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

antichrist --- c.1300, from L.L. antichristus, from Gk. antikhristos [I John ii.18], from anti- "against" + khristos (see Christ).

anticipate --- 1534, "accelerate," from L. anticipatus, pp. of anticipare "take (care of) ahead of time," from ante "before" (see ante) + capere "to take" (see capable). Used in the sense of "expect, look forward to" since 1749, but anticipate has an element of "prepare for, forestall" that should prevent its being used as a synonym for expect.

anticlimax --- the addition of a particular which suddenly lowers the effect, 1727, coined by Alexander Pope (1688-1744).

antidisestablishmentarianism --- 1838, said by Weekley to be first recorded in Gladstone's "Church and State," "in reference to a scheme directed against the Church of England," from establishment in the sense of "the ecclesiastical system established by law; the Church of England" (1731). Hence, establishmentarianism "the principle of a state church," and disestablish (1598) "to deprive (a church) of especial state patronage and support," first used specifically of Christianity in 1806. Rarely used at all now except in examples of the longest words, amongst which it has been counted since at least 1923.

antidote --- 1515, from L. antidotum, from Gk. antidoton "given as a remedy," lit. "given against," verbal adj. of antididonai "give in return," from anti- "against" + didonai "to give" (see date (1)).

antigen --- substance that causes production of an antibody, 1908, from Ger., from Fr. antigène (1899), from anti- + Gk. gennan "to produce."

Antigone --- daughter of Oedipus, her name may mean "in place of a mother," from anti- "opposite, in place of" + gone "womb, childbirth, generation."

antimacassar --- coined 1852, from anti- + macassar oil, imported hair tonic from Sulawesi. Cloth to protect chair and sofa fabric from people leaning their oily heads back against it.

antimony --- 1477, from M.L. antimonium an alchemist's term (used 11c. by Constantinus Africanus), origin obscure, probably a Latinization of Gk. stimmi, from some Arabic word (cf. 'othmud) or ult. from Egyptian stm "powdered antimony" (used to paint the eyelids). In folk etymology, anti-moine "monk's bane" (from Fr. moine). As a pure element, it is attested from 1788; chemical symbol Sb is for Stibium.

antinomian --- one who maintains the moral law is not binding on Christians under the law of grace, 1645, from M.L. Antinomi, name given to a sect of this sort that arose in Germany in 1535, from Gk. anti- "opposite, against" + nomos "rule, law" (see numismatics).

antipasto --- 1934, from It., from anti- "before" (see ante) + pasto "food." Earlier Anglicized as antepast (1590).

antipathy --- 1601, from L. antipathia, from Gk. antipatheia, noun of state from antipathes "opposed in feeling," from anti- "against" + root of pathos "feeling" (see pathos).

antiphon --- 1500, "a versicle sung responsively," from M.L. antiphona, from Gk. antiphona, from anti- "over against" + phone "voice" (see fame). A re-adoption of the word which had become anthem and lost its original meaning.

antipodes --- 1398, from L. antipodes "those who dwell on the opposite side of the earth," from Gk. antipodes, pl. of antipous "with feet opposite ours," from anti- "opposite" + pous "foot" (see foot), thus people who live on the opposite side of the world. Not to be confused with antiscii "those who live on the same meridian on opposite side of the equator," whose shadows fall at noon in the opposite direction, from Gk. anti- + skia "shadow." "Yonde in Ethiopia ben the Antipodes, men that haue theyr fete ayenst our fete." ["De Proprietatibus Rerum Bartholomeus Anglicus," translated by John of Trevisa, 1398]

antipope --- 1579 (c.1236 in Anglo-L.), from M.L. antipapa.

antiquarian --- one who studies or is fond of antiquities, 1610, from L. antiquarius "pertaining to antiquity," from antiquus (see antique).

antique (adj.) --- 1536, from M.Fr. antique, from L. antiquus "former, ancient," from PIE *anti in sense of "before" (locative singular of *ant- "front, forehead") + *okw- "appearance." The noun meaning "an old and collectible thing" is from 1771; the verb meaning "to give an antique appearance to" is from 1923. Originally pronounced in Eng. like its parallel antic, but Fr. pronunciation was eventually adopted. Antiquity "olden times" is from c.1380. Antiquated in the sense of "obsolete" is from 1623.

