mendicant Look up mendicant at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., from L. mendicantem (nom. mendicans) "beggar," prp. of mendicare "to beg," from mendicus "beggar," originally "cripple" (connection via cripples who beg), from menda "fault, physical defect" (see mendacious). Earlier form in M.E. was mendinant (mid-14c.), from O.Fr. mendinant, prp. of mendiner "to beg," from the same L. source.
Menelaeus Look up Menelaeus at Dictionary.com
king of Sparta, husband of Helen, brother of Agamemnon, L., from Gk. Menelaos, lit. "restraining the people," from menein "to stay, abide, remain" + laos "people."
menhaden Look up menhaden at Dictionary.com
1792, from Algonquian (probably Narragansett) munnawhateaug (1643), lit. "they fertilize," because the abundant little fishes were used by the Indians as fertilizer.
menhir Look up menhir at Dictionary.com
1840, "upright monumental stone," lit. "long stone," from Fr., from Breton men "stone" + hir "long" (cf. Welsh maen hir, Cornish medn hir).
menial Look up menial at Dictionary.com
1387, "pertaining to a household," from Anglo-Fr. meignial, from O.Fr. mesnie "household," earlier mesnede, from V.L. *mansionata, from L. mansionem "dwelling" (see mansion). Sense of "lowly, humble, suited to a servant" is first recorded 1673. Noun meaning "domestic servant" is 1388, meynyal.
meningitis Look up meningitis at Dictionary.com
1828, coined from Mod.L. meninga, from Gk. menix (gen. meningos) "membrane," especially that of the brain + -itis "disease."
meniscus Look up meniscus at Dictionary.com
"crescent-shaped body," 1693 in ref. to lenses, c.1812 in ref. to liquid surfaces, Mod.L. meniscus, from Gk. meniskos "lunar crescent," dim. of mene "moon."
Mennonite Look up Mennonite at Dictionary.com
member of an Anabaptist sect, 1565, from name of Menno Simons (1492-1559), founder of the sect in Friesland.
menopause Look up menopause at Dictionary.com
1872, from Fr. ménopause, from Gk. men (gen. menos) "month" + pausis "a cessation, a pause," from pauein "to cause to cease." Opposite of menarche "onset of menstruation," 1900, from Ger. (1895), from Gk. arkhe "beginning."
menorah Look up menorah at Dictionary.com
1888, from Heb. menorah "candlestick," from Sem. stem n-w-r "to give light, shine" (cf. Ar. nar "fire," manarah "candlestick, lighthouse, tower of a mosque," see minaret).
mens sana in corpore sano Look up mens sana in corpore sano at Dictionary.com
1605, from L., lit. "a sound mind in a sound body," a line found in Juvenal, "Satires," x.356.
"Mens sana in corpore sano is a contradiction in terms, the fantasy of a Mr. Have-your-cake-and-eat-it. No sane man can afford to dispense with debilitating pleasures; no ascetic can be considered reliably sane. Hitler was the archetype of the abstemious man. When the other krauts saw him drink water in the Beer Hall they should have known he was not to be trusted." [A.J. Liebling]
mensa Look up mensa at Dictionary.com
"altar top," 1848, from L., lit. "table," hence used in Church L. for "upper slab of an altar." With a capital M-, the name of an organization for people of IQs of 148 or more founded in England in 1946, the name chosen, according to the organization, to suggest a "round table" type group.
mensch Look up mensch at Dictionary.com
"person of strength and honor," 1909, from Yiddish, from Ger., lit. "man, person."
menses Look up menses at Dictionary.com
"monthly discharge of blood from the uterus," 1597, from L. menses, pl. of mensis "month," from PIE *menes- "moon, month."
menshevik Look up menshevik at Dictionary.com
1917, from Rus. men'shevik, from men'she "lesser" (comp. of malo "little," from PIE base *men- "to lessen, diminish") + -evik "one that is." So called by Lenin because they were a minority in the party. Earlier used in ref. to the minority faction of the Social-Democratic Party, when it split in 1903. Russian pl. mensheviki occasionally was used in Eng.
