masterful Look up masterful at Dictionary.com
c.1300, "fond of being a master," from master + -ful. Sense evolved through "having capabilities to command" (c.1400) to "characterized by a master's skill" (1610s).
mastermind Look up mastermind at Dictionary.com
1720, "an outstanding intellect," from master + mind. Meaning "head of a criminal enterprise" is first attested 1872.
masterpiece Look up masterpiece at Dictionary.com
c.1600, from master + piece. A translation of Du. meesterstuk "work by which a craftsman attains the rank of master" (cf. Ger. Meisterstück).
mastery Look up mastery at Dictionary.com
early 13c., mesterie, "condition of being a master," also "superiority, victory;" from O.Fr. maistrie, from maistre (see master). Meaning "intellectual command" (of a topic, etc.) is from 1660s.
masthead Look up masthead at Dictionary.com
1748, "top of a ship's mast" (the place for the display of flags), hence, from 1838, "top of a newspaper;" from mast (1) + head.
mastic Look up mastic at Dictionary.com
"resin obtained from certain trees," 1373, from O.Fr. mastic, from L.L. mastichum, from L. mastiche, from Gk. mastikhe, probably related to masasthai "to chew" (see mastication). The substance is used as a chewing gum in the East.
masticate Look up masticate at Dictionary.com
1640s, from L.L. masticat-, pp. stem of masticare (see mastication). Related: Masticated; masticating.
mastication Look up mastication at Dictionary.com
1560s, from L. masticationem (nom. masticatio), from masticare "to chew" (cf. O.Fr. maschier, Fr. mâcher), probably from Gk. mastikhan "to gnash the teeth," related to mastax "mouth, jaws," and masasthai "to chew," from PIE *menth- "to chew, mouth" (cf. L. mandere "to chew," Goth. munþs, O.E. muð "mouth").
mastiff Look up mastiff at Dictionary.com
"large, powerful breed of dog," early 14c., from O.Fr. mastin or Prov. mastis, both from V.L. *mansuetinus "domesticated," from L. mansuetus "tame, gentle" (see mansuetude). Form influenced by O.Fr. mestif "mongrel."
mastodon Look up mastodon at Dictionary.com
1813, from Mod.L. genus name Mastodon (1806), coined by Fr. naturalist Georges Léopole Chrétien Frédéric Dagobert, Baron Cuvier (1769-1832) from Gk. mastos "breast" + odont- "tooth," so called from the nipple-like projections on the crowns of the extinct mammal's fossil molars.
mastoid Look up mastoid at Dictionary.com
1732, from Gk. mastoeides "resembling a breast," from mastos "breast" (see mastectomy) + -oeides "like," from eidos "form, shape" (see -oid).
masturbate Look up masturbate at Dictionary.com
1857, from L. masturbat-, pp. stem of masturbari (see masturbation). Related: Masturbated; masturbating; masturbator; masturbatory.
masturbation Look up masturbation at Dictionary.com
1766, from Mod.L. masturbationem, from L. masturbatus, pp. of masturbari. The long-standing speculation is that this is altered (probably by influence of turbare "to stir up") from *manstuprare, from manu, abl. of manus "hand" (see manual) + stuprare "defile" (oneself), from stuprum "defilement, dishonor," related to stupere "to be stunned, stupefied" (see stupid). But perhaps the first element represents an unattested *mazdo- "penis." An earlier technical word for this was Onanism (q.v.).
mat Look up mat at Dictionary.com
O.E. matte, from L.L. matta "mat made of rushes" (4c.), probably from Punic or Phoenician (cf. Heb. mittah "bed, couch"). Meaning "piece of padded flooring used in gymnastics or wrestling" is attested from 1903.
Mata Hari Look up Mata Hari at Dictionary.com
stage name taken by Margaretha Gertruida Zelle (1876-1917), from Malay mata "eye" + hari "day, dawn."
matador Look up matador at Dictionary.com
1674, from Sp. matador, lit. "killer," from matar "to kill or wound," probably from Arabic mata "he died," from Persian (see second element in checkmate).
match (1) Look up match at Dictionary.com
"stick for striking fire," late 14c., "wick of a candle or lamp," from O.Fr. meiche "wick of a candle," from V.L. *micca/*miccia (cf. Catalan metxa, Sp. mecha, It. miccia), probably ult. from L. myxa, from Gk. myxa "lamp wick," originally "mucus," based on notion of wick dangling from the spout of a lamp like snot from a nostril. Meaning "piece of cord or splinter of wood soaked in sulphur, used for lighting fires, lamps, candles, etc." is from 1530. First used 1831 for the modern type of friction match, and competed with lucifer for much of 19c. as the name for this invention.
match (2) Look up match at Dictionary.com
"one of a pair," O.E. mæcca, from gemæcca "companion, mate, wife, one suited to another," from P.Gmc. *gamakon "fitting well together" (cf. O.H.G. gimah "comfort, ease," M.H.G. gemach "comfortable, quiet"), from PIE base *mak-/*mag- "to fit" (see make (v.)). M.E. sense of "matching adversary, person able to contend with another" (c.1300) led to sporting meaning "contest," first attested 1545. Match-maker "marriage-broker" is attested from c.1639.
matchcoat Look up matchcoat at Dictionary.com
"fur-skinned mantle worn by Native Americans," 1642, originally matchco, probably a native word (cf. Ojibwa majigoode "petticoat, woman's dress"), altered by infl. of coat (n.).
matchless Look up matchless at Dictionary.com
"peerless," 1520s, from match (1) + -less.
matchlock Look up matchlock at Dictionary.com
1690s, from match (1) + lock (1) in the firearm sense (1540s) probably so called for its resemblance to a door-latching device.
