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

crow (n.) --- O.E. crawe, imitative of bird's cry. Phrase eat crow is probably based on the notion that the bird is edible when boiled but hardly agreeable; first attested 1851, Amer.Eng., but said to date to War of 1812 (Walter Etecroue turns up 1361 in the Calendar of Letter Books of the City of London). Crow's foot "wrinkle around the corner of the eye" is c.1374. Crowbar (c.1400) is either from resemblance to a crow's foot or possibly from crows, from O.Fr. cros, pl. of croc "hook." Phrase as the crow flies first recorded 1800. The Crow Indian tribe of the American Midwest is a rough translation of their own name, Apsaruke.

crow (v.) --- O.E. crawian "make a loud noise like a crow;" sense of "exult in triumph" is 1522, perhaps in part because the English crow is a carrion-eater.

crowd --- O.E. crudan "to press, crush." The noun is first attested 1567; the earlier word was press.

crown --- 1111, from Anglo-Fr. coroune, from O.Fr. corone, from L. corona "crown," originally "wreath, garland," related to Gk. korone "anything curved, kind of crown." (O.E. used corona, directly from L.) Extended to coins bearing the imprint of a crown (1430), especially the British silver 5-shilling piece. Also monetary units in Iceland, Sweden (krona), Norway, Denmark (krone), and formerly in Ger. Empire and Austria-Hungary (krone). Meaning "top of the skull" is from c.1300. The verb is from c.1175. Crown-prince is 1791, a translation of Ger. kronprinz.

crozier --- 1290, from O.Fr. crocier, from M.L. crociarius "bearer of a cross," from crocia "cross;" also from O.Fr. croisier "one who bears or has to do with a cross." The two words merged in M.E. Technically, "the bearer of a bishop's pastoral staff;" erroneously applied to the staff itself since 1733.

crucial --- 1706, from Fr. crucial, a medical term for ligaments of the knee (which cross each other), from L. crux (gen. crucis) "cross." The meaning "decisive, critical" is extended from a logical term, Instantias Crucis, adopted by Francis Bacon (1620); the notion is of cross fingerboard signposts at forking roads, thus a requirement to choose.

crucible --- 1460, from M.L. crucibulum "melting pot for metals," originally "night lamp." First element might be M.H.G. kruse "earthen pot." Used of any severe test or trial since 1645.

crucifix --- c.1225, from O.Fr. crucefix, from L. cruci fixus "(one) fixed to the cross."

crucify --- c.1300, from O.Fr. crucifer, from V.L. *crucificare, from L.L. crucifigere "to fasten to a cross," from cruci, dat. of L. crux "cross" + figere "fasten" (see fix). An ancient mode of capital punishment considered especially ignominious by the Romans.

crud --- nonsense, rubbish, 1940, U.S. slang; originally 1920s army and college student slang for "venereal disease." Said to be a metathesis variant of curd, which actually makes it an unconscious return to the original M.E. form of that word (see curd). As G.I. name for "disease of any and every sort" it is attested from 1945.

crude --- c.1386, from L. crudus "rough, raw, bloody." Originally "in a raw state;" meaning "lacking grace" is first attested 1650.

crudités --- 1960, from Fr., lit. "raw things" (see crude).

cruel --- c.1225, from O.Fr. cruel, earlier crudel, from L. crudelem "unfeeling, cruel," related to crudus "rough, raw, bloody."

cruet --- small glass bottle for vinegar, oil, etc., 1382, Anglo-Fr. dim. of O.Fr. crue "an earthen pot," from Frank. *kruka (cf. O.H.G. kruog), related to crock.

cruise --- 1651, from Du. kruisen "to cross, sail to and fro," from kruis "cross," from L. crux. In the naval sense, cruiser is 1679; in 18c. commonly applied to privateers; of police cars, 1929.

cruller --- 1818, Amer.Eng., apparently from Du. cruller, from crullen "to curl."

crumb --- O.E. cruma, from a W.Gmc. root of obscure origin. The -b- appeared c.1450, in part by analogy with words like dumb, in part from crumble (q.v.). Slang meaning "lousy person" is 1918, from crumb, U.S. slang for "body-louse" (1863), so called from resemblance.

