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

angle (v.) --- to fish with a hook, 1496, from O.E. angel (n.) "fish hook," related to anga "hook," from PIE *ank- "to bend" (see angle (n.)). Figurative sense is recorded from 1589. "It is but a sory lyfe and an yuell to stand anglynge all day to catche a fewe fisshes." [John Palsgrave, 1530]

Anglian --- of the Angles, 1726; see Angle. The O.E. word was Englisc, but as this came to be used in ref. to the whole Gmc. people of Britain, a new word was wanted to describe this one branch of them.

Anglican (adj.) --- 1635, "of the reformed Church of England" (opposed to Roman), from M.L. Anglicanus, from Anglicus "of the English people, of England" (see anglicize). The noun meaning "adherent of the reformed Church of England" is first recorded 1797.

Anglicize --- 1710, from L. Anglicus "of the English," from Angli "the Angles" (see Angle).

Anglo --- American, English-speaking white person, 1941, southwestern U.S., from Anglo-American (1738), from Anglo-, comb. form of Angle, as used in Anglo-Saxon (q.v.) + American. Anglo was used similarly in Canada from 1800 and Britain from 1964.

Anglo-Saxon --- O.E. Angli Saxones, from L. Anglo-Saxones, in which anglo- is an adverb, thus lit. "English Saxons," as opposed to those of the Continent (now called "Old Saxons"). Properly in ref. to the Saxons of ancient Wessex, Essex, Middlesex, and Sussex. After the Norman-Fr. invasion of 1066, the peoples of the island were distinguished as English and French, but after a few generations all were English, and L. scribes, who knew and cared little about Gmc. history, began to use Anglo-Saxones to refer to the pre-1066 inhabitants and their descendants. When interest in O.E. writing revived c.1586, the word was extended to the language we now call Old English. It has been used rhetorically for "English" in an ethnological sense from 1832, and revisioned as Angle + Saxon.

angora --- 1819, from Angora, city in central Turkey (ancient Ancyra, modern Ankara), which gave its name to the goat, and to its silk-like wool, and to a cat whose fur resembles it. The city name is from the Gk. word for "anchor, bend" (see angle (n.)).

angry --- 1360, from anger + -y (see anger). Originally "full of trouble, vexatious;" sense of "enraged, irate" is from c.1386. The phrase angry young man dates to 1941 but was popularized in ref. to the play "Look Back in Anger" (produced 1956) though it does not occur in that work. "There are three words in the English language that end in -gry. Two of them are angry and hungry. What is the third?" There is no third (except some extremely obscure ones). Richard Lederer calls this "one of the most outrageous and time-wasting linguistic hoaxes in our nation's history" and traces it to a New York TV quiz show from early 1975.

angst --- 1944, from Ger. Angst "neurotic fear, anxiety, guilt, remorse" from O.H.G. angust, from the root of anger (q.v.). George Eliot used it (in Ger.) in 1849, and it was popularized in Eng. by translation of Freud's work, but as a foreign word until 1940s. O.E. had a cognate word, angsumnes "anxiety," but it died out.

angstrom --- unit of length equal to one hundred millionth of a centimeter (used to measure wavelengths of light), 1892, named for Swed. physicist Anders Ångström (1814-74).

anguish --- c.1220, "acute bodily or mental suffering," from O.Fr. anguisse "choking sensation," from L. angustia "tightness, distress," from ang(u)ere "to throttle, torment" (see anger).

angular --- 1597, from L. angularis "having corners or angles," from angulus (see angle (n.)).