mate (n.) Look up mate at Dictionary.com
"companion, associate, fellow, comrade," late 14c., from M.L.G. mate, gemate "one eating at the same table, messmate," from P.Gmc. *ga-maton "having food (*matiz) together (*ga-)," which is etymologically identical with companion (q.v.). Meaning "one of a wedded pair" is attested from 1540s. Used as a form of address by sailors, laborers, etc., since at least mid-15c. Meaning "officer on a merchant vessel is from late 15c. The verb, of animals, "to pair for the purpose of breeding" is first recorded c.1600. The verb in chess (early 14c.) is short for checkmate (q.v.) and is not related.
material Look up material at Dictionary.com
late 14c. (adj.) "pertaining to matter," a term in scholastic philosophy and theology, from L.L. materialis (adj.) "of or belonging to matter," from L. materia "matter, stuff, wood, timber" (see matter). The noun is attested from 1550s.
materialism Look up materialism at Dictionary.com
1748, “philosophy that nothing exists except matter” (from Fr.); 1851 (in Hawthorne) as “a way of life based entirely on consumer goods.” From material + ism.
materialist Look up materialist at Dictionary.com
1660s, in various philosophical and theological senses of from material (q.v.). Also cf. materialism.
materialistic Look up materialistic at Dictionary.com
1845, from materialist.
materiality Look up materiality at Dictionary.com
1520s, from Mod.L. materialitas, from materialis (see material).
materialize Look up materialize at Dictionary.com
“appear in bodily form,” 1880, in spiritualism, from material + -ize. Related: Materialized.
materially Look up materially at Dictionary.com
c.1500, from material.
materiel Look up materiel at Dictionary.com
1814, from Fr. matériel "material," from O.Fr. materiel (adj.), from L. materialis "of matter," from materia "substance" (see matter). A later borrowing of the same word that became material.
maternal Look up maternal at Dictionary.com
late 15c., from O.Fr. maternel (14c.), from V.L. *maternalis, from L. maternus "maternal, of a mother," from mater "mother" (see mother).
maternity Look up maternity at Dictionary.com
1611, "quality or condition of being a mother," from Fr. maternité "motherhood," from M.L. maternitatem (nom. maternitas), from L. maternus (see maternal). Used from 1893 in ref. to garments designed for pregnant women.
matey Look up matey at Dictionary.com
1833, dim. of mate (n.) in its male friend sense.
math Look up math at Dictionary.com
Amer.Eng. shortening of mathematics, 1890; the British preference, maths, is attested from 1911.
mathematic Look up mathematic at Dictionary.com
late 14c. as singular, replaced by early 17c. by mathematics, from L. mathematica (pl.), from Gk. mathematike tekhne "mathematical science," fem. sing. of mathematikos (adj.) "relating to mathematics, scientific," from mathema (gen. mathematos) "science, knowledge, mathematical knowledge," related to manthanein "to learn," from PIE base *mn-/*men-/*mon- "to think, have one's mind aroused" (cf. Gk. menthere "to care," Lith. mandras "wide-awake," O.C.S. madru "wise, sage," Goth. mundonsis "to look at," Ger. munter "awake, lively").
mathematical Look up mathematical at Dictionary.com
1520s, from L. mathematicus (see mathematic).
mathematician Look up mathematician at Dictionary.com
mid-15c., from Fr. mathématicien, from L. mathematicus (see mathematic).
mathematics Look up mathematics at Dictionary.com
1580s, plural of mathematic (q.v.). Originally denoting the mathematical sciences collectively, including geometry, astronomy, optics. See -ics.
maths Look up maths at Dictionary.com
see math.
Matilda Look up Matilda at Dictionary.com
fem. proper name, from Fr. Mathilde, of Gmc. origin, lit. "mighty in battle," cf. O.H.G. Mahthilda, from mahti "might, power" + hildi "battle."
matin Look up matin at Dictionary.com
see matins.
matinee Look up matinee at Dictionary.com
1848, from Fr. matinée (musicale), from matin "morning" (with a sense here of "daytime"), from O.Fr. matines (see matins).
matins Look up matins at Dictionary.com
mid-13c., from O.Fr. matines, from L.L. matutinas (nom. matutinæ) "morning prayers," originally matutinas vigilias "morning watches," from L. matutinus "of or in the morning," associated with Matuta, Roman dawn goddess (see manana). The O.E. word was uht-sang, from uhte "daybreak."
matriarch Look up matriarch at Dictionary.com
c.1600, from matri-, comb. form of L. mater (gen. matris) "mother" (see mother) + -arch, abstracted from patriarch.
matriarchy Look up matriarchy at Dictionary.com
formed in English 1885 from matriarch.
matricide Look up matricide at Dictionary.com
1594, from Fr. matricide, from L. matricida "mother-killer," and matricidium "mother-killing," from mater "mother" + -cida "killer," and -cidium "a killing," from cadere "to slay" (see -cide).
matriculate (v.) Look up matriculate at Dictionary.com
1570s, "to admit a student to a college by enrolling his name on the register," from M.L. *matriculare "to register," from L.L. matricula "public register," dim. of L. matrix (gen. matricis) "list, roll," also "sources, womb" (see matrix). The connection of senses in the Latin word seems to be via confusion of Gk. metra "womb" (from meter "mother") and an identical Gk. word meaning "register, lot." Evidently Latin matrix was used to translate both, though it originally shared meaning with only one. Related: Matriculated; matriculating; matriculation.
matrifocal Look up matrifocal at Dictionary.com
1952, a term from sociology, from matri- (see matriarch) + focal.
matrilineal Look up matrilineal at Dictionary.com
1904, from matri- (see matriarch) + lineal.
matrilocal Look up matrilocal at Dictionary.com
1906, from matri- (see matriarch) + local.