Online Etymology Dictionary

hurtful (adj.): "harmful," mid-15c., from hurt (n.) + -ful. Related: Hurtfully; hurtfulness.
hurting (adj.): 1680s, "causing hurt," from present participle of hurt (v.). Reflexive sense of "suffering, feeling pain" recorded by 1944.
hurtle (v.): early 14c., hurteln, "to crash together; to crash down, knock down," probably frequentative of hurten (see hurt (v.)) in its original sense. Intransitive meaning "to rush, dash, charge" is late 14c. The essential notion in hurtle is that of forcible collision, in hurl that of forcible projection. Related: Hurtled; hurtling.
husband (n.): Old English husbonda "male head of a household," probably from Old Norse husbondi "master of the house," from hus "house" (see house (n.)) + bondi "householder, dweller, freeholder, peasant," from buandi, present participle of bua "to dwell" (see bower). Beginning late 13c., replaced Old English wer as "married man," companion of wif, a sad loss for English poetry. Slang shortening hubby first attested 1680s.
husband (v.): "manage thriftily," early 15c., from husband (n.) in an obsolete sense of "steward" (mid-15c.). Related: Husbanded; husbanding.
husbandman: c.1300, "head of a family;" early 14c., "tiller of the soil," from husband (n.) + man (n.).
husbandry: c.1300, "management of a household;" late 14c. as "farm management," from husband (n.) in a now-obsolete sense of "peasant farmer" (early 13c.) + -ery.
hush (v.): 1540s, variant of Middle English huisht (late 14c.), probably of imitative origin, with terminal -t lost probably by being mistaken for a past tense suffix. Hush-hush (adj.) is 1916 reduplication. Related: Hushed; hushing. The noun is attested from 1680s. As an interjection meaning "be quiet," attested by c.1600. To hush (one's) mouth "be quiet" is attested from 1878. Hush up "suppress talk for secrecy's sake" is from 1630s. Hush-money is attested from 1709. Hush-puppy "deep-fried ball of cornmeal batter" first attested 1899; as a type of lightweight soft shoe, it is a proprietary name, registered 1961.
hushaby: 1796, from hush + ending as in lullaby.
husk (n.): late 14c., huske "dry, outer skin of certain fruits and seeds," of unknown origin, perhaps from Middle Dutch huuskyn "little house, core of fruit, case," diminutive of huus "house," or from an equivalent formation in English (see house). As a verb, attested from 1560s. Related: Husked; husking.
husker (n.): 1780, agent noun from husk (v.). Cornhuskers as a nickname for athletics squads from Nebraska is attested by 1903.
husky (adj.): "hoarse," c.1722 in reference to a cattle disease (of persons, 1740), from husk on the notion of "dry as a husk." Earlier (1550s) "having husks." Sense of "tough and strong" (like corn husks) is first found 1869, American English. Related: Huskily; huskiness.
husky (n.): "Eskimo dog," 1852, Canadian English, earlier (1830) hoskey "an Eskimo," probably shortened variant of Ehuskemay (1743), itself a variant of Eskimo.
The moment any vessel is noticed steering for these islands [Whalefish Islands], the Esquimaux, or "Huskies,"* as the Danes customarily term them, come off in sufficient numbers to satisfy you that you are near the haunts of uncivilized men, and will afford sufficient information to guide any stranger to his anchorage. *"Husky" is their own term. I recollect the chorus to a song at Kamtchatka was "Husky, Husky." ["Last of the Arctic Voyages," London, 1855]
hussar (n.): 1530s, from German Husar, from Hungarian huszár "light horseman," originally "freebooter," from Old Serbian husar, variant of kursar "pirate," from Italian corsaro (see corsair). Bodies of light horsemen organized in Hungary late 15c., widely imitated elsewhere in Europe.