anti-Semitism --- 1881, from Ger. Antisemitismus, first used by Wilhelm Marr in 1880, from anti- + Semite (q.v.). Not etymologically restricted to anti-Jewish theories, actions or policies, but almost always used in this sense. Those who object to the inaccuracy of the term might try H. Adler's Judaeophobia (1882).

antiseptic --- 1751, coined from Gk. anti- "against" + sepsis "putrefaction."

antithesis --- 1529, from L.L. antithesis, from Gk. antithesis "opposition," lit. "a placing against," noun of action from antitithenai "to set against, oppose," a term in logic, from anti- "against" + tithenai "to place," from PIE base *dhe- "to put, to do" (see factitious).

antithetical --- 1583, from Gk. antithetikos, from antithetos "placed in opposition," from antithesis (see antithesis).

antler --- 1399, from Anglo-Fr. auntiler, from O.Fr. antoillier, perhaps from Gallo-Romance cornu *antoculare "horn in front of the eyes," from L. ante "before" (see ante) + ocularis "of the eyes." Doubted by some, because no similar word exists in any other Romance language, but cf. Ger. Augensprossen "antlers," lit. "eye-sprouts," for a similar formation.

Antonine --- 1686, in ref. to Roman emperors Antoninus Pius (ruled 138-161 C.E.) and Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (161-180).

antonym --- 1870, created to serve as opposite of synonym, from Gk. anti- "equal to, instead of, opposite" (see anti-) + -onym "name" (see name).

anus --- 1658, from O.Fr. anus, from L. anus "ring, anus," from PIE base *ano- "ring." Cf. Gk. daktylios "anus," lit. "ring (for the finger)," from daktylos "finger."

anvil --- O.E. anfilte, a W.Gmc. compound (cf. M.Du. anvilt, O.H.G. anafalz, Dan. ambolt) from *ana- "on" + *filtan "hit" (see felt (n.)). Anvil Chorus is based on the "Gypsy Song" that opens Act II of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore," first performed in Teatro Apollo, Rome, Jan. 19, 1853.

anxiety --- c.1525, from L. anxietatem (nom. anxietas), noun of quality from anxius (see anxious).

anxious --- 1623, from L. anxius "solicitous, uneasy, troubled in mind," from ang(u)ere "choke, cause distress" (see anger). The same image is in S.Cr. tjeskoba "anxiety," lit. "tightness, narrowness."

any --- O.E. ænig "any, anyone," lit. "one-y," from P.Gmc. *ainagas (cf. O.S. enig, O.N. einigr, O.Fris. enich, Du. enig, Ger. einig). Thr -y may have dim. force here. Any old is from 1896. Combinations anywise, anyone, anything date back to O.E.; anywhere is from c.1300; anybody 1490; anyway 1570 (but anyways, with adverbial genitive, is from 1560); anyhow 1740; anyplace 1934. Anywhen (1831) is rarely used.

Anzac --- 1915, acronym of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. First used in ref. to Gallipoli campaign.

A-OK --- 1961, abbreviation of all (systems) OK, originally in the jargon of astronauts. See OK.

aorist --- 1581, the simple past tense of Gk. verbs, from Gk. aoristos (khronos) "indefinite (tense)," from priv. prefix a- "not" + horistos "limited, defined," verbal adj. from horizein "to limit, define," from horos "boundary, limit, border."

aorta --- 1578, from M.L. aorta, from Gk. aorte, term applied by Aristotle to the great artery of the heart, lit. "what is hung up," from aeirein "to raise," of unknown origin, related to the second element in meteor. Used earlier by Hippocrates of the bronchial tubes.

AP --- abbreviation of Associated Press, first recorded 1879; the organization was founded May 1848 as co-operative news gathering effort among New York City newspaper publishers covering the war with Mexico.

ap- --- patronymic prefix in Welsh names (cf. Ap Rhys = Price, Ap Evan = Bevan), earlier map "son," cognate with Gaelic mac.

apace --- c.1350, from a- (1) "on" + pace (q.v.).

