Online Etymology Dictionary

clutch (v.): O.E. clyccan "bring together, bend (the fingers), clench," from PIE *klukja- (cf. Swed. klyka "clamp, fork;" related to cling). Influenced in meaning by M.E. cloke "a claw." Related: Clutched; clutching. Mechanical part (n.) is 1814, with the "seizing" sense extended to "device for bringing working parts together." Originally of mill-works, first used of motor vehicles 1899. Meaning "moment when heroics are required" is attested from 1920s.
clutch (n.2): "nest" in reference to chickens, eggs, 1721, from clekken "to hatch" (c.1400). Cf. batch/bake. Probably from a Scandinavian source (cf. O.N. klekja "to hatch"), perhaps of imitative origin (cf. cluck).
clutch (n.1): "claw, grip, grasp," c.1300, from cloche "claw," from cloke (c.1200), related to clucchen, clicchen (see clutch (v.)). Meaning "grasping hand" (1520s) led to that of "tight grasp" (1784). Related: Clutches.
clutter: 1550s, "to collect in heaps," variant of clotern "to form clots, to heap on" (c.1400); related to clot. Sense of "to litter" is first recorded 1660s. As a noun, from 1570s; the "litter" sense is from 1660s.
Clyde: masc. proper name, from the family name, from the region of the Clyde River in Scotland (see Clydesdale). Most popular in U.S. for boys c.1890-1910, falling off rapidly thereafter, hence probably its use in 1940s teenager slang for "a square, one not versed in popular music or culture."
Clydesdale: "breed of heavy draught horses," 1786, so called because they were bred in the valley of the Clyde in Scotland. The river name is perhaps lit. "cleansing," from a Celtic root akin to L. cloaca.
clyster: from Fr. clystère (13c.), from Latin, from Gk. klyster, from klyzein "to wash out" (see cloaca).
Clytaemnestra: wife and murderess of Agamemnon, from Gk. Klytaimnestra, from klytos "celebrated, heard of" + mnester "wooer, suitor," lit. "willing to mind, mindful of," related to mnasthai "to remember."
Cnidaria: phylum of stinging invertebrates, from Mod.L. cnida, from Gk. knide "nettle," from stem of knizein "to scratch scrape."
cnidarian: see Cnidaria.
co-: in Latin, the form of com- in compounds with stems beginning in vowels and h- and gn- (see com-). Taken in English from 17c. as a living prefix meaning “together, mutually, in common,” and used promiscuously with native words and Latin-derived words not beginning with vowels, sometimes even with words already having it (e.g. co-conspiritor).
co-ed: also coed, 1886, Amer.Eng., (first in Louisa Mae Alcott's "Jo's Boys"); short for "co-educational system;" 1889 as an adj., short for coeducational; 1893 as a noun meaning "girl or woman student at a co-educational institution."
co-op: 1861, abbreviation of cooperative. The hyphen is needed to avoid confusion with coop (n.).
co-opt: 1650s, "to select (someone) for a group or club by a vote of members," from L. cooptare "to elect, to choose as a colleague or member of one's tribe," from com- "together" (see com-) + optare "choose" (see option). For some reason this defied the usual pattern of Latin-to-English adaptation, which should have yielded *cooptate. Sense of "take over" is first recorded c.1953. Related: Co-opted.
co-ordinate: see coordinate.
co-star: also costar, 1919 as a verb; 1926 as a noun, from co- + star (v.).
co.: abbreviation of company, attested by 1670s.
coach (n.): 1550s, "large kind of carriage," from M.Fr. coche (16c.), from Ger. kotsche, from Hungarian kocsi (szekér) "(carriage) of Kocs," village where it was first made. In Hungary, the thing and the name for it date from 15c., and forms are found in most European languages (cf. Sp., Port. coche, It. cocchino, Du. koets). Applied to railway cars 1866, Amer.Eng. Sense of "economy or tourist class" is from 1949. Meaning "instructor/trainer" is c.1830 Oxford University slang for a tutor who "carries" a student through an exam; athletic sense is 1861. The verb is from 1610s, "to convey in a coach;" meaning "to prepare (someone) for an exam" is from 1849. Related: Coached; coaching.
coachman: 1570s, from coach + man.
coagulant: 1770, from L. coagulantem, prp. of coagulare (see coagulate).
coagulate: c.1600, from L. coagulatus, pp. of coagulare "to cause to curdle," from cogere "to curdle, collect" (see cogent). Earlier coagule, c.1400, from M.Fr. coaguler. Related: Coagulated; coagulating.
