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

deserve --- 1292, from O.Fr. deservir, from L. deservire "serve well," from de- "completely" + servire "to serve." From "be entitled to because of good service" (s sense found in L.L.), meaning generalized c.1300 to "be worthy of."

desiccation --- 1477, from L.L. desiccationem, from L. desiccare, from de- "thoroughly" + siccare "to dry."

desiderata --- pl. of desideratum (1652), from L., lit. "something for which desire is felt," from pp. stem of desiderare "to long for" (see desire).

design --- 1548, from L. designare "mark out, devise," from de- "out" + signare "to mark," from signum "a mark, sign." Originally in Eng. with the meaning now attached to designate (1646, from L. designatus, pp. of designare); many modern uses of design are metaphoric extensions. Designer (adj.) in the fashion sense of "prestigious" is first recorded 1966; designer drug is from 1983. Designing "scheming" is from 1671. Designated hitter introduced in American League baseball in 1973, soon giving wide figurative extension to designated.

desire --- c.1230, from O.Fr. desirer, from L. desiderare "long for, wish for," original sense perhaps "await what the stars will bring," from the phrase de sidere "from the stars," from sidus (gen. sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (but see consider). Noun sense of "lust" is first recorded c.1340.

desist --- 1459, from M.Fr. desister (1358), from L. desistere, from de- "off" + sistere "stop, come to a stand" (see assist).

desk --- 1363, from M.L. desca "table to write on" (c.1250), from L. discus "quoit, platter, dish," from Gk. diskos. The M.L. is perhaps via It. desco. Used figuratively of office or clerical work since 1797; desk job is first attested 1965. Desk-top (adj.) is from 1958; desk-top publishing first recorded 1984.

desmo- --- used in scientific compound words, from Gk. desmos "bond, fastening, chain."

desolate --- c.1374, "without companions," also "uninhabited," from L. desolatus, pp. of desolare "leave alone, desert," from de- "completely" + solare "make lonely." Sense of "joyless" is 15c.

despair --- c.1325, from O.Fr. desperer "lose hope, despair," from L. desperare "to despair," from de- "without" + sperare "to hope," from spes "hope" (see speed). Noun replaced native wanhope.

desperado --- 1610, "a person in despair," mock-Spanish version of desperate (n.) "reckless criminal" (1563), from L. desperatus (see desperation). There was an adj. desperado in O.Sp., meaning "out of hope, desperate," but apparently it never was used as a noun and it probably has nothing to do with the Eng. word. Meaning "a desperate or reckless man" is recorded from 1647.

desperation --- c.1366, from L. desperationem, noun of action from desperare "lose hope" (see despair). Desperate (adj.) is attested from 1483, of persons, "despairing, hopeless," from L. desperatus "given up," pp. of desperare. In ref. to conditions, recorded from 1555; of an undertaking, from 1642.

despicable --- 1553, from L.L. despicabilis, from L. despicari "look down on," from de- "down" + variant of specere "to look" (see scope (1)).

despise --- 1297, from O.Fr. despis-, stem of despire, from L. despicere "look down on, scorn," from de- "down" + specere "look at" (see scope (1)).

despite --- 1297, from O.Fr. despit, from L. despectus "a looking down on," from despicere (see despise). The preposition (1593) is short for in despite of (1292), a loan-translation of Fr. en despit de "in contempt of." Almost became despight during 16c. spelling reform.

despoil --- 1297, from O.Fr. despoillier, from L. despoliare, from de- "entirely" + spoliare "to strip of clothing, rob," from spolium "armor, booty" (see spoil).

despondence --- 1676, from L. despondere "to give up, lose, lose heart, resign" (especially in phrase animam despondere, lit. "give up one's soul"), from the sense of a promise to give something away, from de- "away" + spondere "to promise" (see spondee). A step above despair.

