, from Tagalog bundok "mountain." Adopted by occupying American soldiers in the Philippines for "remote and wild place." Reinforced or re-adopted during World War II. Hence, also boondockers "shoes suited for rough terrain" (1953).

boondoggle --- 1935, Amer.Eng., of uncertain origin, popularized during the New Deal as a contemptuous word for make-work projects for the unemployed. Said to have been a pioneer word for "gadget."

boor --- 13c., from O.Fr. bovier "herdsman," from L. bovis, gen. of bos "cow, ox." Later re-borrowed (1581) from Du. boer, from M.Du. gheboer "fellow dweller," from P.Gmc. base *bu- "dwell" (cf. second element of neighbor). Original meaning was "peasant farmer" (cf. Ger. Bauer, Du. boer, Dan. bonde), and in Eng. it was at first applied to agricultural laborers in or from other lands, as opposed to the native yeoman; negative connotation first attested 1562 (in boorish), from notion of clownish rustics.

boost --- 1815 (v.), 1825 (n.), Amer.Eng., of unknown origin. Booster first recorded 1890.

boot (1) --- footwear, c.1325, from O.Fr. bote, with corresponding words in Prov. and Sp., of unknown origin, perhaps from a Gmc. source, originally for riding boots only. The verb meaning "kick" is Amer.Eng. 1877; that of "eject" is from 1880. Boot camp is attested from 1944 but supposedly is from the Spanish-American War, in reference to boots, leggings worn by U.S. sailors, with sense transferred to "recruit."

boot (2) --- profit, use (in phrase to boot), O.E. bot, from P.Gmc. *boto (see better).

boot (3) --- start up a computer, 1975, from bootstrap (n.), 1953, "fixed sequence of instructions to load the operating system of a computer," on notion of the first-loaded program pulling up itself by the bootstraps.

booth --- c.1145, from O.Dan. boþ "temporary dwelling," from E. Norse boa "dwell," from P.Gmc. *botho (cf. Ger. Bude, M.Du. boode), from base *bhu- "to dwell" (cf. Lith. butas "house," O.Ir both "hut"), from PIE base *bheue- "to be, exist, grow" (see be). Cf. also (see bound (adj.2)).

bootleg --- 1889, Amer.Eng. slang, from the trick of concealing something down the leg of a high boot (originally a flask of liquor).

booty --- plunder, gain, profit, c.1439, from O.Fr. butin "booty," from M.L.G. bute "exchange;" infl. in form and sense by boot (2). Meaning "female body considered as a sex object" is 1920s, black slang.

boo-ya --- exclamation used in various situations, first attested c.1990 in hip-hop slang.

booze --- 1768 "drink a lot" (v.), from M.E. bouse (c.1300), from M.Du. busen "to drink heavily," related to M.H.G. bus (intrans.) "to swell, inflate," of unknown origin. The noun is first recorded 1859, reinforced by name of Philadelphia distiller E.G. Booze. Boozy was one of Benjamin Franklin's 225 synonyms for "drunk," published in 1722. In New Zealand from c.WWII, a drinking binge was a boozeroo.

bop --- 1948, shortening of bebop; it soon came to mean "any sort of dancing to pop music" (1956).

borage --- flowering plant used in salads, c.1265, from Anglo-Norm., from O.Fr. borrace, from M.L. borrago. Klein says it's ult. from Arabic abu drak, lit. "the father of sweat," so called by Arab physicians for its effect on humans. But OED says it's from L. borra "rough hair, short wool," in ref. to the texture of the foliage.

borax --- c.1386, from Anglo-Fr. boras, from M.L. baurach, from Arabic buraq, Pers. burah.

Bordeaux --- 1570, wine imported from there. The city (in southwestern France) was Roman Burdigala (1c.), perhaps from a Celtic or pre-Celtic source.

bordello --- 1598, from It. variant of M.E. bordel "house of prostitution" (c.1305), from O.Fr. bordel "brothel," dim. of borde "hut made of planks," from Frank. *bord "board." Sense of "brothel" in Eng. first recorded 1850.

border --- c.1350, from O.Fr. bordure "seam, edge, border," from Frankish *bord (cf. O.E. bord "side"), from P.Gmc. *bordus "edge," from *borthaz. The geopolitical sense first attested 1535, in Scottish (replacing earlier march), from The Borders, district adjoining the boundary between England and Scotland.

