Online Etymology Dictionary

plumage: 1481, "feathers," from O.Fr. plumage (14c.), from plume (see plume).
plumb (n.): c.1300, "lead hung on a string to show the vertical line," from O.Fr. *plombe, plomme "sounding lead," from L.L. *plumba, originally pl. of L. plumbum "lead," the metal, of unknown origin, related to Gk. molybdos "lead" (dial. bolimos), probably from an extinct Mediterranean language, perhaps Iberian. The verb is first recorded c.1380, with sense "to immerse;" meaning "take soundings with a plumb" is first recorded 1568; fig. sense of "to get to the bottom of" is from 1599. Plumb-bob is from 1835. Adj. sense of "perpendicular, vertical" is from c.1460; the notion of "exact measurement" led to extended sense of "completely, downright" (1748), sometimes spelled plump or plunk.
plumbago: "graphite," 1784, from L. plumbago "a type of lead ore, black lead," from plumbum "lead" (see plumb); it renders Gk. molybdaina, which was used of yellow lead oxide and also of a type of plant.
plumber: c.1100, "a worker in any sort of lead," from O.Fr. plummier (Fr. plombier), from L. plumbarius "worker in lead," properly an adj., "pertaining to lead," from plumbum "lead" (see plumb). Meaning shifted 19c. to "workman who installs pipes and fittings" as lead water pipes became the principal concern of the trade. In U.S. Nixon administration (1969-74), the name of a special unit for investigation of "leaks" of government secrets. Plumbing "water pipes" is first recorded 1884.
plume: 1399, "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from O.Fr. plume, from L. pluma "feather, down," from PIE base *pleus- "to pluck, a feather, fleece" (cf. O.E. fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long streamer of smoke, etc." is first attested 1878. The verb meaning "to dress the feathers" is from 1702.
plummet (n.): late 14c., "ball of lead, plumb of a bob-line," from O.Fr. plomet, dim. of plom "sounding lead" (see plumb). The verb is first recorded 1620s, originally "to fathom, take soundings," from the noun. Meaning "to fall rapidly" first recorded 1939.
plump (adj.): 1481, "blunt, dull" (in manners), from Du. plomp "blunt, thick, massive, stumpy," probably related to plompen "fall or drop heavily" (see plump (v.)). Meaning "fleshy, of rounded form" is from 1545.
plump (v.): c.1300, "to fall or strike with a full impact," from M.Du. plompen, or M.L.G. plumpen, probably of imitative origin. Meaning "to plump (something) up, to cause to swell" is first recorded 1533, from the adj.
plunder (v.): 1632, from M.H.G. plunderen "to plunder," originally "to take away household furniture," from plunder "household goods, clothes" (cf. M.H.G. plunder "lumber, baggage," 14c.; M.Du. plunder "household goods;" Fris., Du. plunje "clothes"). A word acquired by English via the Thirty Years War and applied in native use after the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642. The noun meaning "goods taken by force" is from 1647.
plunge (v.): c.1380, from O.Fr. plungier (c.1140), from V.L. *plumbicare "to heave the lead," from L. plumbum "lead" (see plumb). Original notion perhaps is of a sounding lead or a fishing net weighted with lead. Fig. use in take the plunge "commit oneself" is from 1845. Plunger as a mechanism is from 1777. Plunging neckline attested from 1949.
plunk: 1805, "to pluck a stringed instrument;" 1808 in sense of "drop down abruptly." Probably of imitative origin in both cases.
pluperfect: 1530, shortened from L. (tempus praeteritum) plus (quam) perfectum "(past tense) more (than) perfect." Translates Gk. khronos hypersyntelikos. See plus and perfect.
plural: late 14c., from O.Fr. plurel "more than one" (12c.), from L. pluralis "of or belonging to more than one," from plus (gen. pluris) "more" (see plus).
pluralism: 1818, as a term in church administration, from plural (q.v.) + -ism. Attested from 1882 as a term in philosophy for a theory which recognizes more than one ultimate principle. In political science, attested from 1919 (in Harold J. Laski) in sense "theory which opposes monolithic state power." Gen. sense of "toleration of diversity within a society or state" is from 1933.
plus: 1579, the oral rendering of the arithmetical sign +, from L. plus "more" (comparative of multus "much"), altered by influence of minus from *pleos, from PIE *ple- "full" (see plenary). Placed after a whole number to indicate "and a little more," it is attested from 1902. As a conj., "and," it is Amer.Eng. colloquial, attested from 1968. Plus fours (1921) were four inches longer in the leg than standard knickerbockers, to produce an overhang, originally a style assoc. with golfers. The plus-sign itself has been well-known since at least 1489 and is perhaps an abbreviation of L. et (see etc.).
plus ça change: 1903, from Fr. phrase plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (1849), lit. "the more it changes, the more it stays the same."
plush: "soft fabric," 1594, from M.Fr. pluche "shag, plush," contraction of peluche "hairy fabric," from O.Fr. peluchier "to pull, to tug, to pluck" (the final process in weaving plush), from V.L. *piluccare "remove hair" (see pluck). The adj. meaning "swank, luxurious" is first attested 1927; plushy in this sense is recorded from 1923.
