- reservoir (n.)
- 1680s, "a place where something tends to collect," from French réservoir "storehouse," from Old French reserver "to reserve" (see reserve (n.)). Specific meaning "artificial basin to collect and store a large body of water" is from 1705.
- reset (v.)
- 1650s, from re- + set (v.). As a noun, from 1847.
- resettlement (n.)
- 1630s, from resettle + -ment.
- reshuffle (v.)
- 1830, of cards, 1899, of organizations, from re- "back, again" + shuffle (v.).
- reside (v.)
- mid-15c., "to settle," from Old French resider, from Latin residere "to remain behind, rest," from re- "back, again" + sedere "to sit" (see sedentary). Meaning "to dwell permanently" first attested 1570s. Related: Resided; residing.
- residence (n.)
- late 14c., from Medieval Latin residentia, from Latin residentem (nominative residens) "residing, dwelling," present participle of residere "reside" (see reside).
- residency (n.)
- 1570s, see resident + -cy. Hospital sense is from 1924.
- resident (n.)
- mid-15c., "an inhabitant, one who resides," from resident (adj.). Meaning "medical graduate in practice in a hospital as training" first attested 1892, American English.
- resident (adj.)
- late 14c., "dwelling, residing," from Old French resident and directly from Latin residentus, past participle of residere (see reside).
- residential (adj.)
- 1650s, "serving as a residence," from resident + -al (1). Meaning "having to do with housing" is from 1856.
- residual (adj.)
- 1560s, from residue + -al (1).
- residual (n.)
- 1550s; see residue + -al (2). Residuals "royalties" attested by 1966.
- residue (n.)
- mid-14c., from Old French residu, from Latin residuum "a remainder," neuter of residuus "remaining, left over," from residere "remain behind" (see residence).
- resign (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French resigner, from Latin resignare "to check off, cancel, give up," from re- "opposite" (see re-) + signare "to make an entry in an account book," literally "to mark" (see sign). The sense is of making an entry (signum) "opposite" -- on the credit side -- balancing the former mark and thus canceling the claim it represents. The meaning of "give up a position" is first recorded late 14c. Sense of "to give (oneself) up to some emotion or situation" is from 1718. Related: Resigned; resigning.
- resignation (n.)
- late 14c., "act of resigning" (an office, etc.), from French résignation (14c.), from Medieval Latin resignationem, from past participle stem of Latin resignare (see resign). Meaning "submission, acquiescence" is from 1640s.
- resignedly (adv.)
- 1670s, from resigned (past participle adjective from resign) + -ly (2).
- resile (v.)
- 1520s, from obsolete French resiler or directly from Latin resilire "to jump back" (see resilience).
- resilience (n.)
- 1620s, from Latin resiliens, present participle of resilire "to rebound, recoil," from re- "back" (see re-) + salire "to jump, leap" (see salient). Cf. result.
- resilient (adj.)
- 1640s, from Latin resilientem, present participle of resilire (see resilience). Related: Resiliently.
- resin (n.)
- late 14c., from Old French resine, from Latin resina "resin," from Greek rhetine "resin of the pine," of unknown origin.
- resinate (v.)
- "impregnate with resin," 1891, from resin + -ate (2). Related: Resinated; resinating.
- resinous (adj.)
- 1640s, from Latin resinosus; see resin + -ous.
- resist (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French resister, from Latin resistere "to resist, to stand back, withstand," from re- "against" (see re-) + sistere "take a stand, stand firm" (see assist). Related: Resisted; resisting.
- resistance (n.)
- early 15c., from French résistance, earlier resistence, from Late Latin resistentia, from Latin resistentem (nominative resistens), present participle of resistere (see resist). Meaning "organized covert opposition to an occupying or ruling power" is from 1939. Electromagnetic sense is from 1860.
- resistant (adj.)
- c.1600, from French résistant, present participle of résister (see resist).
- resistor (n.)
- 1905, in electricity, agent noun in Latin form from resist. Resister was used in this sense from 1759.
- resolute (adj.)
- early 15c., "dissolved, of loose structure," from Latin resolutus, past participle of resolvere (see resolution). Meaning "determined, absolute" is from c.1500. Related: Resolutely.