Angus --- masc. proper name, from Scot., related to Ir. Aonghus, a compound that may be rendered in Eng. as "one choice." Also the name of a county in Scotland, hence a breed of cattle associated with that region (1842).

anhinga --- Amer. fishing bird (also called the snake-bird), 1769, from a Tupi word.

aniline --- chemical base used in making colorful dyes, 1850, coined 1841 by C.J. Fritzsche, ultimately from Port. anil "the indigo shrub," from Arabic an-nil "the indigo," assimilated from al-nil, from Pers. nila, ult. from Skt. nili "indigo," from nilah "dark blue."

anima --- Jung's term for the inner part of the personality, or the fem. component of a masc. personality, 1923, from fem. of L. animus (q.v.).

anima mundi --- 1678, from M.L., lit. "soul of the world," used by Abelard to render Gk. psyche tou kosmou.

animadversion --- 1599, from L. animadversionem (nom. animadversio) "perception, observation," n. of action from animadverte "to take cognizance of," lit. "to turn the mind to," from animum acc. of animus "mind" + advertere "to turn to" (see advertise).

animal --- 1398 (but rare before end of 16c., and not in K.J.V.), from L. animale, neut. of animalis "living being, being which breathes," from anima "breath, soul" (see animus). Drove out the older beast in common usage. Used of brutish humans from 1588. Animal rights is attested from 1879; animal liberation from 1973. Animal magnetism originally (1784) referred to mesmerism (q.v.).

animalcule --- very small animal, 1599, from L.L. animalculum, dim. of L. animal (see animal).

animate (v.) --- 1538, "to fill with boldness or courage,"from L. animatus pp. of animare "give breath to," from anima "life, breath" (see animus). The adj. meaning "alive" is from 1605. Animated "full of activity" is from 1585. In ref. to "moving pictures" it dates from 1895; animation in the cinematographic sense is from 1912.

anime --- c.1985, Japanese for "animation," a term that seems to have arisen in the 1970s, apparently based on Fr. l'animé, from the same root animate. Manga (q.v.) is Japanese for "comic book, graphic novel," but anime largely are based on manga and until 1970s, anime were known as manga eiga or "TV manga." The two terms are somewhat confused in Eng.

animism --- 1866, reintroduced by Sir Edward Burnett Taylor, who defined it (1871) as the "theory of the universal animation of nature," from L. anima "life, breath, soul." Earlier sense was of "doctrine that animal life is produced by an immaterial soul" (1832), from Ger. Animismus, coined c.1720 by physicist/chemist Georg Ernst Stahl (1660-1734) based on the concept of the anima mundi (q.v.).

animosity --- 1432, "vigor," from L. animositatem (nom. animositas), from animosus "bold, spirited." Sense of "hostile feeling" is first recorded 1605, from a secondary sense in L. (see animus).

animus --- 1820, "temper" (usually in a hostile sense), from L. anima "living being, soul, mind, disposition, passion, courage, anger, spirit, feeling," from PIE base *ane- "to blow, to breathe" (cf. Gk. anemos "wind," Skt. aniti "breathes," O.Ir. anal, Welsh anadl "breath," O.Ir. animm "soul," Goth. uzanan "to exhale," O.N. anda "to breathe," O.E. eðian "to breathe," O.C.S. vonja "smell, breath," Arm. anjn "soul"). It has no plural. As a term in Jungian psychology for the masc. component of a fem. personality, it dates from 1923.

anion --- a negatively charged ion, which moves toward the anode (q.v.) during electrolysis, 1834, proposed by Whewell and published by Eng. physicist Michael Faraday from Gk. anion "(thing) going up," neut. pp. of anienai "go up," from ana "up" + ienai "go" (see ion).

anise --- Levantine plant cultivated for its seeds, which were important sources of chemical oils and flavoring, c.1300, from O.Fr. anis, from L. anisum, from Gk. anneson. By the Ancients, somewhat confused with dill. Aniseed (1398) is a contraction of anise seed.

anisette --- liqueur flavored with aniseed, 1837, from Fr. Anisette de Bordeaux, from dim. of anise (see anise).

anker/anchor --- 1673, "liquid measure," that of Rotterdam, once used in England, from Du., related to Ger. Anker, Swed. ankare, M.L. anceria "keg, vat," of unknown origin. It equaled 10 old wine or 8.5 imperial gallons.

ankh --- tau cross with an oval at the top, Egyptian symbol of life, 1888, from Egypt. ankh, lit. "life, soul." Also known as crux ansata.

