Online Etymology Dictionary

Politbureau: "highest policy-making committee of the U.S.S.R.," 1927, from Rus. politbyuro, from polit(icheskoe) "political" + byuro "bureau."
polite: 1263, from L. politus "refined, elegant," lit. "polished," pp. of polire "to polish, to make smooth." Used literally at first in Eng.; sense of "elegant, cultured" is first recorded 1501, that of "behaving courteously" is 1762.
politic (adj.): 1427, from M.Fr. politique (14c.) "political," from L. politicus "of citizens or the state, civil, civic," from Gk. politikos "of citizens or the state," from polites "citizen," from polis "city" (see policy (1)). Replaced in most adj. senses by political (1551). The verb meaning "to engage in political activity" is first recorded 1917, a back-formation from politics.
politician: 1588, from politics (q.v.). Colloquial abbreviated form pol is attested from 1942. Alternative form politico (usually in a derogatory sense) is attested from 1630, from It. or Sp. politico, noun use of adj. meaning "political," from L. politicus (see politic).
politics (n.): 1529, "science of government," from politic (adj.), modeled on Aristotle's ta politika "affairs of state," the name of his book on governing and governments, which was in Eng. 1450 as "Polettiques."
"Politicks is the science of good sense, applied to public affairs, and, as those are forever changing, what is wisdom to-day would be folly and perhaps, ruin to-morrow. Politicks is not a science so properly as a business. It cannot have fixed principles, from which a wise man would never swerve, unless the inconstancy of men's view of interest and the capriciousness of the tempers could be fixed." [Fisher Ames (1758–1808)]
Meaning "a person's political allegiances or opinions" is from 1769. Political animal transl. Gk. politikon zoon (Aristotle, Politics, I.ii.9) "an animal intended to live in a city; a social animal." Politically correct first attested 1970; abbreviation P.C. is from 1986.
polity: 1538, from Fr. politie (1419), from L.L. polita "organized government" (see policy).
polka: 1844, from Fr., from Czech polka, the dance, lit. "Polish woman" (Polish Polka), fem. of Polak "a Pole." The word may also be an alteration of Czech pulka "half," for the half-steps of Bohemian peasant dances. The dance was in vogue first in Prague, 1835; it reached London by the spring of 1842. Polka dot is first recorded 1884 and is named for the dance, for no reason except its popularity, which led to many contemporary products and fashions taking the name.
poll: late 13c., polle "hair of the head," from M.L.G. or M.Du. pol "head, top." Meaning "collection of votes" is first recorded 1620s, from notion of "counting heads;" meaning "survey of public opinion" is first recorded 1902. The verb meaning "to take the votes of" also is first recorded 1620s. Pollster is 1939. A deed poll "deed executed by one party only," is from earlier verbal meaning "cut the hair of," because the deed was cut straight rather than indented (see indent).
pollack: "sea fish," c.1600, alteration of Scottish podlok, of unknown origin. Possibly altered by influence of Pollack "Polish person."
pollen: 1760 as a botanical term for the fertilizing element of flowers (from Linnæus, 1751), earlier "dust" (1523), from L. pollen "mill dust, fine flour," related to polenta "peeled barley," and pulvis (gen. pulveris) "dust," from PIE base *pel- "dust, porridge made of meal" (cf. Gk. poltos "pap, porridge," Skt. palalam "ground seeds," Lith. pelenai, O.C.S. popelu, Rus. pepelo "ashes"). Pollination is first recorded 1875, from Fr. pollination, formed 1812 from L. pollen.
polliwog: c.1440, polwygle, probably from pol "head" (see poll) + wiglen (see wiggle). Modern spelling is 1830s, replacing earlier polwigge.
pollution: c.1340, "discharge of semen other than during sex," later, "desecration, defilement" (late 14c.), from L.L. pollutionem (nom. pollutio) "defilement," from L. polluere "to soil, defile, contaminate," from por- "before" + -luere "smear," related to lutum "mud," and to lues "filth" (cf. Gk. lyma "filth, dirt, disgrace," lymax "rubbish, refuse," O.Ir. loth "mud, dirt," Lith. lutynas "pool, puddle"). Sense of "contamination of the environment" first recorded c.1860, but not common until c.1955. Pollute (v.) is attested from c.1380 in sense "defile," from L. pollutus, pp. of polluere. Meaning "contaminate the environment" first recorded 1954. Pollutant is from 1892.