- resolution (n.)
- early 15c., "a breaking into parts," from Latin resolutionem (nominative resolutio) "process of reducing things into simpler forms," from past participle stem of resolvere "loosen" (see resolve). Originally sense of "solving" (as of mathematical problems) first recorded 1540s, that of "holding firmly" (in resolute) 1530s, and that of "decision or expression of a meeting" is from c.1600.
- resolve (v.)
- late 14c., from Latin resolvere "to loosen, undo, settle," from re-, intensive prefix, + solvere "loosen" (see solve). Same sense evolution as in resolution. Related: Resolved; resolving. The noun meaning "determination" is first recorded 1590s.
- resonance (n.)
- late 15c., from Middle French resonance (15c.), from Latin resonantia (echo) "echo," from resonare (see resound). Earlier in same sense was resonation (early 15c.).
- resonant (adj.)
- 1590s, from present participle of Latin resonare (see resonance).
- resonate (v.)
- 1873, from Latin resonatum, past participle of resonare (see resonance). Literal at first; figurative sense, of feelings, emotions, etc., by 1978. Related: Resonated; resonating.
- resonator (n.)
- 1869, agent noun in Latin form from resonate.
- resorb (v.)
- 1640, from Latin resorbere "to suck back," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + sorbere "to suck" (see absorb). Related: Resorbed; resorbing.
- resort (n.)
- late 14c., "that to which one has recourse for aid or assistance," from Old French resort "resource, help," back-formation from resortir "to resort," literally "to go out again," from re- "again" (see re-) + sortir "go out" (see sortie). Meaning "place people go for recreation" is first recorded 1754. The verb is recorded from mid-15c. Phrase in the last resort (1670s) translates French en dernier ressort, originally of legal appeals.
- resound (v.)
- late 14c., resownen, from Old French resoner, from Latin resonare "sound again, resound, echo," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + sonare "to sound" (see sound (n.1)). Spelling influenced by sound. Related: Resounded; resounding.
- resource (n.)
- 1610s, "means of supplying a want or deficiency," from French resourse, from fem. past participle of Old French resourdre "to rally, raise again," from Latin resurgere "rise again" (see resurgent). Resources "a country's wealth" first recorded 1779.
- resourceful (adj.)
- 1851, from resource + -ful. Related: Resourcefully; resourcefulness.
- respect (n.)
- c.1300, from Latin respectus "regard," literally "act of looking back at one," past participle of respicere "look back at, regard, consider," from re- "back" + specere "look at" (see scope (n.1)).
- respect (v.)
- 1540s, from respect (n.). Meaning "treat with deferential regard or esteem" is from 1550s. Related: Respected; respecting.
- respectable (adj.)
- "worthy of respect," 1580s; see respect (v.) + -able.
I have certainly known more men destroyed by the desire to have wife and child and to keep them in comfort than I have seen destroyed by drink and harlots. [William Butler Yeats, "Autobiography"]
Related: Respectability; respectably. - respectful (adj.)
- 1580s (implied in respectfully), from respect (n.) + -ful. Related: Respectfully; respectfulness.
- respective (adj.)
- 1520s, "regardful, attentive," from Medieval Latin respectivus "having regard for," from Latin respectus (see respect (n.)).
- respectively (adv.)
- "relatively to each singly," 1620s, from respective + -ly (2).
- respiration (n.)
- early 15c., from Latin respirationem, noun of action from past participle stem of respirare (see respire).
- respirator (n.)
- 1836; see respire. Invented by British surgeon Julius Jeffreys (1800-1877).
- respiratory (adj.)
- 1790, from Modern Latin respiratorius or Old French respiratoire; see respiration + -ory.
- respire (v.)
- late 14c., from Old French respirer, from Latin respirare "breathe again, breathe in and out," from re- "again" (see re-) + spirare "to breathe" (see spirit (n.)). Related: Respired; respiring.
- respite (n.)
- late 13c., from Old French respit "delay, respect," from Latin respectus "consideration, recourse, regard" (see respect (n.)).
- resplendence (n.)
- mid-15c., from Late Latin resplendentia, from resplendens (see resplendent).