ankle --- O.E. oncleow "ankle," from PIE base *ank- "to bend" (cf. Skt. angam "limb;" see angle (n.)). The modern form seems to have been infl. by O.N. ökkla or O.Fris. ankel, which are immediately from the P.Gmc. form of the PIE root (cf. M.H.G. anke "joint," Ger. Enke "ankle"); the second element in the O.E. form, also found in other Gmc. languages, may suggest claw (cf. Du. anklaauw), or it may be from infl. cneow "knee," or it may be dim. suffix -el.

anklet --- ring for an ankle, 1819, from ankle, with dim. suffix -let, after bracelet. "She was bewitched to see The many-coloured anklets."[Shelley, 1819]

ankylosaurus --- Cretaceous armored dinosaur, 1908, Mod.L., from Gk. ankylos "crooked" (see angle (n.)) + sauros "lizard."

Ann --- fem. proper name, from L. Anna, from Gk., from Heb. Hannah, lit. "grace," from base hanan "he was gracious, showed favor." In U.S. black slang, "white woman," also "a black woman who is considered to be acting 'too white;' " also Miss Ann. She is the spouse of Mr. Charlie.

annals --- 1563, from L. annales libri "chronicles," lit. "yearly books," from pl. of annalis "pertaining to a year," from annus "year" (see annual).

anneal --- O.E. onælan "to set on fire, kindle," from on- "on" + ælan "to burn, bake," from P.Gmc. *ailan, related to O.E. æled "fire."

annelid --- segmented worm, 1834, from Fr. annélide, the phylum name, coined 1801 by Fr. naturalist J.B.P. Lamarck (1744-1829), from annelés "ringed ones" (from L. anulus "little ring," a dim. of anus) + Gk. eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).

annex (v.) --- c.1386, from O.Fr. annexer "to join," from M.L. annexare, freq. of L. annecetere "to bind to," from ad- "to" + nectere "to tie, bind" (see nexus). Almost always meaning "to join in a subordinate capacity." Of nations or territories, 1509. The noun sense of "supplementary building" is attested from 1861, from Fr. annexe.

annihilate --- 1525, from an obsolete adj. meaning "reduced to nothing" (1388), originally the pp. of a verb, anihil, from O.Fr. annihiler, from L.L. annihilare "to reduce to nothing," from L. ad- "to" + nihil "nothing" (see nil).

anniversary --- c.1230, from L. anniversarius "returning annually," from annus "year" (see annual) + versus, pp. of vertere "to turn" (see versus). The adj. came to be used as a noun in Church L. as anniversaria (dies) in ref. to saints' days.

Anno Domini --- 1579, from L., lit. "in the year of (our) Lord."

annotation --- 1460, from L. annotationem (nom. annotatio), from annotatus, pp. of annotare "to add notes to," from ad- "to" + notare "to note, mark."

announce --- 1483, from O.Fr. annoncier, from L. adnuntiare "to announce, relate," from ad- "to" + nuntiare "relate, report," from nuntius "messenger" (see nuncio); lit. "bringing news." Announcer in the broadcasting sense first recorded 1922.

annoy --- c.1250, from Anglo-Fr. anuier, from O.Fr. enuier "to weary, vex," from L.L. inodiare "make loathsome," from L. (esse) in odio "(it is to me) hateful," abl. of odium "hatred."

annual --- 1382, from L.L. annualem (nom. annualis), corresponding to L. annalis as adjective form of annus "year," from PIE *at-no-, from base *at- "to go," on notion of "period gone through" (cf. Skt. atati "goes, wanders," Goth. aþnam (dat. pl.) "year," Oscan akno- "year, holiday, time of offering"). Used of plants since 1710.

