Online Etymology Dictionary

pinko (n.): 1936, derogatory slang form of pink (n.), used of people whose social or political views "have a tendency toward 'red;' " a metaphor that had existed since at least 1837. As an adjective by 1957.
pinky (adj.): "pinkish," late 18c., from pink (n.) + -y (2).
pinnace (n.): small, light vessel, 1540s, from Middle French pinace (earlier spinace, 15c., from Old French espinace, Modern French péniche; also attested as Anglo-Latin spinachium (mid-14c.)); of unknown origin. The French word perhaps is from Italian pinaccia or Spanish pinaza, from pino "pine tree; ship" (Latin pinus "pine tree" also had a secondary sense of "ship, vessel"). But variations in early forms makes this uncertain.
pinnacle (n.): c.1300, "mountain, peak, promontory," from Old French pinacle "top, gable" (13c.) and directly from Late Latin pinnaculum "peak, pinnacle, gable," diminutive of Latin pinna "peak, point," (see pin (n.1)). Figurative use is attested from c.1400.
pinnate (adj.): 1727, from Latin pinnatus "feathered, winged," from pinna "feather, wing" (see pin (n.)).
pinniped (n.): 1842, from Modern Latin Pinnipedia, suborder of aquatic carnivorous mammals (seals and walruses), literally "having feet as fins," from Latin pinna in secondary sense "fin" (see pin (n.)) + pes, genitive pedis "foot" (see foot (n.)).
pinochle (n.): also pinocle, 1864, Peaknuckle, of uncertain origin, perhaps from Swiss dialect Binokel (German), binocle (French), from French binocle "pince-nez" (17c.), from Medieval Latin binoculus "binoculars" (see binocular). Taken as a synonym for bésigue "bezique," the card game, and wrongly identified with besicles "spectacles," probably because the game is played with a double deck. Pinochle was popularized in U.S. late 1800s by German immigrants.
pinocytosis (n.): from Greek pinein "to drink" (see imbibe) + -cytosis.
pinot (n.): type of grape vine used in wine-making, 1912, American English variant spelling of French pineau (attested in English from 1763), name of a family of wine grapes, from pin "pine tree" (see pine (n.)) + diminutive suffix -eau. So called from the shape of the grape clusters. Variants are pinot noir, "black," pinot blanc, "white," and pinot gris, "gray."
pinpoint (n.): also pin-point, "point of a pin," 1849, from pin (n.) + point (n.). Taken into aeronautics in sense "place identified from the air," hence verb meaning "locate precisely" (1917), which originally was aviators' slang. Related: Pinpointed; pinpointing. As an adjective, "performed with precisional accuracy," 1944, originally of aerial bombing.
pinprick (n.): also pin-prick, 1851, from pin (n.) + prick (n.). Used figuratively of petty irritations from 1885. Earlier pin's prick (1825).
pinscher (n.): 1926, from German Pinscher, also Pinsch, probably from English pinch, in reference to its "clipped" ears.
pint (n.): mid-14c., from Old French pinte "liquid measure, pint" (13c.), probably from Vulgar Latin *pincta (source of Old Provençal, Spanish, Italian pinta), altered from Latin picta "painted," fem. past participle of pingere "to paint" (see paint (v.)), on notion of a painted mark on a vessel indicating this measure. Used elliptically for "pint of ale" (or beer) from 1742. Pint-sized "small" (especially in reference to children) is recorded from 1938.
pintail (n.): type of duck, 1767, from pin (n.1) + tail (n.).
pinto (n.): 1860, "a horse marked black and white," from American Spanish pinto, literally "painted, spotted," from Spanish, from Vulgar Latin *pinctus, variant of Latin pictus "painted," past participle of pingere "to paint" (see paint (v.)). Pinto bean is attested from 1916, so called for its markings.
pinwheel (n.): also pin-wheel, 1690s, "a wheel in the striking train of a clock in which pins are fixed to lift the hammer," from pin (n.) + wheel (n.). Fireworks sense is from 1869.
pinyin (n.): system of Romanized spelling for Chinese, 1963, from Chinese pinyin "to spell, to combine sounds into syllables," from pin "put together" + yin "sound, tone." Adopted officially by the People's Republic of China in 1958. Outside China gradually superseding the 19c. Wade-Giles system (Mao Tse-tung is Wade-Giles, Mao Zedong is pinyin).
piolet (n.): 1868, from Savoy French piolet "climber's ice-axe" (19c.), diminutive of piolo "axe," perhaps from Medieval Latin piola "plane, scraper."
pion (n.): 1951, from Greek letter pi + -on.
pioneer (n.): 1520s, "foot soldier who prepares the way for the army," from Middle French pionnier "foot-soldier, pioneer," from Old French paonier "foot-soldier" (11c.), from peon (see pawn (n.2)). Figurative sense of "person who goes first or does something first" is from c.1600. Related: Pioneers.
pioneer (v.): 1780, from pioneer (n.). Related: Pioneered; pioneering.
pious (adj.): mid-15c., from Latin pius "dutiful, devout, conscientious, religious; faithful to kindred; inspired by friendship, prompted by natural affections," perhaps [Klein] related to Latin purus "pure, clean" (see pure). Often coupled with fraud (n.) from at least 1630s. Related: Piously; piousness.
pip (n.1): "seed of an apple," 1797, shortened form of pipin "seed of a fleshy fruit" (early 14c.), from Old French pepin (13c.), probably from a root *pipp-, expressing smallness (cf. Italian pippolo, Spanish pepita "seed, kernel").