despot --- 1562, "absolute ruler," from M.L. despota, from Gk. despotes "master of a household, lord, absolute ruler." Faintly pejorative in Gk., progressively more so as used in various languages for Roman emperors, Christian rulers of Ottoman provinces, and Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Despotism (1727) is from Fr. despotisme.

dessert --- 1600, from M.Fr. dessert (1539) "last course," lit. "removal of what has been served," from desservir "clear the table," lit. "un-serve," from des- "remove, undo" + O.Fr. servir "to serve."

destination --- 1598, "act of appointing," from L. destinationem (nom. destinatio), from destinare "determine, appoint, choose, make firm or fast," from de- "completely, formally" + -stinare, related to stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Modern sense (1787) is from place of destination, where one is "destined" to go.

destiny --- c.1325, from O.Fr. destinée (12c.), fem. pp. of destiner, from L. destinatus, pp. of destinare "make firm, establish" (see destination). The sense is of "that which has been firmly established," as by fate.

destitute --- c.1382, from L. destitutus "abandoned," pp. of destituere "forsake," from de- "away" + statuere "put, place," caus. of stare "to stand," from PIE base *sta- "to stand" (see stet). Originally literal; sense of "lacking resources, impoverished" is c.1540.

destroy --- c.1225, from O.Fr. destruire, from V.L. *destrugerie (infl. by destructos), from L. destruere "tear down, demolish," lit. "un-build," from de- "un-, down" + struere "to pile, build" (see structure). A naval destroyer was originally a "torpedo boat destroyer," though the name comes specifically from the proper name given to one such ship in the U.S. Navy in 1882.

destruction --- c.1314, from L. destructionem, from stem of destruere "tear down" (see destroy). Destruct "to destroy" is a back-formation of destruction; O.E.D. cites an isolated use from 1638; modern usage is aero-space jargon first recorded 1958 in reference to aborted rocket flights; popularized 1966 in form self-destruct in the voice-over at the beginning of popular TV spy drama "Mission Impossible."

desuetude --- 1623, from M.Fr. desuetude, from L. desuetudo (gen. desuetudinis) "disuse," from desuetus, pp. of desuescere "become unaccustomed to," from de- "away, from" + suescere "become used to" (see mansuetude).

desultory --- 1581, "skipping about," from L. desultorius, adj. form of desultur "hasty, casual, superficial," lit. noun meaning "a rider in the circus who jumped from one horse to another while they are in gallop," from desul-, stem of desilire "jump down," from de- "down" + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient). Sense of "irregular" is c.1740.

detach --- 1684, from Fr. détacher, from O.Fr. destachier, from des- "apart" + attachier "attach" (see attach). Detachment "standing aloof from objects or circumstances" is from 1798.

detail --- 1603, from Fr. détail, from O.Fr. detail "small piece or quantity," from detaillier "cut in pieces," from de- "entirely" + taillier "to cut in pieces." Modern sense is from Fr. en détail "piece by piece, item by item" (as opposed to en gros), a commercial term used where we would today use retail. Military sense is 1708, from notion of "distribution in detail of the daily orders first given in general," including assignment of specific duties. The verb is from 1637.

detain --- c.1440, from M.Fr. detenir, from O.Fr. detenir "to hold off, keep back" (12c.), from L. detinere "hold off, keep back," from de- "from, away" + tenere "to hold" (see tenet).

detect --- 1447, from L. detectus, pp. of detegere "uncover, disclose," from de- "un-, off" + tegere "to cover" (see stegosaurus). Detective (n.) is 1850, short for detective police.

detente --- political term is 1908 borrowing of Fr. détente "loosening, slackening," used in O.Fr. for the catch of a crossbow, from V.L. detendita, fem. pp. of detendere "loosen, release," from de- "from, away" + tendere "stretch" (see tenet).

detention --- 1443, from M.Fr. detention, from L.L. detentionem (nom. detentio), from L. detinere (see detain). Sense of "confinement" first used c.1570 in reference to Mary Queen of Scots. In reference to school punishment, recorded from 1882.