Annuit Coeptis --- on the Great Seal of the United States of America, condensed by Charles Thompson, designer of the seal in its final form, from L. Juppiter omnipotes, audacibus annue coeptis "All-powerful Jupiter favor (my) daring undertakings," line 625 of book IX of Virgil's "Aeneid." The words also appear in Virgil's "Georgics," book I, line 40: Da facilem cursam, atque audacibus annue coeptis "Give (me) an easy course, and favor (my) daring undertakings." Thompson changed the imperative annue to annuit, the third person singular form of the same verb in either the present tense or the perfect tense. The motto also lacks a subject. The motto is often translated as "He (God) is favorable to our undertakings," but this is not the only possible translation. Thomson wrote: "The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye over it & Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause." The original design (by William Barton) showed the pyramid and the motto Deo Favente Perennis "God favoring through the years."

annuity --- c.1412, "a yearly allowance," from M.L. annuitatem (nom. annuitas), from L. annus "year" (see annual). Meaning "an investment that entitles one to equal annual payments" is from 1693.

annul --- 1395, from L.L. annullare "to make to nothing," from L. ad- "to" + nullum, neut. of nullus "nothing" (see null).

annular --- ring-shaped, 1571, from L. annularis, from annulus, dim. of anus "ring" (see anus). An annular eclipse (1727) is one in which the dark body of the moon is smaller than the disk of the sun, so that at the height of it the sun appears as a ring of light.

annunciation --- c.1400, from Fr. annonciation, from L. annuntiationem (nom. annuntiatio), from annuntiatus, pp. of annuntiare (see announce). The Church festival (March 25) commemorating the visit of the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, foretelling the incarnation.

annus mirabilis --- 1667, L., lit. "wonderful year," title of a publication by Dryden, with ref. to 1666.

anode --- 1834, coined from Gk. anodos "way up," from ana "up" + hodos "way" (see cede). Proposed by Whewell and published by Eng. chemist and physicist Michael Faraday (1791-1867). So called from the path the electrical current was thought to take.

anodyne --- 1543, from M.L. anodynus "pain-removing," from L. anodynus "painless," from Gk. anodynos "free from pain," from an- "without" + odyne "pain," a word perhaps from a PIE root meaning "to eat."

anoint --- c.1303 (implied in anointing), from O.Fr. enoint "smeared on," pp. of enoindre "smear on," from L. inunguere, from in- "on" + unguere "to smear." Originally in ref. to grease or oil smeared on for medicinal purposes; its use in the Coverdale Bible in ref. to Christ (cf. The Lord's Anointed, see chrism) has spiritualized the sense of it.

anomaly --- 1571, from L. anomalia, from Gk. anomalia, noun of quality from anomalos "uneven, irregular," from an- "not" + homalos "even," from homos "same" (see same).

anomie --- 1591, anomy, "disregard of law," from Gk. a- "without" + nomos "law" (see numismatics). The modern use, with Fr. spelling (from Durkheim's "Suicide," 1897), is first attested 1933 and means "absence of accepted social values."

anon --- O.E., on an "into one, straightway (in one course), at once" (see one); by gradual misuse, "soon, in a little while" (1526).

anonymous --- 1601, from Gk. anonymos "without a name," from an- "without" + onyma, Æolic dialectal form of onoma "name" (see name).

anopheles --- genus of mosquitoes, 1899, Mod.L., coined by Ger. entomologist Johann Wilhelm Meigen, 1818, from Gk. anopheles "useless, hurtful, harmful," from priv. prefix an- + ophelos "use, help, advantage" (see Ophelia). So called because it conveys malaria.

anorexia --- 1598, "lack of appetite," from Gk. anorexia, from an- "without" + orexis "appetite, desire," from oregein "to desire, stretch out" (cognate with L. regere "to keep straight, guide, rule;" see regal). Anorexia nervosa "emaciation as a result of severe emotional disturbance" was coined 1873 by W.W. Gull. Anorectic "characterized by lack of appetite" is from 1894; Anorexic is from 1907 as an adj., with ref. to anorexia nervosa; as a n. meaning "person with anorexia nervosa" it is attested from 1913.

another --- c.1225, merger of "an other;" O.E. simply had oþer. Originally "a second of two."