Apache --- 1745, from Amer.Sp. (1598), probably from Yavapai (a Yuman language) 'epache "people." Sometimes derived from Zuni apachu "enemy" (cf. F.W. Hodge, "American Indians," 1907), but this seems to have been the Zuni name for the Navajo. Fr. journalistic sense of "Parisian gangster or thug" first attested 1902. Apache dance was the WWI-era equivalent of 1990s' brutal "slam dancing."

apanage --- see appanage.

apart --- c.1380, from O.Fr. à part "to the side," from L. ad "to" + partem acc. of pars "a side."

apartheid --- 1947 (policy begun 1948), from Afrikaans apartheid (1929 in a S.African socio-political context), lit. "separateness," from Du. apart "separate" (from Fr. àpart; see apart) + suffix -heid, cognate of Eng. -hood. The official Eng. synonym was separate development (1955). " 'Segregation' is such an active word that it suggests someone is trying to segregate someone else. So the word 'apartheid' was introduced. Now it has such a stench in the nostrils of the world, they are referring to 'autogenous development.' " [Alan Paton, "New York Times," Oct. 24, 1960]

apartment --- 1641, "private rooms for the use of one person within a house," from Fr. appartement, from It. appartimento, lit. "a separated place," from appartere "to separate," from a "to" + parte "side, place" (see apart). Sense of "set of private rooms in a building entirely of these" (the U.S. equivalent of British flat) is first attested 1874.

apathy --- 1603, "freedom from suffering," from Fr. apathie, from L. apathia, from Gk. apatheia "freedom from suffering, impassability," from apathes "without feeling," from a- "without" + pathos "emotion, feeling, suffering" (see pathos). Originally a positive quality; sense of "indolence of mind, indifference to what should excite" is from c.1733.

APB --- police jargon acronym for all-points bulletin, first recorded 1960.

ape --- O.E. apa, from P.Gmc. *apan (cf. O.S. apo, O.N. api, Du. aap, Ger. affe), perhaps borrowed in P.Gmc. from Celtic (cf. O.Ir. apa) or Slavic (cf. O.Bohemian op, Slovak opitza), probably ult. from a non-I.E. language. The verb "to imitate" (1632) is implied in to play the ape (1579), and the noun sense of "one who mimics" may date from c.1230. Ape-man, hypothetical "missing link," is from 1879, in a translation of Haeckel. To go ape (in emphatic form, go apeshit) "go crazy" is 1955, U.S. slang. To lead apes in hell (1579) was the fancied fate of one who died an old maid.

apéritif --- 1894, "alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite," from Fr., lit. "opening," from L. aperitivus, from aperire "to open" (see overt).

aperture --- 1649, from L. apertura, from apertus, pp. of aperire "to open" (see overt).

apex --- 1601, from L. apex "summit, peak, tip" probably related to apere "to fasten, fix," hence "the tip of anything" (one of the meanings in L. was "small rod at the top of the flamen's cap"). Proper plural is apices.

aphasia --- loss of ability to speak, especially as result of brain injury or disorder, 1867, from Mod.L. aphasia, from Gk. a- "without" + phasis "utterance," from phanai "to speak," related to pheme "voice, report, rumor" (see fame).

aphelion --- point farthest from the sun (of a celestial body's orbit), 1676, from Mod.L. aphelium, the modern form an alteration by Johannes Kepler, based on Gk. apo heliou away from the sun," from apo "away from" + heliou, gen. of helios "sun" (see sol). The whole was formed on the model of Ptolemaic apogæum (see apogee) to reflect the new helio-centric model of the universe.

aphetic --- 1880, from aphesis, coined by OED editor Sir James A.H. Murray (1837-1915) for "gradual and unintentional loss of a short unaccented vowel at the beginning of a word" (as squire from esquire), from Gk. aphienai "to let go, to send forth," from apo- "from" + hienai "to send."