deter --- 1579, from L. deterrere, from de- "away" + terrere "frighten." Deterrent is from 1829.

detergent --- 1616, from L. detergentem, prp. of detergere "to wipe away," from de- "off, away" + tergere "to rub, polish, wipe." Originally a medical term, application to "chemical cleansing product" is from 1938.

deteriorate --- 1572, from L.L. deterioratus, pp. of deteriorare "get worse," from L. deterior "worse," contrastive of *deter "bad, lower," from de- "down." Originally transitive in Eng.; intransitive sense is from 1758.

determine --- c.1374, "to come to an end," also "to settle, decide," from O.Fr. determiner (12c.), from L. determinare "set limits to," from de- "off" + terminare "to mark the end or boundary," from terminus "end, limit." Sense of "coming to a firm decision" (to do something) is from 1450. Determination "quality of being resolute" is from 1822. Determinism is 1846 in theology (lack of free will); 1876 in general sense of "the doctrine that everything that happens is determined by a necessary chain of causation."

detest --- 1432 (detestation), from M.Fr. detester, from L. detestari "express abhorrence for," lit. "denounce with one's testimony," from de- "from, down" + testari "be a witness," from testis "witness" (see testament). Originally also trans., "to curse, to call God to witness and abhor."

dethrone --- 1609, from de- + throne.

detonation --- 1677, "explosion accompanied by loud sound," from Fr. détonation, from M.L. detonationem, from L. detonare "to release one's thunder, roar out," from de- "down" + tonare "to thunder" (see thunder). Sense of "act of causing to explode" (mid-18c.) developed in Fr.

detour --- 1738, from Fr. détour, from O.Fr. destour, from destourner "turn aside," from des- "aside" + tourner "to turn." The verb is attested from 1836.

detoxicate --- 1867, from de- + toxic + -ate. Specifically of drug and alcohol addictions since 1970. Colloquial abbrev. detox is 1972 (v.) as a shortening of detoxify; 1975 (n.) as a shortening of detoxification.

detraction --- 1340, from O.Fr. detractiun, from L. detractionem, from detrahere "take down, pull down, disparage," from de- "down" + trahere "to pull" (see tract (1)). The fem. form detractress is attested from 1716.

detriment --- c.1440, from L. detrimentum, from detri-, stem of detere "wear away," from de- "away" + terere "to rub, wear." Metaphoric sense of "impair" was present in classical L.

detritus --- 1795, "process of erosion," from L. detritus "a wearing away," from detri-, stem of detere "wear away" (see detriment). Geological sense of "matter produced by erosion" is 1802, probably from Fr. detritus; incorrect, in any case.

Detroit --- from Fr., lit. "straits," from O.Fr. destreit (12c.), from L. districtum, neut. of districtus. Fr. fort built there 1701.

deuce --- c.1475, "a roll of 2 in dice," from M.Fr. deus, from L. duos (nom. duo) "two." Became a mild oath by 1710, about 50 years after it was first attested in the sense of "bad luck, the devil, etc.," perhaps because two was the lowest score, and probably by similarity to L. deus and related words meaning "god." Low Ger. had der daus! in same sense 16c., which probably influenced the Eng. form. Deuce coup is 1940s hot-rodder slang for "souped up two-door car," especially a 1932 Ford.

deus ex machina --- 1697, from Mod.L. translation of Gk. theos ek mekhanes, lit. "the god from the machina," the device by which "gods" were suspended over the stage in Gk. theater (see machine). The fem. is dea ex machina.

deuterium --- 1933, coined by U.S. chemist Harold C. Urey, with Mod.L. ending, from Gk. deuterion, neut. of deuterios "having second place."