menstrual Look up menstrual at Dictionary.com
late 14c., from O.Fr. menstruel, from L. menstrualis "monthly," especially "of or having monthly courses," from menstruus "of menstruation, monthly," from mensis "month" (see menses). Menstruation first attested 1776; O.E. equivalent was monađblot "month-blood." Verb menstruate (1800) probably is a back-formation.
mensuration Look up mensuration at Dictionary.com
1571, "act of measuring," from L.L. mensurationem (nom. mensuratio), from mensuratus, pp. of mensurare "to measure."
mental Look up mental at Dictionary.com
c.1422, from M.Fr. mental, from L.L. mentalis "of the mind," from L. mens (gen. mentis) "mind," from PIE base *men- "to think" (cf. Skt. matih "thought, mind," Goth. gamunds, O.E. gemynd "memory, remembrance," Mod.Eng. mind). Meaning "crazy, deranged" is from 1927. Mentality formed in Eng. 1691.
menthol Look up menthol at Dictionary.com
1876, from Ger. Menthol, coined 1861 by Oppenheim from L. mentha "mint" (see mint (1)) + oleum "oil." So called because it was first obtained from oil of peppermint.
mention (n.) Look up mention at Dictionary.com
c.1300, from O.Fr. mencion "call to mind," from L. mentionem (nom. mentio) "a calling to mind, a speaking of, mention," from root of Old L. minisci "to think," related to mens (gen. mentis) "mind," from PIE base *men- "think" (see mental). The verb is first attested 1530. Don't mention it as a conventional reply to expressions of gratitude or apology is attested from 1840.
mentor Look up mentor at Dictionary.com
"wise advisor," 1750, from Gk. Mentor, character in the "Odyssey," friend of Odysseus, adviser of Telemachus (often actually Athene in disguise), perhaps ult. meaning "adviser," since the name appears to be an agent noun of mentos "intent, purpose, spirit, passion" from PIE *mon-eyo- (cf. Skt. man-tar- "one who thinks," L. mon-i-tor "one who admonishes"), causative form of base *men- "to think" (see mental).
menu Look up menu at Dictionary.com
1837, from Fr. menu de repas "list of what is served at a meal," from M.Fr. menu (adj.) "small, detailed," from L. minutus "small," lit. "made smaller," pp. of minuere "to diminish," from root of minus (see minus). Computer usage is from 1971, from expanded sense of "any detailed list," first attested 1889.
meow Look up meow at Dictionary.com
1873, earlier miaow, also miau (1634), meaw (1632). Of imitative origin, cf. Fr. miaou, Ger. miauen, Pers. maw, Japanese nya nya, Ar. nau-nau. In Chinese, miau means "cat."
Mephistopheles Look up Mephistopheles at Dictionary.com
1598, the evil spirit whom Faust sold his soul to in the Ger. legend, from Ger. (1587), of unknown origin. According to the speculation of eminent Göthe scholar K.J. Schröer (1886) it is a compound of Heb. mephitz "destroyer" + tophel "liar" (short for tophel sheqer, lit. "falsehood plasterer;" cf. Job xiii.4). Names of devils in the Middle Ages in most cases derived from Heb.
mercantile Look up mercantile at Dictionary.com
1642, via Fr., It., and M.L. mercantile, from L. mercantem (nom. mercans) "a merchant," also "trading," prp. of mercari "to trade," from merx (see market).
Mercator Look up Mercator at Dictionary.com
type of map projection, 1669, invented by Flem. geographer Gerhard Kremer (1512-94), who Latinized his surname, which lit. means "dealer," as Mercator. He first used this type of map projection in 1568.