coagulation: c.1400, from Fr. coagulation (15c.), or directly from L. coagulationem (nom. coagulatio), noun of action from pp. stem of coagulare (see coagulate).
coal: O.E. col "charcoal, live coal," from P.Gmc. *kula(n) (cf. O.Fris. kole, M.Du. cole, Du. kool, O.H.G. chol, Ger. Kohle, O.N. kol), from PIE base *g(e)u-lo- "live coal" (cf. Ir. gual "coal"). Meaning "mineral consisting of fossilized carbon" is from mid-13c. First mentioned (370 B.C.E.) by Theophrastus in his treatise "On Stones" under the name lithos anthrakos (see anthrax). Traditionally good luck, coal was given as a New Year's gift in England, said to guarantee a warm hearth for the coming year. The phrase drag (or rake) over the coals was a reference to the treatment meted out to heretics by Christians. To carry coals "do dirty work," also "submit to insult" is from 1520s. To carry coals to Newcastle (c.1600) Anglicizes Gk. glauk eis Athenas "owls to Athens."
coalesce: 1540s, from L. coalescere "to unite, grow together, become one in growth," from com- "together" (see co-) + alescere "to grow up" (see adolescent). Related: Coalesced; coalescing; coalescence; coalescent.
coalition: 1610s, "the growing together of parts," from Fr. coalition (1540s), from L.L. coalitus "fellowship," originally pp. of L. coalescere (see coalesce). First used in a political sense 1715.
coaming: 1610s, nautical, of unknown origin.
coarse: early 15c., cors "ordinary" (modern spelling is from late 16c.), probably adj. use of noun cours (see course), originally referring to rough cloth for ordinary wear. Developed a sense of "rude" c.1500 and "obscene" by 1711. Perhaps related, via metathesis, to Fr. gros, which had a similar sense development. Related: Coarseness.
coarsen: 1805, from coarse + -en (2).
coast (n.): "margin of the land," early 14c.; earlier "rib as a part of the body" (early 12c.), from O.Fr. coste "rib, side, flank; slope, incline;" later "coast, shore" (12c., Mod.Fr. côte), from L. costa "a rib," perhaps related to a root word for "bone" (cf. O.C.S. kosti "bone," also see osseous). Latin costa developed a secondary sense in M.L. of "the shore," via notion of the "side" of the land, as well as "side of a hill," and this passed into Romanic (cf. It. costa "coast, side," Sp. cuesta "slope," costa "coast"), but only in the Germanic languages that borrowed it is it fully specialized in this sense (cf. Du. kust, Swed. kust, Ger. Küste, Dan. kyst). French also used this word for "hillside, slope," which led to verb meaning "sled downhill," first attested 1775 in Amer.Eng. The verb is from mid-14c. in the sense "to skirt, to go around the sides or border" of something (as a ship does the coastline); of motor vehicles, "to move without thrust from the engine," by 1925; figurative use, of persons, "not to exert oneself," by 1934. Related: Coasted; coasting. Expression the coast is clear (16c.) is an image of landing on a shore unguarded by enemies.
coastal: 1883, from coast + -al (1). The proper Latin form costal is used only of ribs.
coaster: 1570s, "one who sails along coasts," from coast in verbal sense. Applied to vessels for such sailing from 1680s. Tabletop drink stand (c.1887), originally "round tray for a decanter," so called from a resemblance to a sled, or because it "coasted" around the perimeter of the table to each guest in turn after dinner (cf. coast in verbal sense "to go around the sides or border" of something).
coastline: 1860, from coast + line (n.).
coat: early 14c., "outer garment," from O.Fr. cote "coat, robe, tunic, overgarment," from a Germanic source, perhaps Frank. *kotta "coarse cloth" (cf. O.S. kot "woolen mantle," O.H.G. chozza "cloak of coarse wool," Ger. Kotze "a coarse coat"), of unknown origin. Transferred to animal's natural covering late 14c. Extended 1660s to a layer of any substance covering any surface. Sp., Port. cota, It. cotta are Germanic loan-words. The verb is from late 14c., "to provide with a coat;" meaning "to cover with a substance" is from 1753. Related: Coated; coating. The latter, as a noun, is from 1768.
coat of arms: mid-14c., originally a tunic embroidered with heraldic arms (worn over armor, etc); cf. O.Fr. cote a armer. Sense transferred to the heraldic arms themselves by 1560s. Hence turncoat, one who put his coat on inside-out to hide the badge of his loyalty.
coati: Brazilian raccoon, 1670s, from Tupi (Brazil), from cua "belt, cincture" + tim "nose."