Deuteronomy --- 1388, from Gk. Deuteronomion, lit. "second law," from deuteros "second" + nomos "law" (see numismatics). A mistranslation of Heb. mishneh hattorah hazzoth "a copy of this law." The book is a repetition, with comments, of the Decalogue and most of the laws of Exodus.

deva --- god, good spirit in Hindu religion, from Skt. deva "a god," originally "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," thus cognate with Gk. dios "divine" and Zeus, and L. deus "god" (O.Latin deivos); see Zeus. Fem. form devi is used for "goddess," also (with capital D-) for the mother goddess in Hinduism. Hence, also, devadasi "temple dancing girl," lit. "female servant of a god," from dasi "slave girl." Also Devanagari, the formal alphabet of Skt. writings, perhaps originally "divine city script," from nagara "city."

devaluation --- 1898, from de- + valuation. Specific application to currency is from 1914.

devastation --- 1461, from M.Fr. devastation, from L.L. devastationem, from L. devastare "lay waste completely," from de- "completely" + vastare "lay waste," from vastus "empty, desolate" (see waste). Devastate, probably a back-formation, is attested from 1638 but apparently was not common until 19c.; earlier verb form devast is attested from 1537, from Fr. devaster.

develop --- 1656, "unroll, unfold," from Fr. developper, replacing Eng. disvelop (1592, from M.Fr. desveloper), both from O.Fr. desveloper, from des- "undo" + veloper "wrap up," of uncertain origin, possibly Celt. or Gmc. Modern figurative use is 18c. The photographic sense is from 1845; the real estate sense is from 1890. Development first attested 1756.

deviant --- c.1400 (adj.), from L.L. deviantem, prp. of deviare "turn aside," from L. phrase de via, from de "off" + via "way." The noun, in the sexual sense, is attested from 1952; also deviate (n.), recorded since 1947. The verb deviate (c.1633) is from the L. pp. stem. Deviation in the statistical sense is first attested 1858.

device --- c.1290, from O.Fr. devis "division, separation, disposition, wish, desire," from L. divisus, pp. of dividere "to divide" (see divide). Sense of "method by which something is divided" arose in Fr. and led to modern meaning.

devil --- O.E. deofol "evil spirit," from L.L. diabolus, from Gk. diabolos "accuser, slanderer" (scriptural loan-translation of Heb. satan), from diaballein "to slander, attack," lit. "throw across," from dia- "across, through" + ballein "to throw." Jerome re-introduced Satan in L. bibles, and Eng. translators have used both in different measures. In Vulgate, as in Gk., diabolus and dæmon (see demon) were distinct, but they have merged in Eng. and other Gmc. languages. Playful use for "clever rogue" is from 1601. Meaning "sand spout, dust storm" is from 1835. In U.S. place names, the word often represents a native word such as Algonquian manito, more properly "spirit, god." Devilry is from 1375; deviltry (1788) is a corrupt formation from it. Devilled "grilled with hot condiments" is from 1800. The Tasmanian devil so called since at least 1829, from its propensity for killing young lambs (other voracious fish or animals have also been named devil). Phrase a devil way (c.1290) was originally an emphatic form of away, but taken by late 14c. as an expression of irritation. Devil's advocate (1760) is L. advocatus diaboli, one whose job it is to urge against the canonization of a candidate for sainthood. Devil-may-care is attested from 1837 (but suggested in other forms by 1793). Devil's books "playing cards" is from 1729, but the cited quote says they've been called that "time out of mind" (the four of clubs is the devil's bedposts); devil's coach-horse is from 1840, the large rove-beetle, which is defiant when disturbed. "Talk of the Devil, and he's presently at your elbow" [1666].

devious --- 1599, from L. devius "out of the way, remote," from de via (see deviate). Originally in the literal L. sense; figurative sense of "deceitful" is first recorded 1633.

devirginate --- c.1470, from de- + virgin + -ate.

devise --- c.1300, from O.Fr. deviser "dispose in portions, arrange, plan, contrive," from V.L. *divisare, freq. of L. dividere "to divide" (see divide). Modern sense is from "to arrange a division" (especially via a will), a meaning present in the O.Fr. word.

devoid --- c.1325, shortening of devoided, pp. of obsolete devoiden "remove, void, vacate," from O.Fr. devoider, from des- "out, away" + voider "to empty," from voide "empty" (see void).

devolution --- 1545, from de- + (e)volution. Used in various legal and fig. senses; in biology, as the opposite of evolution, it is attested from 1882.

devolve --- c.1420, from L. devolvere "to roll down," from de- + volvere "to roll" (see vulva).