aphid --- 1884, Anglicized from Mod.L. aphides, pl. of aphis, coined by Linnaeus, though where he got it and why he applied it to the plant louse are mysteries. The theory favored by OED as "least improbable" is that it derives from the pl. of Gk. apheides "unsparing, lavishly bestowed," in ref. either to the "prodigious rate of production" of the insects or their voracity. They also are known as ant-cows.

aphorism --- 1528 (especially in ref. to the "Aphorisms of Hippocrates"), from M.Fr. aphorisme, from L.L. aphorismus, from Gk. aphorismos "definition, pithy sentence," from aphorizein "to mark off, divide" apo- "from" + horizein "to bound." An aphorism is a short, pithy statement containing a truth of general import; an axiom is a statement of self-evident truth; a theorem is a demonstrable proposition in science or mathematics; an epigram is like an aphorism, but lacking in general import. Maxim and saying can be used as synonyms for aphorism.

Aphra --- fem. proper name, apparently from a misunderstanding of Heb. bebheth 'Aphrah "in the house of Aphrah" (Mi. i.10), in which Aphrah probably is the name of a town, not a person.

aphrodisiac (n.) --- 1719, from Gk. aphrodisiakos "inducing sexual desire," from aphrodisios, "pertaining to Aphrodite" (q.v.), Gk. goddess of love and beauty.

Aphrodite (n.) --- Gk. goddess of love and beauty, her name is traditionally derived from Gk. aphros "foam," from the story of her birth, but perhaps it is ult. from Phoenician Ashtaroth (Assyrian Ishtar). In 17c. Eng., pronounced to rhyme with night, right, etc.

apiary --- 1654, from L. apiarium, neut. of apiarius "of bees," from apis "bee," a mystery word unrelated to any similar words in other I.E. languages.

apiece --- 1556, a contraction of a pece (1465), originally of coins, objects for sale, etc. (see piece).

aplenty --- 1830, originally U.S., from a- (1) + plenty (q.v.). First attested in writings of J. Fenimore Cooper.

aplomb --- assurance, confidence, 1828, from Fr., lit. "perpendicularity," from phrase à plomb "poised upright, balanced," lit. "on the plumb line," from L. plumbum "(the metal) lead" (see plumb), of which the weight at the end of the line was made.

apnea --- suspension of breathing, 1719, Mod.L., from Gk. apnoia "absence of respiration," from apnos "without breathing," from a- "not" + pneo/pnein "to breathe."

apo- --- prefix meaning "from, away from, separate," from Gk. apo, from PIE base *apo- "off, away" (cf. Skt. apa "away from," Avestan apa "away from," L. ab "away from, from," Goth. af, O.E. of "away from").

apo koinu --- 1892, from Gk., lit. "in common." Applied to sentences with one subject and two predicates; a formation rare in modern Eng., though it occurs in O.E.

apocalypse --- c.1384, "revelation, disclosure," from Church L. apocalypsis "revelation," from Gk. apokalyptein "uncover," from apo- "from" (see apo-) + kalyptein "to cover, conceal" (see Calypso). The Christian end-of-the-world story is part of the revelation in John of Patmos' book "Apokalypsis" (a title rendered into Eng. as "Apocalypse" c.1230 and "Revelations" by Wyclif c.1380).

Apocrypha --- 1387, from L.L. apocryphus "secret, not approved for public reading," from Gk. apokryphos "hidden, obscure," thus "(books) of unknown authorship" (especially those included in the Septuagint and Vulgate but not originally written in Hebrew and not counted as genuine by the Jews), from apo- "away" (see apo-) + kryptein "to hide." Properly plural (the single would be Apocryphon), but commonly treated as a collective sing. Apocryphal "of doubtful authenticity" is from 1590.

apogee --- point at which the moon is farthest from the earth, 1594, from Fr. apogée, from L. apogæum, from Gk. apogaion, neut. adj., away from the earth," a term from Ptolemaic astronomy, from apo "off, away" (see apo-) + gaia/ge "earth."

apolitical --- 1952, from a- "not" (see a- (3)) + political. First attested in writings of Mary McCarthy.