Pollux: twin brother of Castor, name of the second star of Gemini, 1526, from L., from Gk. Polydeukes, lit. "very sweet," from polys "much" (see poly-) + deukes "sweet." The contraction of the name in L. is perhaps via Etruscan.
Polly: fem. proper name, a rhyming collateral form of Molly, pet form of Mary.
Pollyanna: "one who finds cause for gladness in the most difficult situations," 1921, in allusion to Pollyanna Whittier, child heroine of U.S. novelist Eleanor Hodgman Porter's "Pollyanna" (1913) and "Pollyanna Grows Up" (1915), noted for keeping her chin up during disasters.
polo: 1872, Anglo-Indian polo, from Balti (Tibetan language of the Indus valley) polo "ball," related to Tibetan pulu "ball." An ancient game in south Asia, first played in England at Aldershot, 1871. Water polo is from 1884. Polo shirt (1920) originally was a kind worn by polo players.
polonaise: 1773, "woman's overdress" (from fancied resemblance to Polish costume); 1797, "stately dance," from Fr. (danse) polonaise "a Polish (dance)," fem. of polonais (adj.) "Polish," from Pologne "Poland," from M.L. Polonia "Poland." In the culinary sense, applied to dishes supposed to be cooked in Pol. style, attested from 1889.
poltergeist: 1838, from Ger. Poltergeist, lit. "noisy ghost," from poltern "make noise, rattle" (from PIE base *bhel- "to sound, ring, roar") + Geist "ghost" (see ghost). In the native idiom of Northern England, such phenomenon likely would be credited to a boggart.
poltroon: "spiritless coward," 1529, from M.Fr. poultron "rascal, coward," from It. poltrone "lazy fellow, coward," apparently from *poltro "couch, bed" (cf. Milanese polter, Venetian poltrona "couch"), perhaps from a Gmc. source (cf. O.H.G. polstar "pillow," see bolster).
poly-: comb. form meaning "many, much," from Gk. poly-, combining form of polys "much" (plural polloi); cognate with L. plus, from PIE base *ple- (cf. Skt. purvi "much," prayah "mostly;" Avestan perena-, O.Pers. paru "much;" Gk. plethos "people, multitude, great number," pleres "full," polys "much, plenty," ploutos "wealth," plethein "be full;" Lith. pilus "full, abundant;" O.C.S. plunu; Goth. filu "much," O.N. fjöl-, O.E. fela, feola "much, many;" O.E. folgian; O.Ir. lan, Welsh llawn "full;" O.Ir. il, Welsh elu "much"), probably related to base *pele- "to spread."
polyandry: 1780, from Late Gk. polyandria, from polys "many" (see poly-) + andr-, stem of aner "man, husband."
polyester: 1929, formed from poly(mer) + ester, Ger. contraction of essigäther, from essig "vinegar" + äther "ether." Polyester fiber was discovered 1941.
polygamy: 1591, from L.L. polygamia, from Late Gk. polygamia "polygamy," from polygamos "often married," from polys "many" + gamos "marriage" (see gamete). Not etymologically restricted to marriage of one man and multiple women (technically polygyny), but often used as if it were.
polyglot: c.1645, from Gk. polyglottos "speaking many languages," lit. "many-tongued," from polys "many" (see poly-) + glotta, Attic variant of glossa "language," lit. "tongue."
polygon: 1571, from L. polygonum, from Gk. polygon "polygon," from neut. of polygonos "many-angled," from polys "many" + gonia "angle" (see knee).
polygraph: 1794, "mechanical device for making multiple copies of something written or drawn," from Gk. polygraphos "writing much," from polys "much" (see poly-) + graphos "writing," from graphein "to write." Meaning "instrument for recording several pulsations of the body at the same time" is 1871; first used as a lie detector 1921.
polygyny: 1780, "having many wives," from poly- "many" (see poly-) + Gk. gyne "woman, wife" (see queen).
polyhedron: 1570, from Gk. polyedron, neut. of adj. polyedros "having many bases or sides," from polys "many" (see poly-) + hedra "seat, base, chair, face of a geometric solid," from PIE base *sed- "to sit" (see sedentary).
polymath: 1621, from Gk. polymathes "having learned much," from polys "much" (see poly-) + root of manthanein "learn."
polymer: 1866, probably from Ger. Polymere (Berzelius, 1830), from Gk. polymeres "having many parts," from polys "many" (see poly-) + meros "part."