Devonian --- 1837, as a geological era, from the English county of Devon, where the Old Red Sandstone formations of that age are prominent. The county name is O.E. Defena(scir), late 9c., "(territory of the) Dumnonii," a Celtic name.

devotion --- c.1225, from O.Fr. devocion, from L. devotionem, noun of action from devovere "dedicate by a vow," from de- "down, away" + vovere "to vow," from votum "vow" (see vow). In ancient L., "act of consecrating by a vow," also "loyalty, fealty, allegiance;" in Church L., "devotion to God, piety." This was the original sense in Eng.; the etymological sense, including secular situations, returned 16c. via It. and Fr. Devote is from 1586, from L. devotus, pp. of devovere. Devotee is from 1645, perhaps on model of assignee.

devour --- c.1315, from O.Fr. devorer, from L. devorare "swallow down," from de- "down" + vorare "swallow" (see voracious).

devout --- c.1225, from O.Fr. devot, from L. devotus "given up by vow, devoted," pp. of devovere "dedicate by vow" (see devotion).

dew --- O.E. deaw, from P.Gmc. *dawwaz, from PIE base *dheu- (cf. Skt. dhavate "flows, runs"). Dewdrop is from 1590; dewpoint is from 1833. Dew-claw is first recorded 1576, but the connection, if any, is obscure (see dewlap).

Dewey Decimal system --- proposed 1876 by Melvil Dewey (1851-1931) while acting librarian of Amherst College. He also crusaded for simplified spelling and the metric system.

dewlap --- c.1350 dewe lappe, from lappe "loose piece" (O.E. læppa), first element of unknown origin or meaning. Originally of cattle.

Dexedrine --- 1942, trademark (Smith, Kline and French Laboratories) for dexamphetamine sulphate, probably from dextro- + chemical ending from Benzedrine, etc.

dexterity --- 1527, from M.Fr. dexterite, from L. dexteritatem (nom. dexteritas), from dexter "skillful," also "right (hand)," from PIE base *dek-, cf. Gk. dexios "on the right hand," also "fortunate, clever;" Goth. taihswa; Skt. daksinah "on the right hand, southern, skillful;" Lith. desinas; O.Ir. dess "on the right hand, southern." Klein says the PIE base meant "to take, receive," also "acceptable, becoming, good." The Gk. and L. forms are with the comp. suffix -ter, thus meaning etymologically "the better direction." M.E. dester meant "right hand," and in heraldry dexter means "on the right side."

dextrose --- coined 1869 from L. dexter "right," because the form of glucose polarizes light to the right in spectroscopy.

dey (1) --- O.E. dæge "female servant, housekeeper, maid," from P.Gmc. *daigjon, from PIE *dheigh- "to form, build" (see dough). Now obsolete (though OED says, "Still in living use in parts of Scotland"), it forms the first element of dairy and the second of lady. The ground sense seems to be "kneader, maker of bread;" advancing by O.N. deigja and M.E. daie to mean "female servant, woman employed in a house or on a farm." Dæge as "servant" is the second element in many surnames ending in -day (e.g. Faraday, and perhaps Doubleday "servant of the Twin," etc.).

dey (2) --- 1659, "title of a military commander in Muslim north Africa," from Turk. dai "maternal uncle," a friendly title used of older men, especially by the Janissaries of Algiers of their commanding officers. There were also deys in Tunis and Tripoli.