Anschauung --- sense-perception, c.1856, from Ger., "mode of view," lit. "looking at," from anschauen "to look at," from M.H.G. aneschouwen (related to show (v.)). A term in Kantian philosophy.

anschluss --- 1924, from Ger., lit. "joining, union," from anschliessen "to join, annex," specifically the proposal to unite Germany and Austria, accomplished in 1938.

answer --- O.E. andswaru, from and- "against" (see ante-) + -swaru "affirmation," from swerian "to swear," reflecting the original sense of "make a sworn statement rebutting a charge." A common Gmc. compound (cf. O.S. antswor, O.N. andsvar, O.Fris. ondser), implying a P.Gmc. *andswara-. Meaning "a reply to a question," the main modern sense, was in O.E. Answerable "liable to be held responsible" is from 1548.

ant --- O.E. æmette, from W.Gmc. *amaitjo (cf. O.H.G. ameiza, Ger. Ameise) from a compound of bases *ai- "off, away" + *mait- "cut." Thus the insect's name is "the biter." Emmet survived into 20c. as alternate. White ant "termite" is from 1729. To have ants in one's pants "be nervous and fidgety" is from 1939; antsy "agitated, impatient" (1838) embodies the same notion. "As þycke as ameten crepeþ in an amete hulle" [chronicle of Robert of Gloucester, 1297]

antacid --- 1732, from anti- + acid.

Antaeus --- Libyan giant slain by Herakles, from Gk. Antaios, lit. "opposite, opposed to, hostile."

antagonist --- 1599, from L. antagonista, from Gk. antagonistes "competitor, opponent, rival," from antagonizesthai "to struggle against," from anti- "against" + agonizesthai "to contend for a prize" (see agony). Originally in battle or sport, extended 1626 to any sphere of human activity.

Antarctic --- 1366, antartyk, from O.Fr. antartique, from M.L. antarcticus, from Gk. antarktikos "opposite the north," from anti- "opposite" + arktikos "arctic" (see Arctic). The first -c- sound ceased to be pronounced in M.L. and was dropped in O.Fr. Modern spelling, which restores it, dates from 1601.

Antares --- bright star in Scorpio, from Gk. Antares, from anti Ares "rival of Mars," in reference to its red color, which is like that of Mars.

ante --- 1838 (n.), 1846 (v.), Amer.Eng. poker slang, apparently from L. ante "before," from PIE *anti "facing opposite, near, in front of, before" (cf. Skt. antah "end, border, boundary," Hittite hanti "opposite," Gk. anta, anten "opposite," anti "over against, opposite, before;" O.Lith. anta "on to;" Goth. anda "along;" O.E. and- "against;" Ger. ent- "along, against").

ante- --- prefix meaning "before," from L. ante (prep. and adv.) "before, in front of, opposite" from PIE *anti "facing opposite, near, in front of, before" (see ante).

ante meridiem --- 1563, from L., lit. "before noon," from ante (see ante) + acc. of meridies "midday, noon" (see meridian).

anteater --- 1764, of the S.Amer. species; 1868 of the Australian echidna.

ante-bellum --- L., lit. "before-the-war," in U.S., usually in ref. to Amer. Civil War (1861-65); first attested in June 14, 1862, entry in Mary Chesnut's diary.

antecedent --- 1393, from L. antecedentem (nom. antecedens), prp. of antecedere "go before," from ante- "before" (see ante) + cedere "to yield" (see cede). Used as a noun in L. philosophical writings.

antechamber --- 1656, from Fr. antichambre, on analogy of It. anticamera (see ante and chamber).

antediluvian --- before Noah's flood, 1646, formed from L. ante- "before" (see ante) + diluvium "a flood" (see deluge). Coined by Eng. physician Sir Thomas Browne (1605-82).

antelope --- 1417, from O.Fr. antelop, from M.L. ant(h)alopus, from Gk. antholops (attested in Eusebius of Antioch, c.336 C.E.), a fabulous animal haunting the banks of the Euphrates, very savage, hard to catch and having long saw-like horns capable of cutting down trees. Original sense and language unknown (it looks like Gk. "flower-eye," as if from anthos + ops, but that may be a result of Gk. folk etymology). A heraldic animal, also known in M.L. as talopus and calopus, the name was applied in 1607 to a living type of deer-like mammal. In the western U.S., used in ref. to the pronghorn.