crumble --- O.E. *crymelan, presumed freq. of gecrymman "to break into crumbs," from cruma (see crumb). The -b- is probably on analogy of Fr. words like humble, where it belongs. Crummy "easily crumbled" (1567) yielded a slang sense of "poorly made" (1859), but probably was influenced by mid-19c. slang crumb "body louse" (cf. lousy).

crumpet --- 1694, perhaps from crompid cake "wafer," lit. "curled-up cake" (1382), from crompid, pp. of crumpen "curl up." Alternate etymology is from Celtic (cf. Breton krampoez "thin, flat cake"). Slang meaning "woman regarded as a sex object" is first recorded 1936.

crumple --- c.1300, crumplen, freq. of crumpen "to curl up," from O.E. crump "bent, crooked."

crunch --- 1814, from craunch (1631), probably of imitative origin. The noun is 1836, from the verb; the sense of "critical moment" was popularized by Winston Churchill, whose first recorded use of it was in 1939. Crunchy is from 1892; student slang sense of "annoyingly intense about health or environmental issues" is 1980s, short for crunchy granola; not entirely pejorative at first.

crusade --- 1706, respelling of croisade (1577), from M.Fr. croisade, Sp. cruzada, both from M.L. cruciata, pp. of cruciare "to mark with a cross," from L. crux (gen. crucis) "cross." Figurative sense of "campaign against a public evil" is from 1786.

cruse --- small vessel for liquids, c.1420, perhaps related to O.N. krus "pot, tankard," from a general Gmc. root of unknown origin.

crush --- 1398, from O.Fr. croisir "to gnash (teeth), crash, break," perhaps from Frank. *krostjan "to gnash." Sense of "person one is infatuated with" is first recorded 1884; to have a crush on is from 1913.

crust --- c.1325, from L. crusta "rind, crust, shell, bark," from PIE *krus-to-, from base *kreus- "to begin to freeze, form a crust" (cf. Skt. krud- "make hard, thicken;" Avestan xruzdra- "hard;" Gk. krystallos "ice, crystal," kryos "icy cold, frost;" Lett. kruwesis "frozen mud;" O.H.G. hrosa "ice, crust;" O.E. hruse "earth;" O.N. hroðr "scurf"). Meaning "outer shell of the earth" is from 1555. Crusty in the figurative sense of "short-tempered" is from 1570.

crustacean --- 1835, from Mod.L. Crustacea, the class name (introduced by Lamarck, 1801), neut. pl. of adj. crustaceus "having a crust or shell," from L. crusta "crust, hard shell" (see crust).

crutch --- O.E. crycce "staff," from P.Gmc. *krukjo. Figurative sense is first recorded 1602.

cry --- c.1225, from O.Fr. crier, from L. quiritare "to wail, shriek," var. of quirritare "to squeal like a pig," from *quis, echoic of squealing, despite ancient folk etymology that traces it to "call for the help of the Quirites," the Roman constabulary. The meaning was extended 13c. to weep, which it largely replaced by 16c. Most languages, like Eng., use the general word for "cry out, shout, wail" to also mean "weep, shed tears to express pain or grief." Romance and Slavic, however, use words for this whose ultimate meaning is "beat (the breast)," cf. Fr. pleurer, Sp. llorar, both from L. plorare "cry aloud," but probably originally plodere "beat, clap the hands." Also It. piangere (cognate with Fr. plaindre "lament, pity") from L. plangere, originally "beat," but especially of the breast, as a sign of grief. Crybaby is first recorded 1851, Amer.Eng. U.S. colloquial for crying out loud is 1924, probably another euphemism for for Christ's sake.

cryogenic --- 1902, from cryo- "freezing" (from Gk. kryos "icy cold," related to kryeros "chilling;" see crust) + -genic "having to do with production."

crypt --- 1432, "grotto, cavern," from L. crypta "vault, cavern," from Gk. krypte, fem. of kryptos "hidden," from kryptein "to hide." Meaning "underground burial vault or chapel in a church" first attested 1789. Cryptic "hidden, occult" is first recorded 1638. Crypto- as a prefix meaning "concealed, secret" has been used since 1760. Cryptogram is from 1880.