Hussite: 1530s, follower of John Huss, Bohemian religious reformer burnt in 1415. His name is an abbreviation of the name of his native village, Husinec, literally "goose-pen."
hussy (n.): 1520s, "mistress of a household, housewife," alteration of Middle English husewif (see housewife). Gradually broadened to mean "any woman or girl," and by 1650 was being applied to "a woman or girl who shows casual or improper behavior," and a general derogatory sense had overtaken the word by late 18c. "It is common to use housewife in a good, and huswife or hussy in a bad sense" [Johnson].
hustings (n.): Old English husting "meeting, court, tribunal," from Old Norse husðing "council," from hus "house" (see house (n.)) + ðing "assembly" (see thing); so called because it was a meeting of the men who formed the "household" of a nobleman or king. The native Anglo-Saxon word for this was folc-gemot. The plural became the usual form c.1500; sense of "temporary platform for political speeches" developed by 1719, apparently from London's Court of Hustings, presided over by the Lord Mayor, which was held on a platform in the Guildhall. This sense broadened to encompass the whole election process.
hustle (v.): 1680s, "to shake to and fro" (especially of money in a cap, as part of a game called hustle-cap), metathesized from Dutch hutselen, husseln "to shake, to toss," frequentative of hutsen, variant of hotsen "to shake." "The stems hot-, hut- appear in a number of formations in both High and Low German dialects, all implying a shaking movement" [OED]. Related: Hustled; hustling. Meaning "push roughly, shove" first recorded 1751. That of "hurry, move quickly" is from 1812.
The key-note and countersign of life in these cities [of the U.S. West] is the word "hustle." We have caught it in the East. but we use it humorously, just as we once used the Southern word "skedaddle," but out West the word hustle is not only a serious term, it is the most serious in the language. [Julian Ralph, "Our Great West," N.Y., 1893]
Sense of "to get in a quick, illegal manner" is 1840 in American English; that of "to sell goods aggressively" is 1887.
hustle (n.): "pushing activity; activity in the interest of success," 1891, American English, from hustle (v.); earlier it meant "a shaking together" (1715). Sense of "illegal business activity" is by 1963, American English. As a name of a popular dance, by 1975.
hustler (n.): 1825, "thief" (especially one who roughs up his victims), from hustle (v.) + -er (1). Sense of "energetic worker" (especially, but not originally, a salesman) is from 1884; sense of "prostitute" dates from 1924.
huswife (n.): see housewife.
hut (n.): 1650s, from French hutte "cottage" (16c.), from Middle High German hütte "cottage, hut," probably from Proto-Germanic *hudjon-, related to the root of Old English hydan "to hide," from PIE *keudh-, from root (s)keu- (see hide (n.1)). Apparently first in English as a military word. Old Saxon hutta, Danish hytte, Swedish hytta, Frisian and Middle Dutch hutte, Dutch hut are from High German.
hutch (n.): c.1200, "storage chest" (also applied to the biblical "ark of God"), from Old French huche, from Medieval Latin hutica "chest," of uncertain origin. Sense of "cupboard for food or dishes" first recorded 1670s; that of "box-like pen for an animal" is from c.1600.
Hutterite: 1640s, in reference to Moravian Anabaptist sect established by Jacob Hutter (d.1536) + -ite (1).
huzza: also huzzah, 1570s, originally a sailor's shout of exaltation, encouragement, or applause. Perhaps originally a hoisting cry.
hyacinth (n.): 1550s, "the plant hyacinth;" re-Greeked from earlier jacinth (late 14c.) "hyacinth; blue cornflower," earlier a precious stone blue (rarely red) in color (c.1200), from Old French jacinte and Medieval Latin jacintus, ultimately from Greek hyakinthos, probably ultimately from a non-Indo-European Mediterranean language. Used in ancient Greece of a blue gem, perhaps sapphire, and of a purple or deep red flower, but exactly which one is unknown (gladiolus, iris, and larkspur have been suggested). Fabled to have sprouted from the blood of Hyakinthos, youth beloved by Apollo and accidentally slain by him. The flower is said to have the letters "AI" or "AIAI" on its petals. The modern use in reference to a particular flowering plant genus is from 1570s.