Pluto: Roman god of the underworld, brother of Zeus and Neptune, from L. Pluto, from Gk. Plouton "god of wealth," lit. "wealth, riches," probably originally "overflowing," from PIE *pleu- "to flow. The planet (since downgraded) was discovered 1930 by C.W. Tombaugh; Minerva also was suggested as a name for it. The cartoon dog first appeared in Walt Disney's "Moose Hunt," released April 1931.
plutocracy: 1652, from Gk. ploutokratia "rule or power of the wealthy or of wealth," from ploutos "wealth" (see Pluto) + -kratia "rule," from kratos "rule, power." Plutocrat is 1850.
plutonic: "pertaining to or involving intense heat deep in the earth's crust," 1796, from Pluto (q.v.) as god of the underworld; especially in ref. to early 19c. geological theory (championed by Hutton) that attributed most of the earth's features to action of internal heat, and which triumphed over its rival, neptunism, which attributed them to water.
plutonium: 1942, from Pluto, the planet (see Pluto), the element named on suggestion of Seaborg and Wahl because it follows neptunium in the periodic table as Pluto follows Neptune in the Solar System.
pluvial: 1656, "pertaining to rain," from Fr. pluvial (12c.), from L. pluvialis "pertaining to rain," from (aqua) pluvia "rain (water)," from fem. of pluvius "rainy," from plovere "to rain," from PIE base *pleu- "to flow, to swim" (cf. Skt. plavate "navigates, swims;" Gk. plynein "to wash," plein "to navigate;" O.E. flowan "to flow").
ply (v.): "work with, use," c.1300, shortened form of applien "join to, apply," from O.Fr. aplier, from L. applicare "to attach, apply," from op- "on" + plicare "to lay, fold, twist," from PIE base *plek- "to plait, twist" (cf. Gk. plekein "to plait," L. plectere "to plait, braid, intertwine," O.C.S. plesti "to braid, plait, twist," Goth. flahta "braid"). Sense of "travel regularly" is first 1803.
ply (n.): "layer," 1470, from M.Fr. pli "a fold" (13c.), from O.Fr. ploi (12c.), from stem of ployer (later pleier) "to bend, to fold," from L. plicare "to fold, lay" see ply (v.)). Now mainly in plywood (1907), which is called that because the layers are so arranged that the grain of one runs at right angles to that of the next.
pneumatic: 1659, from L. pneumaticus "of the wind, belonging to the air," from Gk. pneumatikos, from pneuma (gen. pneumatos) "wind," also "breath," from pnein "to blow, to breathe," from PIE base *pneu- "to breathe," of imitative origin.
pneumonia: c.1600, from Mod.L., from Gk. pneumonia "inflammation of the lungs," from pneumon (gen. pneumonos) "lung," altered from pleumon "lung," lit. "floater," from PIE *pleu- "to flow, to swim" (see pulmonary). Alteration in Gk. perhaps by influence of pnein "to breathe."
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis: "A facetious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust' but occurring chiefly as an instance of a very long word." [OED]
Po: large river in northern Italy, from L. Padus, a name of Celtic origin.
poach (1): "steal game," 1528, "to push, poke," from M.Fr. pocher "to thrust, poke," from O.Fr. pochier "poke out, gouge," from a Gmc. source (cf. M.H.G. puchen "to pound, beat, knock") related to poke (v.). Sense of "trespass for the sake of stealing" is first attested 1611, perhaps via notion of "thrusting" oneself onto another's property.
poach (2): "cook in liquid," c.1430, from O.Fr. poché, pp. of pochier (12c.), lit. "put into a pocket" (as the white of an egg forms a pocket for the yolk), from poche "bag, pocket," from Frank. *pokka "bag," from Gmc. *puk- (see poke (n.)).