pip (n.2): "disease of birds," late 14c., probably from Middle Dutch pippe "mucus," from West Germanic *pipit (cf. East Frisian pip, Middle High German pfipfiz, German Pips), an early borrowing from Vulgar Latin *pippita, unexplained alteration of Latin pituita "phlegm" (see pituitary).
pip (n.3): "spot on a playing card, etc." c.1600, peep, of unknown origin. Because of the original form, it is not considered as connected to pip (n.1). Related: Pips.
pip-pip: slangy salutation current in Britain c.1907-1923, said by Partridge to be in imitation of bicycle horn noise.
pipe (v.): Old English pipian "to play on a pipe," from Latin pipare "to peep, chirp" (see pipe (n.1)). Cf. Dutch pijpen, German pfeifen. Meaning "convey through pipes" is first recorded 1887. Related: Piped; piping. Piping hot is in Chaucer, a reference to hissing of food in a frying pan; to pipe up (early 15c.) originally meant "to begin to play" (on a musical instrument); sense of "to speak out" is from 1856. Pipe down "be quiet" is from 1900; earlier in nautical jargon it meant "use a boatswain's whistle to dismiss the men from duty" (1833).
pipe (n1.): Old English pipe "musical wind instrument," also "tube to convey water," from Vulgar Latin *pipa "a pipe, tube-shaped musical instrument" (source of Italian pipa, French pipe, Old Frisian pipe, German Pfeife, Danish pibe, Swedish pipa, Dutch pijp), a back-formation from Latin pipare "to chirp or peep," of imitative origin. All tubular senses ultimately derive from "small reed, whistle." Meaning "device for smoking" first recorded 1590s. Pipe-bomb attested from 1960. Pipe-cleaner recorded from 1863.
pipe (n.2): type of cask, early 14c., from Old French pipe "liquid measure, cask for wine," from a special use of Vulgar Latin *pipa "pipe" (see pipe (n.1)).
pipe dream (n.): 1870; the sort of improbable fantasy one has while smoking opium; from pipe (n.1) + dream (n.). Old English pipdream meant "piping."
pipeline (n.): 1859, "continuous line of pipes," from pipe (n.1) + line (n.). Figurative sense of "channel of communication" is from 1921; surfer slang meaning "hollow part of a large wave" is attested by 1963.
piper (n.): Old English pipere, agent noun from pipe (v.). As a kind of fish, from c.1600. Expression pay the piper recorded from 1680s.
pipes (n.): "voice," 1580s, from pipe (n.1).
pipette (n.): also pipet, 1818, from French pipette, from Middle French pipette "tube," diminutive of Old French pipe, from Vulgar Latin *pipa (see pipe (n.1)).
pippin (n.): "excellent person or thing," 1897, from coveted varieties of apple that were raised from seed (so called since early 15c.), from Middle English pipin "seed" (see pip (n.1)).
pipsqueak (n.): also pip-squeak, 1910, from the trivial noise a young or weak creature makes.
piquancy (n.): 1660s, from piquant + -cy.
piquant (adj.): 1520s, from Middle French piquant "pricking, stimulating, irritating," present participle of piquer "to prick, sting, nettle" (see pike (n.2)).
pique (v.): "to excite to anger," 1670s, from French piquer "to prick, sting" (see pike (n.2)). Softened meaning "to stimulate, excite" is from 1690s. Related: Piqued; piquing.
pique (n.): 1530s, "fit of ill feeling," from Middle French pique "a prick, sting, irritation," noun of action from piquer (see pike (n.2)).
piquet (n.): card game, 1640s, from French piquet, picquet (16c.), of uncertain origin, perhaps a diminutive of pic "pick, pickaxe, pique," from phrase faire pic, a term said to be used in the game.
piracy (n.): early 15c., from Medieval Latin piratia, from Greek peirateia "piracy," from peirates (see pirate (n.)).
piranha (n.): also pirana, 1869, from Portuguese piranha, from Tupi (Brazil) pira nya, variant of pira'ya, literally "scissors."
pirate (n.): c.1300 (mid-13c. as a surname), from Latin pirata "sailor, corsair, sea robber" (source of Spanish, Italian pirata, Dutch piraat, German Pirat), literally "one who attacks (ships)," from Greek peirates "brigand, pirate," literally "one who attacks," from peiran "to attack, make a hostile attempt on, try," from peira "trial, an attempt, attack," from PIE root *per- "try" (cf. Latin peritus "experienced," periculum "trial, experiment; attempt on or against; enterprise;" see peril). Meaning "one who takes another's work without permission" first recorded 1701; sense of "unlicensed radio broadcaster" is from 1913.
pirate (v.): 1570s, from pirate (n.). Related: Pirated; pirating.
piratical (adj.): 1570s, from Latin piraticus "pertaining to pirates," from Greek peiratikos, from peirates "pirate" (see pirate (n.)) + -ical. Related: Piratically (1540s).
pirl (v.): c.1500 (implied in pirled) "to twist, wind" (thread, etc.), of unknown origin. Related: Pirling.
pirogi (n.): 1854, from Yiddish, from Russian, plural of pirog "pie," perhaps borrowed from the Turkic language of the Kazan Tatars (cf. Turk. borek).
pirogue (n.): 1660s, from French pirogue, probably from Galibi (a Carib language) piragua "a dug-out." Cf. Spanish piragua (1530s).
pirouette (n.): 1706, from French pirouette "spinning top; pirouette in dancing," from Middle French pirouet "spinning top" (15c.), from Gallo-Romance root *pir- "peg, plug" (cf. Italian piruolo "peg top") + diminutive suffix -ette.