Hyades: star cluster in constellation Taurus, late 14c., from Greek Hyades, popularly explained as "rain-bringers" (from hyein "to rain"), because wet weather supposedly began coincidentally with their heliacal rising, but in fact probably from hys "swine" (the Latin word for them was Suculae "little pigs").
hyaline (adj.): 1660s, from Latin hyalinus, from Greek hyalinos "of glass or crystal," from hyalos "glass" (see hyalo-).
hyalo-: word-forming element meaning "of glass; glass-like, transparent," from Greek hyalos "glass, clear alabaster," apparently a non-Greek word, said to be of Egyptian origin.
hybrid (n.): c.1600, from Latin hybrida, variant of ibrida "mongrel," specifically "offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar," of unknown origin but probably from Greek and somehow related to hubris. A rare word before c.1850. The adjective is attested from 1716.
hybridity (n.): 1837, from hybrid + -ity.
hybridization (n.): 1824, from hybridize (1802, from hybrid + -ize) + -ation.
hybris (n.): see hubris. Related: Hybristic.
hydra (n.): 1835, genus name of a freshwater polyp, from Greek Hydra, many-headed Lernaean water serpent slain by Hercules (this sense is attested in English from late 14c.), from hydor (genitive hydatos) "water" (see water (n.1)); related to Sanskrit udrah "aquatic animal" and Old English ottur "otter." Used figuratively for "any multiplicity of evils" [Johnson]. The fabulous beast's heads were said to grown back double when cut off, and the sea creature is said to be so called for its regenerative capabilities.
hydrangea (n.): 1753, coined in Modern Latin by Linnæus as compound of Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + angeion "vessel, capsule" (see angio-); so called from the shrub's cup-shaped seed pods.
hydrant (n.): 1806, a hybrid coined in American English from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + -ant.
hydrargyrum (n.): "mercury, quicksilver," 1560s, from Latin hydrargyrus, from Greek hydrargyros, from hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + argyros "silver" (see argent). Hence the chemical abbreviation Hg for the element mercury.
hydrate (n.): 1802, "compound of water and another chemical," from French hydrate, coined c.1800 by French chemist Joseph-Louis Proust (1754-1826) from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)).
hydrate (v.): 1850, "to form a hydrate;" 1947 as "to restore moisture;" from Greek hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + -ate (2). Related: Hydrated; hydrating.
hydration (n.): 1854, noun of action from hydrate.
hydraulic (adj.): c.1600, from Greek hydraulikos organon "water organ," from hydr-, stem of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)) + aulos "musical instrument, hollow tube" (see alveolus). Extended by the Romans to other kinds of water engines.
hydraulics (n.): 1670s, from hydraulic; also see -ics.
hydric (adj.): 1796 as a term in chemistry, "of or containing hydrogen;" 1918 in ecology; see hydro- + -ic.
hydro: short for hydroelectric, from 1916.
hydro-: before vowels hydr-, word-forming element meaning "water," from Greek hydro-, comb. form of hydor "water" (see water (n.1)). Also sometimes a comb. form of hydrogen.
hydrocarbon (n.): "compound of hydrogen and carbon," 1826, formed in English from hydrogen + carbon.
hydrocephalus (n.): 1660s, medical Latin, from Greek hydro- "water" (see water (n.1)) + kephale "head" (see cephalo-). Related: Hydrocephalic; hydrocephalous.
hydrochloric (adj.): 1817, in hydrochloric acid (proposed 1814 by Gay-Lussac); see hydro- + chloric (see chlorine).
hydrodynamic (adj.): 1828, from hydro- + dynamic (adj.). Related: Hydrodynamics (1779).
hydroelectric (adj.): 1827, formed in English from hydro- + electric. Related: Hydroelectricity.