bore --- O.E. borian "to bore," from bor "auger," from P.Gmc. *boron, from PIE base *bhor-/*bhr- "to cut with a sharp point" (cf. Gk. pharao "I plow," L. forare "to bore, pierce," O.C.E. barjo "to strike, fight," Alb. brime "hole"). The meaning "diameter of a tube" is first recorded 1572; hence fig. slang full bore (1936) "at maximum speed," from notion of unchoked carburetor on an engine. Sense of "be tiresome or dull" first attested 1768, a vogue word c.1780-81, possibly a figurative extension of "to move forward slowly and steadily." "The secret of being a bore is to tell everything." [Voltaire, "Sept Discours en Vers sur l'Homme," 1738] Boredom "state of being bored" first recorded 1852; boring "wearisome" is from 1840.

boreal --- 1470, from L. borealis, from boreas "north wind," from Gk. Boreas, god of the north wind, of unknown origin, perhaps related to words in Balto-Slavic for "mountain" and "forest."

Boris --- Slavic male proper name, lit. "fight" (see bore).

born --- O.E. boren, alt. pp. of beran (see bear (v.)). Distinction between born and borne is 17c. Born-again (adj.), of Christians, is from 1961, based on John iii:3. Used in fig. (non-religious) sense from 1977.

borne --- pp. of bear (see bear (v.)).

boron --- 1812, from bor(ax) + ending abstracted from carbon (it resembles carbon). Originally called boracium by Sir Humphrey Davy because it was drawn from boracic acid.

borough --- O.E. burg, burh "castle, manor house, fortified place" (related to beorg "hill"), from P.Gmc. *burgs "fortress" (cf. O.N. borg "wall, castle," Ger. Burg "castle," Goth. baurgs "city"), from PIE *bhrgh "high," with derivatives referring to hills, hill forts, fortified elevations (cf. Welsh bera "stack, pyramid," Skt. bhrant-, Avestan brzant- "high," Gk. Pergamos, name of the citadel of Troy). In Ger. and O.N., chiefly as "fortress, castle;" in Goth. "town, civic community." Meaning shifted M.E. from "fortress," to "fortified town," to simply "town" (especially one possessing municipal organization or sending representatives to Parliament). In U.S. (originally Pennsylvania, 1718) often an incorporated town; in Alaska, however, it is the equivalent of a county. The Scot. form is burgh. The O.E. dative singular byrig is found in many place names as -bury.

borrow --- O.E. borgian "to lend," from P.Gmc. *borg "pledge," sense shifting in O.E. apparently on the sense of collateral deposited as security for something borrowed.

borscht --- 1884, from Rus. borshch "cow parsnip," which was an original recipe ingredient. Borscht belt "region of predominantly Jewish resorts in and around the Catskill Mountains of New York" is 1930s.

borzoi --- Russian wolfhound, 1887, from Rus. borzoy, lit. "swift, quick."

bosh --- 1834, from Turk., lit. "empty." Introduced and popularized in "Ayesha," popular romance novel by J.J. Morier (1780-1849).

bosom --- O.E. bosm, from W.Gmc. *bosm- perhaps from PIE base *bhou- "to grow, swell," or *bhaghus "arm." The primary notion would be "enclosure formed by the breast and the arms." Meaning "a woman's breasts" is from 1959; but bosomy "big-breasted" is from 1928. Bosom-friend is first attested 1590.

boss (1) --- overseer, 1649, Amer.Eng., from Du. baas "a master," origin obscure; original sense seems to have been "uncle," so perhaps it is related to O.H.G. basa "aunt." The Du. form baas is attested in Eng. from 1625 as the standard title of a Du. ship's captain. Its popularity in U.S. may reflect egalitarian avoidance of master. The verb is from 1856. The slang adjective meaning "excellent" is first recorded 1880s. Bossy first recorded 1882; as a common cow name it represents L. bos "cow."

boss (2) --- button, c.1300, from O.Fr. boce "a hump, swelling," from either Frank. *botija or V.L. *bottia, both of uncertain origin.

bossa nova --- 1962, Brazilian style of music, from Port., lit. "new tendency."

Boston --- U.S. city, 1630, named for town in Lincolnshire, a region from which many settlers came to New England. The name is lit. "Botolph's Stone," probably from the name of some Anglo-Saxon landowner.