dharma --- 1796, in secular sense, "caste custom, right behavior;" in Buddhism and Hinduism, "moral law," from Skt., "law, right, justice," related to dharayati "holds," and cognate with L. firmus, all from PIE base *dher- "to hold, support" (see firm (adj.)).

dhow --- 1799, original language unknown, "single-masted native vessel used on Arabian Sea," later widely applied to all Arab vessels. The word may have originated near Oman or Hormuz.

diabetes --- 1562, from L. diabetes, from Gk. diabetes "excessive discharge of urine," lit. "a passer-through, siphon," from diabainein "to pass through," from dia- "through" + bainein "to go" (see come). An old native name for it was pissing evil. The noun diabetic is from 1840.

diabolic --- 1399, from O.Fr. diabolique, from L.L. diabolicus, from Gk. diabolikos "devilish," from diabolos (see devil).

diacritic --- 1699, from Gk. diakritikos "that separates or distinguishes," from diakrinein "to separate."

diadem --- c.1290, from L. diadema "cloth band worn around the head as a sign of royalty," from Gk. diadema, from diadein "to bind across," from dia- "across" + dein "to bind," related to desmos "band." Used of the headband worn by Persian kings and adopted by Alexander the Great and his successors.

diæresis --- 1611, "sign marking the division of a diphthong into two simple sounds," from L. diæresis, from Gk. diairesis, noun of action from diairein "to divide, separate."

diagnosis --- 1681, medical application of Gk. diagnosis "a discerning, distinguishing," from diagignoskein "discern, distinguish," from dia- "apart" + gignoskein "to learn" (see gnostic). Back-formation diagnose is first recorded 1861. Diagnostic is recorded from 1625.

diagonal --- 1541, from M.Fr. diagonal, from L. diagonalis, from diagonus "slanting line," from Gk. diagonios "from angle to angle," from dia- "across" + gonia "angle," related to gony "knee" (see knee).

diagram (n.) --- 1619, from Fr. diagramme, from L. diagramma, from Gk. diagramma (gen. diagrammatos) "that which is marked out by lines," from diagraphein "mark out by lines, delineate," from dia- "across, out" + graphein "write, mark, draw." The verb is 1840, from the noun.

dial --- 1430, apparently from M.L. dialis "daily," from L. dies "day" (see diurnal). The M.L. was probably abstracted from a phrase such as rota dialis "daily wheel," and the earliest sense was "a sundial." It evolved to mean any round plate over which something rotates, including the telephone sense, from 1879, which led to the verb (1923) and to dial tone (1921), "the signal to begin dialing," which term soon will be the sole relic of the rotary phone.

dialect --- 1577, from M.Fr. dialecte, from L. dialectus "local language, way of speaking, conversation," from Gk. dialektos, from dialegesthai "converse with each other," from dia- "across, between" + legein "speak" (see lecture).

dialectic --- 1382, from L. dialectica, from Gk. dialektike (techne) "(art of) philosophical discussion or discourse," fem. of dialektikos "of conversation, discourse," from dialektos "discourse, conversation" (see dialect). Originally synonymous with logic; in modern philosophy refined by Kant, then by Hegel, who made it mean "process of resolving or merging contradictions in character."

dialogue --- c.1225, "literary work consisting of a conversation between two or more people," from O.Fr. dialoge, from L. dialogus, from Gk. dialogos, related to dialogesthai "converse," from dia- "across" + legein "speak" (see lecture). Sense broadened to "a conversation" 1401. Mistaken belief that it can only mean "conversation between two persons" is from confusion of dia- and di-.

dialysis --- 1586, from Gk. dialysis "dissolution, separation," from dialyein "dissolve, separate," from dia- "apart" + lyein "loosen." Used originally in logic and grammar; chemistry sense is first recorded 1861, medicine 1914.

diameter --- 1387, from O.Fr. diametre, from L. diametrus, from Gk. diametros "diagonal of a circle," from dia- "across, through" + metron "a measure" (see meter (2)).