Apollo --- god of music, poetry, medicine, etc., later identified with Helios, the sun god; the name is a L. form of the Gk. Apollon, said to be related to an obs. Gk. verb meaning "to drive away" (evil, etc.).

Apollyon --- destroying angel of the bottomless pit (a name sometimes given to the Devil), 1382, from Gk. translation of Heb. Abaddon (q.v.), prp. of apollyein "to destroy utterly," from apo- "from, away from" + olluein "to destroy."

apology --- 1533, "defense, justification," from L.L. apologia, from Gk. apologia "a speech in defense," from apologeisthai "to speak in one's defense," from apologos "an account, story," from apo- "from, off" (see apo-) + logos "speech." The original Eng. sense of "self-justification" yielded a meaning "frank expression of regret for wrong done," first recorded 1594, but it was not the main sense until 18c. The old sense tends to emerge in Latin form apologia (first attested 1784), especially since J.H. Newman's "Apologia pro Vita Sua" (1864). The Gk. equivalent of apologize (1725 in the modern sense of "acknowledge and express regret"), apologizesthai, meant simply "to give an account."

apoplexy --- c.1386, "sudden fit of paralysis and dizziness," from L.L. apoplexia, from Gk. apoplexia, from apoplessein "to strike down and incapacitate," from apo- "off" (see apo-), in this case probably an intensive prefix, + plessein "hit." The L. translation, sideratio, means "disease caused by a constellation."

apostate --- 1340, "one who forsakes his religion or faith," from L.L. apostata, from Gk. apostasia "defection, desertion, rebellion," from apostenai "to defect," lit. "to stand off," from apo- "away from" (see apo-) + stenai "to stand." Used in non-religious situations (politics, etc.) from 1362.

apostle --- O.E. apostol "messenger," but esp. of the 12 witnesses sent forth by Jesus to preach his Gospel, from L.L. apostolus, from Gk. apostolos "messenger, person sent forth," from apostellein "send away, send forth," from apo- "away" (see apo-) + stellein "to send" (cf. epistle). The current form of the word, predominant since 16c., is infl. by O.Fr. apostle (12c.), from the same L.L. source. Fig. sense of "chief advocate of a new principle or system" is from 1810. Apostles, short for "The Acts and Epistles of the Apostles," is attested from c.1400.

apostrophe --- 1588, from M.Fr. apostrophe, from L.L. apostrophus, from Gk. apostrophos (prosoidia) "(the accent of) turning away," thus, a mark showing where a letter has been omitted, from apostrephein "avert, turn away," from apo- "from" (see apo-) + strephein "to turn" (see strophe). In Eng., the mark usually represents loss of -e- in -es, possessive ending. Gk. also used this word for a "turning aside" of an orator in speech to address some individual, a sense first recorded in Eng. 1533.

apothecary --- 1366, "shopkeeper," from O.Fr. apotecaire (13c.), from L.L. apothecarius "storekeeper," from L. apotheca "storehouse," from Gk. apotheke "storehouse," lit. "a place where things are put away," from apo- "away" (see apo-) + tithenai "to put," from PIE base *dhe- "to put, to do" (see factitious). Cognate compounds produced Skt. apadha- "concealment," O.Pers. apadana- "palace." Drugs and herbs being among the chief items of non-perishable goods, the meaning narrowed 17c. to "druggist" (Apothecaries' Company of London separated from the Grocers' in 1617). Same root produced Fr. boutique and Sp. bodega.

apothegm --- 1553, from Gk. apophthegma "terse, pointed saying," lit. "something clearly spoken," from apophthengesthai "to speak one's opinion plainly," from apo- "from" (see apo-) + phthengesthai "to utter." See aphorism for nuances of usage. Spelling apophthegm, restored by Johnson, is preferred in England, according to OED.

apotheosis --- 1605, from L.L. apotheosis, from Gk. apotheosis, from apotheoun "deify, make (someone) a god," from apo- special use of this prefix, meaning, here, "change" + theos "god."