cryselephantine --- 1827, from Gk. khryselephantinos "of gold and ivory," applied to statues overlaid with gold and ivory, such as Athene Parthenos and Olympian Zeus.

crystal --- O.E. cristal "clear ice, clear mineral," from O.Fr. cristal, from L. crystallum "crystal, ice," from Gk. krystallos, from kryos "frost," from PIE base *kru(s)- "hard, hard outer surface" (see crust). The mineral has been so-called since O.E.; it was regarded by the ancients as a sort of fossilized ice. As a shortened form of crystal-glass it dates from 1594.

cub --- 1530, cubbe "young fox," perhaps from O.Ir. cuib "whelp," or from O.N. kobbi "seal." Extended to the young of bears, lions, etc., after 1596. Cub Scout is from 1922.

Cuba --- said to be from Taino (Arawakan) Cubanacan, the name of the people who occupied the island.

cubbyhole --- 1825, of unknown origin, the first element possibly from cub "pen" (1546); or related to cuddy "small room, cupboard" (1793), originally "small cabin in a boat" (1660). Or perhaps simply a children's made-up word.

cube --- 1551, from L. cubus, from Gk. kybos "a cube, a die, vertebra," from PIE base *keu(b)- "to bend, turn." The verb is 1588 in the mathematical sense; 1947 with meaning "cut in cubes." Cubism first recorded 1911, from Fr. cubisme (1908).

cubicle --- 1483, from L. cubiculum "bedroom," from cubare "to lie down," orig. "bend oneself," from PIE base *keu(b)- "to bend, turn." Obsolete from 16c., but revived 19c. for "dormitory sleeping compartment," sense of "any partitioned space" (such as a library carrel) is first recorded 1926.

cubit --- c.1325, from L. cubitum "the elbow," ancient unit of measure based on the forearm from elbow to fingertip, usually from 18 to 22 inches. Such a measure, known by a word meaning "forearm" or the like, was known to many peoples (e.g. Gk. pekhys, Heb. ammah).

cucking stool --- 1215, from cuck "to void excrement," from O.N. kuka "feces" (the chair was sometimes in the form of a close-stool). Also known as trebucket and castigatory, it was used on disorderly women and fraudulent tradesmen, either in the form of public exposure to ridicule or for ducking in a pond.

cuckold --- c.1250, from O.Fr. cucuault, from cucu (see cuckoo) + pejorative suffix. So called from the female bird's alleged habit of changing mates, or her authentic habit of leaving eggs in another bird's nest. The verb is 1589, from the noun.

cuckoo --- c.1240, from O.Fr. cucu, echoic of the male bird's mating cry (cf. Gk. kokkyx, L. cuculus, Skt. kokilas). Slang sense of "crazy" (adj.) is Amer.Eng. 1918, but noun meaning "stupid person" is first recorded 1581, perhaps from the bird's unvarying, oft-repeated call. The O.E. was geac, cognate with O.N. gaukr, source of Scot. and northern Eng. gowk. The Gmc. words were presumably originally echoic, too, but had drifted in form and were replaced by the Fr. form. Cuckoo clock is from 1789.

cucumber --- c.1384, from O.Fr. cocombre, from L. cucumis (acc. cucumerem), perhaps from a pre-Italic Mediterranean language. Replaced O.E. eorþæppla (pl.), lit. "earth-apples." Cowcumber was common form 17c.-18c., and that pronunciation lingered into 19c. Planted as a garden vegetable by 1609 by Jamestown colonists. Phrase cool as a cucumber (c.1732) embodies ancient folk knowledge confirmed by science in 1970: inside of a field cucumber on a warm day is 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature.

cud --- O.E. cudu "cud," earlier cwudu, from PIE base *gwet- "resin, gum."

cuddle --- c.1520, probably a variant of obs. cull, coll "to embrace" (see collar), or perhaps M.E. *couthelen, from couth "known," hence "comfortable with." The word has a spotty early history, and it seems to have been a nursery word at first.

cudgel --- O.E. cycgel "club with rounded head;" not known in other Gmc. languages; perhaps from PIE base *geu- "to curve, bend." The verb is from 1596.