Polynesia: 1766, Latinization of Fr. polynésie, coined 1756 by de Brosses from Gk. polys "many" (see poly-) + nesos "island."
polyp: c.1400, "nasal tumor," from L. polypus "cuttlefish," also "nasal tumor," from Gk. (Doric, Aeolic) polypos "octopus, cuttlefish," from polys "many" (see plenary) + pous "foot." Sense extended 1742 to hydras and sea anemones (earlier polypus, c.1520).
polyphony: 1828, "multiplicity of sounde," from Gk. polyphonia "variety of sounds," from polys "many" (see poly-) + phone "voice, sound" (see fame). The meaning "counterpoint" (1864) is perhaps a back-formation from the adj. polyphonic (1782), formed in Eng. from the same Gk. root.
polystyrene: 1927, so called because it is a polymer of styrene (see styrene).
polytechnic: 1805, from Fr. École Polytechnique, engineering school founded 1794 (as École des Travaux publics) in Paris; from Gk. polytekhnos "skilled in many arts," from polys "many" (see poly-) + tekhne "art" (see techno-).
polytheism: 1613, from Fr. polythéisme (16c.), formed from Gk. polytheos "of many gods," from polys "many" (see poly-) + theos "god" (see Thea). Polytheist first attested 1619.
polyunsaturated: 1932, from poly- (see poly-) + unsaturated.
polyurethane: 1944, from poly(mer) + urethane.
polyvinyl: 1933, formed in Eng. from poly(mer) + vinyl.
pom-pom: "Maxim automatic gun," 1899, of imitative origin, soldiers' slang from the Boer War. The unrelated word meaning "ornamental round tuft" (originally on a hat, etc.) is first attested 1748, from Fr. pompon (1725), of unknown origin.
pomade: 1562, from M.Fr. pommade "an ointment," from It. pomata, from pomo "apple," from L. pomum "fruit, apple," so called because the original ointment recipe contained mashed apples.
pomegranate: c.1320, poumgarnet, from O.Fr. pome grenate, from M.L. pomum granatum, lit. "apple with many seeds," from pome "apple, fruit" + grenate "having grains," from L. granata, fem. of granatus, from granum "grain." The L. was malum granatum "seeded apple." It. form is granata, Sp. is granada.
Pomeranian: type of dog, 1760, from Pomerania (Ger. Pommern, Pol. Pomorze), former province of Prussia (now Poland) on the south coast of the Baltic Sea, M.L., from Pomerani, name of a Slavic tribe there, from Pol. po morze "by the sea."
pommel: early 14c., from O.Fr. pomel (12c.), "rounded knob," dim. of pom "hilt of a sword," from L.L. pomellum, dim. of L. pomum "apple," the connecting notion being "roundness." Sense of "front peak of a saddle" first recorded mid-15c. In M.E. poetry it also sometimes meant a woman's breast.
Pomona: 1584, Roman goddess of fruit, from L. pomum "apple, fruit."
pomp: c.1300, from O.Fr. pompe (13c.), from L. pompa "procession, pomp," from Gk. pompe "solemn procession, display," lit. "a sending," from pempein "to send." In Church L., used in depreciatory sense for "worldly display, vain show."
pompadour: 1887 as a men's hairstyle; 1899 as a woman's style with the hair swept up over the forehead, in allusion to Jeanne-Antionette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour (1721-64), mistress of Louis XV from 1745-50, who wore her hair in an upswept style. Used in her lifetime in ref. to various fashions, accessories, colors, furniture, etc. The estate of Pompadour is in the Limousin region.
pompano: 1778, from Amer.Sp. pampano, used of various types of fish, from Sp., originally "vine, tendril," from L. pampinus "tendril or leaf of a vine."
pompier: "fireman's scaling ladder," 1893, from Fr. pompier "fireman," from pompe "pump" (see pump).
pompous: late 14c., "characterized by exaggerated self-importance," from O.Fr. pompeux, from L.L. pomposus "stately, pompous," from L. pompa "pomp" (see pomp). More literal, but less common, meaning "characterized by pomp" is attested from 1430. Pomposity is first recorded 1432, from L.L. pompositas, from pomposus "stately, pompous." The sense of "ostentatious display" is from 1620, earlier in Fr. pomposité.