antenna --- 1646, from L. antenna "sail yard," the long yard that sticks up on some sails, of unknown origin, perhaps from PIE base *temp- "to stretch, extend." In this sense, it is a loan-transl. of Gk. keraiai "horns" (of insects). Modern use in radio, etc., for "aerial wire" is from 1902.

anterior --- 1611, from L., lit. "former," comp. of ante "before" (see ante).

anthem --- O.E. ontemn, antefn, "a composition (in prose or verse) sung antiphonally," from L.L. antefana, from Gk. antiphona "verse response" (see antiphon). Sense evolved to "a composition set to sacred music" (c.1386), then "song of praise or gladness" (1591). Used in ref. to the English national song (technically a hymn) and extended to those of other nations.

anther --- from Fr. anthère, from Mod.L. anthera "a medicine extracted from a flower," from Gk. anthera, fem. of antheros "flowery," from anthos "flower," from PIE base *andh- "to bloom" (cf. Skt. andhas "herb," Armenian and "field," M.Ir. ainder "young girl," Welsh anner "young cow").

anthology --- 1640, from L. anthologia, from Gk. anthologia "flower-gathering," from anthos "a flower" (see anther) + logia "collection, collecting," from legein "gather" (see lecture). Modern sense (which emerged in Late Gk.) is metaphoric, "flowers" of verse, small poems by various writers gathered together.

Anthony --- masc. proper name, from L. Antonius, name of a Roman gens (with excrescent -h- probably suggested by many Gk. loan words beginning anth-, e.g. anthros "flower," anthropos "man"); St. Anthony (4c.), Egyptian hermit, patron saint of swineherds, to whom one of each litter was usually vowed, hence Anthony for "smallest pig of the litter (1662; in condensed form tantony pig from 1598). St. Anthony's Fire (1527), popular name for erysipelas, is so called from the tradition that those who sought his intercession recovered from that distemper during a fatal epidemic in 1089.

anthracite --- non-bituminous coal, 1812, earlier a type of ruby-like gem described by Pliny (1601), from L. anthracites "bloodstone, semi-precious gem," from Gk. anthrakites "coal-like," from anthrax (gen. anthrakos) "live coal" (see anthrax).

anthrax --- 1398, "any severe boil or carbuncle," from L., from Gk. anthrax, lit. "live coal," of unknown origin. Specific sense of the disease in sheep and cattle (and occasionally humans) is from 1876.

anthropo- --- prefix meaning "of man, pertaining to man," from comb. form of Gk. anthropos "man, human being" from Attic andra (gen. andros), from Gk. aner "man," from PIE *hner "man" (cf. Skt. nar-, Armenian ayr, Welsh ner). Anthropos sometimes is explained as a compound of aner and ops (gen. opos) "eye, face;" so lit. "he who has the face of a man."

anthropology --- science of the natural history of man, 1593, coined from Gk. anthropo- (see anthropo-) + -logia "study of."

anthropomorphic --- 1827, from anthropomorphous (1753), Anglicization of L.L. anthropomorphus "having human form," from Gk. anthropomorphos, from anthropos "human being" (see anthropo-) + morphe "form" (see morphine). Originally in reference to treating God or gods as having human form and human characteristics; of animals and other things from 1858.

anti- --- L. anti- from Gk. anti "against, opposite, instead of," from PIE *anti (see ante). Antisocial is from 1797. Anti-aircraft (adj.) first attested 1914; first record of anti-freeze is 1913 (adj.), 1935 as a noun; anti-matter first attested 1953. Antihistamine first attested 1933. Anti-American first recorded 1793, in ref. to parliamentary policies.

antibiotic --- 1894 (adj.), from Fr. antibiotique (c.1889), from anti- + Gk. biotikos "fit for life." As a noun, first recorded 1941, in works of physician Selman Waksman, discoverer of streptomycin.

antibody --- substance developed in blood as an antitoxin, 1901, from anti- "against" + body.

antic --- 1529, from It. antico "antique," from L. antiquus (see antique). Originally (like grotesque) referring to the strange and fantastic representations on ancient murals unearthed around Rome, later extended to anything bizarre.