cue (1) --- stage direction, 1553, from Q, used 16c., 17c. in plays to indicate actors' entrances, probably abbrev. of L. quando "when" or a similar word. The verb is 1928, from the noun.

cue (2) --- billiard stick, 1749, var. of queue (q.v.). Cue ball first recorded 1881.

cuff (n.) --- 1362, cuffe "hand covering," perhaps somehow from M.L. cuffia "head covering," of uncertain origin. Sense of "band around the sleeve" is first attested 1522; sense of "hem of trousers" is 1911. Off the cuff "extemporaneously" is 1938 Amer.Eng. colloquial, suggesting an actor or speaker reading from notes jotted on his shirt sleeves rather than learned lines. Cuff links is from 1897.

cuff (v.) --- hit, 1530, perhaps from Sw. kuffa "to thrust, push."

cui bono --- 1604, a L. phrase from Cicero. It means "to whom for a benefit," or "who profits by it?" not "to what good purpose?" as is often erroneously claimed.

cuirass --- 1464, from M.Fr. cuirasse, from L.L. coriacea vestis "garment of leather," from L. corium "leather, hide."

cuisine --- 1786, from Fr. cuisine, lit. "kitchen," from L.L. cocina, earlier coquina "kitchen," from L. coquere "to cook" (see cook (n.)).

culdee --- 1144, from O.Ir. cele de "anchorite," from cele "associate," sometimes "servant" + de "of God." Probably an attempt to translate some L. term for "religious hermit."

cul-de-sac --- 1738, as an anatomical term, from Fr., lit. "bottom of a sack," from L. culus "bottom" (for second element, see sack (n.1)). Application to streets and alleys is from 1800.

culinary --- 1638, "of the kitchen," from L. culinarius, from culina "kitchen." Meaning "of cookery" is from 1651.

cull --- c.1330, originally "put through a strainer," from O.Fr. coillir "collect, gather, select," from L. colligere "gather together," originally "choose, select" (see collect).

culminate --- 1647, from L.L. culminatus, pp. of culminare "to crown," from L. culmen (gen. culminis) "peak, summit," contraction of columen (see column).

culpable --- c.1280, coupable, from O.Fr. coupable, from L. culpabilis, from culpa "crime, fault, blame." Both Eng. and Fr. restored the first Latin -l- in later Middle Ages.

culprit --- 1678, from Anglo-Fr. cul prit, contraction of Culpable: prest (d'averrer nostre bille) "guilty, ready (to prove our case)," words used by prosecutor in opening a trial. It seems the abbreviation cul. prit was mistaken in Eng. for an address to the defendant.

cult --- 1617, "worship," also "a particular form of worship," from Fr. culte, from L. cultus "care, cultivation, worship," originally "tended, cultivated," pp. of colere "to till" (see colony). Rare after 17c.; revived mid-19c. with reference to ancient or primitive rituals. Meaning "devotion to a person or thing" is from 1829.

cultivate --- 1620, from M.L. cultivatus, pp. of cultivare, from L.L. cultivus "tilled," from L. cultus (see cult). Figurative sense of "improve by training or education" is from 1681.

culture --- 1440, "the tilling of land," from L. cultura, from pp. stem of colere "tend, guard, cultivate, till" (see cult). The figurative sense of "cultivation through education" is first attested 1510. Meaning "the intellectual side of civilization" is from 1805; that of "collective customs and achievements of a people" is from 1867. Slang culture vulture is from 1947. Culture shock first recorded 1940. "For without culture or holiness, which are always the gift of a very few, a man may renounce wealth or any other external thing, but he cannot renounce hatred, envy, jealousy, revenge. Culture is the sanctity of the intellect." [William Butler Yeats]

culvert --- 1773, origin unknown, perhaps, as Weekley suggests, the name of a long-forgotten engineer or bridge-builder.