Appalachian --- N.Amer. mountain range, 1607, Mountaynes Apalatsi; written apalachen by Sp. explorers and originally in ref. only to the southern end of the range. Originally the name of the Apalachee, a Muskogean people of northwestern Fla., perhaps from Apalachee abalahci "other side of the river" or Hitchiti (Muskogean) apalwahci "dwelling on one side." Spelling shifted under infl. of adjectives in -ian.

appall --- c.1315, from O.Fr. apalir "become or make pale," from a- "to" + palir "grow pale," from L. pallere (see pallor). Meaning of "cause dismay or shock," is 16c.

Appaloosa --- breed of horses favored by Indian tribes in U.S. West, 1849, either from Opelousa in Louisiana or Palouse Indians, who lived near river of that name in Idaho, in which case it is probably a Nez Percé word. Opelousa is perhaps from Choctaw api losa "black body;" while Palouse is from Sahaptin palou:s "what is standing up in the water."

appanage --- 1602, from Fr. apanage, from apaner "to endow with means of subsistence," from M.L. appanare "equip with bread," from ad- "to" + panis "bread." Originally, provisions made for younger children of royalty. The double -p- restored in Fr. 15c.-16c., in Eng. 17c.

apparatchik --- Communist agent or spy, 1941, originally in writings of Arthur Koestler, from Rus., from apparat "political organization," from Ger. apparat "apparatus, instrument," from L. apparatus (see apparatus).

apparatus --- 1628, from L. apparatus "equipment, preparation," n. of state from apparare "prepare," from ad- "to" + parare "make ready" (see pare).

apparel --- c.1250, "to equip (in any way)," from O.Fr. apareillier, from V.L. *appariculare, from L. apparare "prepare, make ready" (see apparatus), or from V.L. *ad-particulare "to put things together." The meaning "to attire in proper clothing" is from 1362; noun sense of "personal outfit or attire" is from 1330.

apparent --- c.1375, from O.Fr. aparant, from L. apparentem (nom. apparens), prp. of apparere (see appear). First attested in phrase heir apparent (see heir). Apparently in the sense of "as far as one can judge, seemingly," first attested 1846.

apparition --- c.1525, from Anglo-Fr. aparicion, from O.Fr. apparition, used in reference to the Epiphany (revealing of Christ child to the Wise Men), from L.L. apparitionem (nom. apparitio) "an appearance," also "attendants," in classical L. "service, servants," from pp. stem of apparere "appear" (see appear). Meaning "ghost" first recorded 1601.

appeal --- 1297 (n.), 1330 (v.), originally in legal sense of "calling" to a higher judge or court, from Anglo-Fr. apeler "to call upon, accuse," from L. appellare "to accost, address, appeal to, summon, name," iterative of appellere "to prepare," from ad- "to" + pellere "to beat, drive." Probably a Roman metaphoric extension of a nautical term for "driving a ship toward a particular landing." Popular modern meaning "to be attractive or pleasing" is quite recent, attested from 1907 (appealing in this sense is from 1891), from the notion of "to address oneself in expectation of a sympathetic response."

appear --- c.1250, from O.Fr. aper-, stem of apareir, from L. apparere "to appear," from ad- "to" + perere "to come forth, be visible." Appearance "look, aspect" is from c.1385.

appease --- 1330, from O.Fr. apeser "to pacify, appease," from the phrase a paisier "bring to peace," from a- "to" + pais, from L. pacem (nom. pax) "peace." Appeasement (1439) first recorded 1919 in international political sense; not pejorative until failure of Chamberlain's policy toward Germany in 1939 (Methods of appeasement was Chamberlain's description of his policy).

appellate --- pertaining to appeals, 1768, from L. appellatus, pp. of appellare (see appeal). Appellation "name given to a person, thing, or class" first recorded 1447, from M.Fr. appeler.

append --- 1646, "to hang on, attach as a pendant," from L. appendere "to cause to hang (from something), weigh," from ad- "to" + pendere "hang" (see pendant). Meaning "to attach as an appendix" is first recorded 1843. Appendage first recorded 1649.