coattails: also coat-tail, c.1600, from coat + tail. In 17c., to do something on one's own coattail meant "at one's own expense. Meaning "power of one person," especially in politics, is from 1848 (in a Congressional speech by Abraham Lincoln, in reference to Andrew Jackson); expression riding (someone's) coattails into political office is from 1949.
coauthor: also co-author, 1864 as a noun; 1948 as a verb, from co- + author. Related: Coauthored; coauthoring.
coax: 1580s, originally in slang phrase to make a coax of, from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "a fool, ninny, simpleton" (1560s); modern spelling is 1706. Origin obscure, perhaps related to cock (1). Related: Coaxed; coaxing.
coaxial: "having a common axis," 1904, as a term in mathematics; coaxial cable is 1934. See co- + axial.
cob: a word or set of identical words with a wide range of meanings, many seeming to derive from notions of "heap, lump, rounded object," also "head" and its metaphoric extensions. With cognates in other Germanic languages; of uncertain origin and development. "The N.E.D. recognizes eight nouns cob, with numerous sub-groups. Like other monosyllables common in the dial[ect] its hist[ory] is inextricable" [Weekley]. In the latest print edition, the number stands at 11. Some senses are probably from O.E. copp "top, head," others probably from O.N. kubbi or Low German, all perhaps from a P.Gmc. base *kubb- "something rounded." Among the earliest attested English senses are "headman, chief," and "male swan," both early 15c., but the surname Cobb (1066) suggests O.E. used a form of the word as a nickname for "big, leading man." The "corn shoot" sense is attested by 1680s.
cobalt: 1680s, from Ger. kobold "household goblin," Harz Mountains silver miners' term for rock laced with arsenic and sulphur (so called because it degraded the ore and made the miners ill), from M.H.G. kobe "hut, shed" + *holt "goblin," from hold "gracious, friendly," a euphemistic word for a troublesome being. The metallic element was extracted from this rock. It was known to Paracelsus, but discovery is usually credited to Brandt (1733). Extended to a blue color 1835. Cf. nickel.
cobble (n.): "paving stone; worn, rounded stone," c.1600, earlier cobblestone (mid-15c.), probably a dim. of cob in some sense. The verb in this sense is from 1690s.
cobble (v.): "to mend clumsily," late 15c., perhaps a back formation from cobbler (1), or from cob, via a notion of lumps. Related: Cobbled; cobbling.
cobbler (1): late 13c., cobelere "one who mends shoes," of uncertain origin. It and cobble (v.) "evidently go together etymologically" [OED], but the historical record presents some difficulties. "The cobbler should stick to his last" (ne sutor ultra crepidam) is from the anecdote of Greek painter Apelles.
On one occasion a cobbler noticed a fault in the painting of a shoe, and remarking upon it to a person standing by, passed on. As soon as the man was out of sight Apelles came from his hiding-place, examined the painting, found that the cobbler's criticism was just, and at once corrected the error. ... The cobbler came by again and soon discovered that the fault he had pointed out had been remedied; and, emboldened by the success of his criticism, began to express his opinion pretty freely about the painting of the leg! This was too much for the patience of the artist, who rushed from his hiding place and told the cobbler to stick to his shoes. [William Edward Winks, "Lives of Illustrious Shoemakers," London, 1883]
[The quote is variously reported: Pliny ("Natural History" XXXV.x.36) has ne supra crepidam judicaret, while Valerius Maximus (VIII.xiii.3) gives supra plantam ascendere vetuit.]
cobbler (2): "deep-dish fruit pie," 1859, Amer.Eng. perhaps related to 14c. cobeler "wooden bowl."
cobblestone: mid-15c.; see cobble + stone.
COBOL: 1960, U.S. Defense Department acronym, from "Common Business-Oriented Language."
cobra: 1802, short for cobra capello (1670s), from Port. cobra de capello "serpent (of the hood)," from L. colubra "a snake, female serpent" (cf. Fr. couleuvre "adder"), of uncertain origin. So called for the expandable loose skin about its neck. The word came to English via Portuguese colonies in India, where the native name is nag (cf. naga).
cobweb: early 14c., coppewebbe; the first element is O.E. -coppe, in atorcoppe "spider," lit. "poison-head" (see attercop). Spelling with -b- is from 16c., perhaps from cob. Cob as a stand-alone for "a spider" was an old word nearly dead even in dialects when J.R.R. Tolkien used it in "The Hobbit" (1937).
coca: S.American plant, 1570s, from Sp. coca, from Quechua cuca, which is perhaps ultimately from Aymara, a native language of Bolivia.