Mercedes-Benz Look up Mercedes-Benz at Dictionary.com
1886, named by its Austrian manufacturer Emil Jellinik for his daughter, Mercedes. The fem. proper name is from Sp., abbrev. of Maria de las Mercedes "Mary of the Mercies," from pl. of merced "mercy, grace," from L. mercedem (nom. merces), see mercy.
mercenary (n.) Look up mercenary at Dictionary.com
late 14c., "one who works only for hire," from L. mercenarius "one who does anything for pay," lit. "hired, paid," from merces (gen. mercedis) "pay, reward, wages," from merx (see market). The adj. is recorded from 1530s.
mercer Look up mercer at Dictionary.com
c.1123, "dealer in textile," from Fr. mercier "trader," from V.L. *merciarius, from L. merx (see market).
merchandise Look up merchandise at Dictionary.com
late 13c., "commodities of commerce," from Anglo-Fr. marchaundise, from marchaunt (see merchant). The verb is recorded from late 14c.
merchant Look up merchant at Dictionary.com
c.1200, from Anglo-Fr. marchaunt (O.Fr. marcheant, Fr. marchand), from V.L. *mercatantem (nom. *mercatans) "a buyer," prp. of *mercatare, freq. of L. mercari "to trade" (see market).
Mercia Look up Mercia at Dictionary.com
Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the Midlands, Latinized from O.E. Mierce "men of the Marches," from mearc (see march (n.)).
mercurial Look up mercurial at Dictionary.com
1390, "pertaining to the planet Mercury" (see Mercury). Meaning "sprightly, volatile, quick" (1593) is from supposed qualities of those born under the planet Mercury, probably partially by association with quicksilver.
Mercury Look up Mercury at Dictionary.com
c.1150, from L. Mercurius "Mercury," the Roman god, originally a god of tradesmen and thieves, from merx "merchandise;" or perhaps from Etruscan and infl. by merx. Later he was associated with Gk. Hermes. The planet closest to the sun so called in classical L. (late 14c. in Eng.). Sense of "silver-white metal, quicksilver" is first recorded late 14c., when elements were commonly associated alchemically with the planets. This one probably so associated for its mobility.
mercy Look up mercy at Dictionary.com
late 12c., "God's forgiveness of his creatures' offenses," from O.Fr. mercit, merci "reward, gift, kindness," from L. mercedem (nom. merces) "reward, wages, hire" (in V.L. "favor, pity"), from merx (gen. mercis) "wares, merchandise." In Church L. (6c.) applied to the heavenly reward of those who show kindness to the helpless. Meaning "disposition to forgive or show compassion" is attested from early 13c. As an interjection, attested from mid-13c. In French largely superseded by miséricorde except as a word of thanks. Seat of mercy "golden covering of the Ark of the Covenant" (1530) is Tyndale's loan-translation of Luther's gnadenstuhl, an inexact rendering of Heb. kapporeth, lit. "propitiatory."
merd Look up merd at Dictionary.com
"dung," 1477, from Fr. merde, from L. merda "dung," of unknown origin.
mere (adj.) Look up mere at Dictionary.com
c.1400, "unmixed," from O.Fr. mier "pure, entire," from L. merus "unmixed, pure, bare," used of wine, probably originally "clear, bright," from PIE *mer- "to gleam, glimmer, sparkle" (cf. O.E. amerian "to purify," O.Ir. emer "not clear," Skt. maricih "ray, beam," Gk. marmarein "to gleam, glimmer"). Original sense of "nothing less than, absolute" (1536, now only in vestiges such as mere folly) existed for centuries alongside opposite sense of "nothing more than" (1581, e.g. a mere dream).
mere (n.) Look up mere at Dictionary.com
O.E. mere "sea, lake, pool, pond," from P.Gmc. *mari (cf. O.N. marr, O.S. meri "sea," Du. meer "lake," O.H.G. mari, Ger. Meer "sea," Goth. marei "sea," mari-saiws "lake"), from PIE *mori-/*mari "sea" (cf. L. mare, O.C.S. morje, Rus. more, Lith. mares, O.Ir. muir, Welsh mor "sea," Gaulish Are-morici "people living near the sea").
meretricious Look up meretricious at Dictionary.com
1626, from L. meretricius "of or pertaining to prostitutes," from meretrix (gen. meretricis) "prostitute," lit. "woman who earns money," from merere, mereri "to earn, gain" (see merit).