cum --- (v. and n.) seems to be a modern (by 1973) variant of the sexual sense of come that originated in pornographic writing, perhaps first in the noun sense. This "experience sexual orgasm" slang meaning of come (perhaps originally come off) is attested from 1650, in "Walking In A Meadowe Greene," in a folio of "loose songs" collected by Bishop Percy. They lay soe close together, they made me much to wonder; I knew not which was wether, until I saw her under. Then off he came, and blusht for shame soe soon that he had endit; Yet still she lies, and to him cryes, "one more and none can mend it." As a noun meaning "semen or other product of orgasm" it is on record from the 1920s. The sexual cum seems to have no connection with L. cum, the preposition meaning "with, together with," which is occasionally used in English in local names of combined parishes or benifices (e.g. Chorlton-cum-Hardy), in popular Latin phrases (e.g. cum laude), or as a combining word to indicate a dual nature or function (e.g. slumber party-cum-bloodbath).

cum laude --- 1872, originally at Harvard, from M.L., lit. "with praise," from L. cum "with" + laude, abl. of laus (gen. laudis) "praise." Probably from earlier use (in L.) at German universities such as Heidelberg.

Cumæan --- 1731, from Cumæ, from Gk. Kyme, ancient city on the It. coast near Naples, founded by Greeks 8c. B.C.E.; especially famous for the Sybil there, mentioned by Virgil.

Cumberland --- O.E. Cumbra land (945) "region of the Cymry" (see Cymric).

cumbersome --- 1375, acombren "obstructing progress," from O.Fr. encombrer, from combre "obstruction, barrier," from V.L. *comboros "that which is carried together," perhaps from a Gaulish word. The roots are PIE *kom (see com-) + *bher- "to bear" (see infer). Meaning "unwieldy, hard to carry" is from 1594.

cumin --- O.E. cymen, from L. cuminum, from Gk. kyminon, cognate with Heb. kammon, Ar. kammun.

cummerbund --- 1616, from Hindi kamarband "loin band," from Pers. kamar "waist" + band "something that ties," from Avestan banda- "bond, fetter," from PIE base *bhendh- "to bind" (see bend).

cumulative --- 1605, from L. cumulatus, pp. of cumulare "to heap," from cumulus "heap" (see cumulus).

cumulus --- 1659, "a heap," from L. cumulus "heap," from PIE *ku-m-olo-, suffixed shortened form of base *keue- "to swell" (cf. Skt. svayati "swells up, is strong," Gk. kyein "to swell," Lith. šaunas "firm, solid, fit, capable"). Meteorological use for "rounded mass of clouds" first attested 1803.

cuneiform --- 1677, "wedge shaped," from Fr. cunéiforme, from L. cuneus "a wedge," of unknown origin + form. Applied 1818 to characters in ancient Middle Eastern inscriptions made with wedge-shaped writing tools.

cunnilingus --- 1887, from Mod.L. cunnus "vulva" (see cunt) + lingere "to lick" (see lick (v.)). The L. properly would mean "one who licks a vulva," but it is used in Eng. in reference to the action, not the actor. The verb ought to be cunnilingue. "Cunnilingus was a very familiar manifestation in classical times; ... it tends to be especially prevalent at all periods of high civilization." [Havelock Ellis, 1905]

cunning --- c.1325, prp. of cunnen "to know" (see can (v.)). Originally meaning "learned;" the sense of "skillfully deceitful" is probably 14c.

cunt --- female intercrural foramen, or, as some 18c. writers refer to it, "the monosyllable," M.E. cunte "female genitalia," akin to O.N. kunta, from P.Gmc. *kunton, of uncertain origin. Some suggest a link with L. cuneus "wedge," others to PIE base *geu- "hollow place," still others to PIE *gwen-, root of queen and Gk. gyne "woman." The form is similar to L. cunnus "female pudenda," which is likewise of disputed origin, perhaps lit. "gash, slit," from PIE *sker- "to cut," or lit. "sheath," from PIE *kut-no-, from base *(s)keu- "to conceal, hide." First known reference in Eng. is said to be c.1230 Oxford or London street name Gropecuntlane, presumably a haunt of prostitutes. Avoided in public speech since 15c.; considered obscene since 17c. Du. cognate de kont means "a bottom, an arse." Du. also has attractive poetic slang ways of expressing this part, such as liefdesgrot, lit. "cave of love," and vleesroos "rose of flesh." Alternate form cunny is attested from c.1720 but is certainly much earlier and forced a change in the pronunciation of coney (q.v.), but it was good for a pun while coney was still the common word for "rabbit": "A pox upon your Christian cockatrices! They cry, like poulterers' wives, 'No money, no coney.' " [Massinger, 1622]