Pocahontas: (c. 1595–1617), daughter of Algonquian leader Powhatan, the name is said to be Algonquian Pokachantesu "she is playful."
pock: O.E. pocc "pustule," from P.Gmc. *puh(h)- "to swell up, blow up" (cf. Du. pok, Low Ger. poche), from PIE base *bhu- "to swell, to blow." The plural form, M.E. pokkes, is the source of pox, which since early 14c. has been used in the sense "disease characterized by pocks." The verb meaning "to disfigure with pits or pocks" is attested from 1841. Pock-mark is recorded from 1670s as a noun, 1756 as a verb.
pocket: 1210, "bag, sack," from Anglo-Fr. pokete (13c.), dim. of O.N.Fr. poque "bag," from Frank. *pokka "bag," from Gmc. *puk- (see poke (n.)). Meaning "small bag worn on the person, especially one sewn into a garment" is from c.1430. Mining sense is attested from 1850; military sense of "area held by troops surrounded by the enemy" is from 1918. The verb, with implications of dishonesty, is from 1637. Pocket-book (1617) was originally "a book-like case for papers, etc.;" meaning "a woman's purse" is from 1816. Pocket-knife is first recorded 1727; pocket-money is attested from 1632.
poco: in musical directions, "a little, slightly," 1724, from It., from L. paucus (see paucity).
Pocono: mountain range and region in eastern Pennsylvania, from Delaware (Algonquian), perhaps Pocohanne "stream between mountains."
pod (1): "seed of beans," 1680s, of uncertain origin; found earlier in podware "seed of legumes, seed grain" (mid-15c.), which had a parallel form codware "husked or seeded plants" (late 14c.), related to cod "husk of seeded plants," which was in O.E. Pod people (1956) is from movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," based on novel by Jack Finney.
pod (2): "herd of whales or seals," 1827, Amer.Eng., of unknown origin.
podgy: 1846, later collateral form of pudgy (q.v.).
podiatry: 1914, formed from Gk. pod-, stem of pous "foot" (see foot) + iatreia "healing," from iatros "physician." An attempt to supplant chiropody, chiropodist (the latter from 1785) and distance the practice from the popular impression of unskilled corn-cutters. The National Association of Chiropodists changed its name to American Podiatry Association 1958.
podium: 1743, "raised platform around an ancient arena," also "projecting base of a pedestal," from L. podium "raised platform," from Gk. podion "foot of a vase," dim. of pous (gen. podos) "foot" (see foot). Meaning "raised platform at the front of a hall or stage" is from 1947.
Podunk: "legendary small town," 1846, originally the name of a small group of Indians who lived around the Podunk River in Connecticut; the tribe name is in colonial records from 1656 (as Potunck), from southern New England Algonquian (Mohegan or Massachusetts) Potunk, perhaps an alteration of ptukohke "neck, corner of land;" or, on another authority, from pautaunke, from pot- "to sink" + locative suffix -unk, thus "a boggy place." Its popularity as the name of a typical (if mythical) U.S. small town dates from a series of witty "Letters from Podunk" which ran in the "Buffalo Daily National Pilot" newspaper beginning Jan. 5, 1846.
poem: 1548 (replacing poesy, q.v.), from M.Fr. poème (14c.), from L. poema "verse, poetry," from Gk. poema "thing made or created, fiction, poetical work," from poein "to make or compose" (see poet).
poesy: c.1300, from O.Fr. poesie, from V.L. poesia, from L. poesis "poetry," from Gk. poesis "composition, poetry," from poein "to make or compose" (see poet).
poet: c.1300, from O.Fr. poete (12c.), from L. poeta "poet, author," from Gk. poetes "maker, author, poet," from poein "to make or compose," from PIE *kwoiwo- "making," from base *qwei- "to make" (cf. Skt. cinoti "heaping up, piling up," O.C.S. cinu "act, deed, order"). Replaced O.E. scop (which survives in scoff). Used in 14c., as in classical langs., for all sorts of writers or composers of works of literature.
poetaster: 1599, from M.Fr. poetastre (1554), from L. poeta (poet) + -aster, diminutive (pejorative) suffix.
poetic: 1530, from M.Fr. poetique, from L. poeticus, from Gk. poietikos "pertaining to poetry," lit. "creative, productive," from poietos "made," verbal adj. of poiein "to make" (see poet). Poetic justice "ideal justice as portrayed in plays and stories" is from 1679.
poetry: late 14c., from O.Fr. poetrie (13c.), from M.L. poetria (c.650), from L. poeta (see poet). In classical Latin, poetria meant "poetess." English lacks a true verb form in this group of words, though poeticize (1804), poetize (1580s, from Fr. poétiser), and poetrize (c.1600) all have been tried.
pogo stick: 1921, of uncertain etymology. Pogo as a leaping style of punk dance is attested from 1977.
pogrom: 1882, from Yiddish pogrom, from Rus. pogromu "devastation, destruction," from po- "by, through" + gromu "thunder, roar," from PIE imitative base *ghrem- (see grim).
poi: 1823, from Hawaiian poi "food made from taro root."