merganser Look up merganser at Dictionary.com
type of duck, 1752, from Mod.L. (1555), from L. mergus "waterfowl, diver," from mergere "to dip, immerse" (see merge) + anser "goose" (see goose).
merge Look up merge at Dictionary.com
1636, "to plunge or sink in," from L. mergere "to dip, immerse," probably rhotacized from *mezgo, and cognate with Skt. majjati "dives under," Lith. mazgoju "to wash." Legal sense of "absorption of an estate, contract, etc. into another" is from 1726. Merger (n.) in the business sense first recorded 1889; not common until c. 1926.
meridian Look up meridian at Dictionary.com
c.1380, "noon," from O.Fr. meridien, from L. meridianus "of noon, southern," from meridies "noon, south," from meridie "at noon," altered by dissimilation from pre-L. *mediei die, loc. of medius "mid-" (see medial) + dies "day" (see diurnal). Cartographic sense first recorded 1391. The city in Mississippi, U.S., was settled 1854 (as Sowashee Station) at a railway junction and given its current name in 1860, supposedly by people who thought meridian meant "junction" (they perhaps confused the word with median).
meringue Look up meringue at Dictionary.com
1706, from Fr. méringue, of unknown origin.
merino Look up merino at Dictionary.com
"fine-wool breed of sheep," 1781, from Sp., possibly from Ar. Merini, a Berber family or tribe of sheep farmers in northwest Africa whose animals were imported into Spain 14c.-15c. to improve local breeds. Or from L. majorinus, from major "greater," either in ref. to size of the animals or from Sp. derivative merino (n.) "overseer of cattle pastures," also a title of judicial officers.
merism Look up merism at Dictionary.com
"synecdoche in which totality is expressed by contrasting parts" (e.g. high and low, young and old), 1894, from Mod.L. merismus, from Gk. merismos "dividing, partition," from merizein "to divide," from meros "part."
merit (n.) Look up merit at Dictionary.com
c.1300, from O.Fr. merite, from L. meritum "desert, reward, merit," neut. of meritus, pp. of merere, meriri "to earn, deserve, acquire, gain," from PIE base *(s)mer- "to allot, assign" (cf. Gk. meros "part, lot," moira "share, fate," moros "fate, destiny, doom," Hittite mark "to divide" a sacrifice). The verb meaning "to be entitled to" is from 1526. L. meritare, freq. of mereri, meant "to earn (money), to serve as a soldier." Merit-monger was in common use 16c.-17c. in a sense roughly of "do-gooder." Meritocracy coined 1958 by Michael Young and used in title of his book, "The Rise of the Meritocracy."
meritorious Look up meritorious at Dictionary.com
1432, from L. meritorius "that for which money is paid, that by which money is earned," from meritus, pp. of merere (see merit (n.)).
merkin Look up merkin at Dictionary.com
"female pudenda," 1535, apparently a variant of malkin (q.v.) in its sense of "mop." Meaning "artificial vagina or 'counterfeit hair for a woman's privy parts' " is attested from 1617. According to "The Oxford Companion to the Body," the custom of wearing merkins dates from c.1450, was associated with prostitutes, and was to disguise either pubic hair shaved off to exterminate body lice or evidence of venereal disease.
"This put a strange Whim in his Head; which was, to get the hairy circle of [a prostitute's] Merkin .... This he dry'd well, and comb'd out, and then return'd to the Cardinall, telling him, he had brought St. Peter's Beard." [Alexander Smith, "A Complete History of the Lives and Robberies of the most notorious Highwaymen," 1714]
merlin Look up merlin at Dictionary.com
"small, strong European falcon," early 14c., from Anglo-Fr. merilun, an aphetic form of O.Fr. esmerillon (Fr. émerillon), from Frank. *smiril (cf. O.H.G. smerlo, Ger. Schmerl "merlin"). Sp. esmerejon, It. smeriglio also are Germanic loan-words.
Merlin Look up Merlin at Dictionary.com
sorcerer and soothsayer in Arthurian legends, from O.Fr. form of Welsh Myrddhin, probably from O.Celt. *Mori-dunon, lit. "of the sea-hill," from *mori "sea" + dunom "hill."