cup --- O.E. cuppe, from L.L. cuppa, from L. cupa "tub," from PIE *keup- "a hollow." The Ger. cognate Kopf now means exclusively "head" (cf. Fr. tête, from L. testa "potsherd"). Meaning "part of a bra that holds a breast" is from 1938. Cupcake is 1828, Amer.Eng. Cupboard (c.1325) was originally a board or table to place cups and plates on; sense extended 1530 to "a closet or cabinet for food, etc." [One's] cup of tea "what interests one" (1932), earlier used of persons (1908), the sense being "what is invigorating."

cupidity --- 1436, from Anglo-Fr. cupidite, from M.Fr. cupidité, from L. cupiditas "passionate desire," from cupidus "eager, passionate," from cupere "to desire" (perhaps cognate with Skt. kupyati "bubbles up, becomes agitated," O.Slav. kypeti "to boil," Lith. kupeti "to boil over"). The Latin n. form cupido was personified as the Roman god of love, Cupido, identified with Gk. Eros; but in Eng. cupidity originally, and still especially, means "desire for wealth."

cupola --- 1549, from L. cupula, dim. of cupa "cask, barrel" (see cup).

cur --- c.1225, curre, earlier kurdogge, probably from O.N. kurra or M.L.G. korren both echoic, both meaning "to growl."

curare --- 1777, from Port. or Sp. curare, a corruption of the name in the Carib language of the Macusi Indians of Guyana, wurali or wurari, which had a sort of click sound at the beginning, and is said to mean "he to whom it comes falls."

curate --- c.1340, from M.L. curatus "one responsible for the care (of souls)," from L. curatus, pp. of curare "to take care of." Church of England sense of "paid deputy priest of a parish" first recorded 1557.

curator --- 1362, from L. curator "overseer, guardian," from curare (see curate). Originally of minors, lunatics, etc.; meaning "officer in charge of a museum, library, etc." is from 1661.

curb --- 1477, "strap passing under the jaw of a horse," from O.Fr. courbe "curve, curb," from L. curvus, from curvare "bend" (see curve). Meaning "enclosed framework" is from 1511, probably originally with a notion of "curved;" extended to margins of garden beds 1731; to "margin of stone between a sidewalk and road" 1836 (sometimes spelled kerb). The verb (1530) is from the notion of putting a curb on a horse; fig. sense first attested 1588.

curd --- 16c. metathesis of crud (1362), originally "any coagulated substance," probably from O.E. crudan "to press, drive," from PIE base *greut- "to press, coagulate," perhaps via ancestor of Gael. gruth (since cognates are unknown in other Gmc. or Romance languages). Curdle is c.1630, from crudle (1590), frequentative of crud.

cure --- c.1300, from L. cura "care, concern, trouble," from PIE base *kois- "be concerned." In reference to fish, pork, etc., first recorded 1743. Cure-all in general sense is from 1870; as a name of various plants, it is attested from 1793.

Curetes --- from L. Curetes, from Gk. Kouretes, pl. of Koures, lit. "youthful," related to koros "youth, child."

curfew --- c.1320, from Anglo-Fr. coeverfu (1285), from O.Fr. covrefeu, lit. "cover fire," from couvre, imper. of couvrir "to cover" + feu "fire." The medieval practice of ringing a bell at fixed time in the evening as an order to bank the hearths and prepare for sleep. The original purpose was to prevent conflagrations from untended fires. The modern extended sense of "periodic restriction of movement" had evolved by 1800s.

curia --- 1600, one of the ten divisions of each of the three ancient Roman tribes. Also "the Senate-house of Rome," transferred to the Papal court (1840).

curie --- unit of radioactivity, 1910, from Pierre Curie (1859-1906), who with his wife, Marie (1867-1934), discovered radium.

curio --- piece of bric-a-brac from the Far East, 1851, shortened form of curiosity.