Online Etymology Dictionary

rebuke (n.): early 15c., "a reproof, reprimand," from rebuke (v.).
rebus (n.): c.1600, from Latin rebus "by means of objects," ablative plural of res "thing, object." Perhaps principally from the phrase de rebus quæ geruntur "of things which are going on," in reference to the satirical pieces composed by Picardy clerks at carnivals, subtle satires of current events using pictures to suggest words, phrases or things. Or it may be from the representations being non verbis sed rebus "not by words, but by things."
rebut (v.): c.1300, from Old French rebuter "to thrust back," from re- "back" (see re-) + boter "to thrust, hit" (see butt (v.)). Sense of "try to disprove, refute" is from 1817. Related: Rebutted; rebutting.
rebuttal (n.): 1793, from rebut + -al (2).
rec (n.): 1929 as a shortening of recreation.
recalcitrant (adj.): 1823, from French récalcitrant, literally "kicking back" (17c.-18c.), past participle of recalcitrare "to kick back," from re- "back" (see re-) + Latin calcitrare "to kick," from calx (genitive calcis) "heel." Used from 1797 as a French word in English. Verb recalcitrate "to kick out" is attested from 1620s; sense of "resist obstinately" is from 1759.
recalibrate (v.): 1883, from re- + calibrate. Related: Recalibrated; recalibrating.
recall (v.): 1580s, "to bring back by calling upon," from re- "back, again" + call (v.); in some cases a loan-translation of Middle French rappeler (see repeal) or Latin revocare (see revoke). Sense of "bring back to memory" is from 1610s. U.S. political sense of "removal of an elected official" is recorded from 1902. Related: Recalled; recalling. The noun is first recorded 1610s.
recant (v.): 1530s, from Latin recantare "recall, revoke," from re- "back" (see re-) + cantare "to chant" (see chant (v.)). A word from the Reformation. Loan-translation of Greek palinoidein "recant," from palin "back" + oeidein "to sing." Related: Recanted; recanting.
recap (v.): "put a strip of rubber on the tread of a tire," 1856. Used of automobile tires 1920s. As a shortened form of recapitulate, it dates from 1920s (see recapitulation). Related: Recapped; recapping.
recapitulate (v.): 1560s, from past participle stem of Late Latin recapitulare (see recapitulation). Related: Recapitulated; recapitulating.
recapitulation (n.): late 14c., "a summarizing," from Old French recapitulacion (13c.), from Late Latin recapitulationem (nominative recapitulatio), noun of action from past participle stem of recapitulare "go over the main points of a thing again," literally "restate by heads or chapters," from re- "again" (see re-) + capitulum "main part" (see chapter).
recapture: 1680s (n.), 1783 (v.), from re- "back, again" + capture (v.). Related: Recaptured; recapturing.
recast (v.): c.1600, from re- + cast (v.). Of literary works and other writing, from 1790. Theater sense is from 1951.
recce: 1941, military slang, short for reconnaissance.
recede (v.): late 15c., from Middle French receder, from Latin recedere "to go back, withdraw," from re- "back" (see re-) + cedere "to go" (see cede). Related: Receded; receding.
receipt (n.): late 14c., "statement of ingredients in a potion or medicine," from Anglo-French or Old North French receite "receipt, recipe" (c.1300), altered (by influence of receit "he receives," from Vulgar Latin *recipit) from Old French recete, from Latin recepta "received," fem. past participle of recipere (see receive). Meaning "written acknowledgment of money or goods received" is from c.1600.
receivable (adj.): late 14c., from Anglo-French or Old French recevable, from Old French recoivre (see receive). Related: Receivables.
receive (v.): c.1300, from Old North French receivre (Old French recoivre), from Latin recipere "regain, take back," from re- "back" (see re-) + -cipere, comb. form of capere "to take" (see capable). Radio and (later) television sense is attested from 1908. Related: Received; receiving.
received (adj.): mid-15c., "generally accepted as true or good," past participle adjective from receive.
receiver (n.): agent noun from receive; as a telephone apparatus, from 1877; in reference to a radio unit, from 1891; in U.S. football sense, from 1897.
receivership (n.): late 15c., from receiver + -ship.
recension (n.): 1630s, from Latin recensionem, noun of action from past participle stem of recensere, from re- (see re-) + censere "to tax, rate, assess, estimate" (see censor (n.)).
recent (adj.): 1530s, from Latin recentem (nominative recens) "lately done or made, new, fresh," from re- (see re-) + PIE root *ken- "fresh, new, young" (cf. Greek kainos "new;" Sanskrit kanina- "young;" Old Irish cetu- "first;" Old Church Slavonic na-cino "to begin," koni "beginning").
receptacle (n.): early 15c., from Old French receptacle (14c.), from Latin receptaculum "place to receive and store things," from receptare, frequentative of recipere "to hold, contain" (see receive).
reception (n.): late 14c., in astrology, "effect of two planets on each other;" sense of "act of receiving" is recorded from late 15c., from Latin receptionem (nominative receptio) "a receiving," noun of action from past participle stem of recipere (see receive). Sense of "ceremonial gathering" is 1882, from French.
receptionist (n.): "person hired to receive clients in an office," 1900, from reception + -ist. Originally in photography studios.
Let me not forget the receptionist -- generally and preferably, a woman of refined and gentle manners, well informed and specially gifted in handling people of varied dispositions. A woman especially who knows how to handle other women, and who can make herself beloved by the children who may visit the studio. A woman, also, who in a thoroughly suave and dignified way, knows just how to handle the young man of the period so that the photographer may be glad to have his business. What a power the receptionist is when properly chosen and trained. It is not too much to say that she can both make and destroy a business, if she has the amount of discretionary power given to her in some galleries. [John A. Tennant, "Business Methods Applied in Photography," "Wilson's Photographic Magazine," October 1900]
Earlier as an adjective in theology and law (1867).
receptive (adj.): 1540s, from Medieval Latin receptivus, from Latin recipere (see receive). Related: Receptivity.
receptor (n.): mid-15c., from Old French receptour or directly from Latin receptor, agent noun from recipere (see receive). Medical use from 1900.
recess (n.): 1530s, "act of receding," from Latin recessus "a going back, retreat," from recessum, past participle of recedere "to recede" (see recede). Meaning "hidden or remote part" first recorded 1610s; that of "period of stopping from usual work" is from 1620s, probably from parliamentary notion of "recessing" into private chambers.
recess (v.): 1809, from recess (n.). Related: Recessed; recessing.
recession (n.): "temporary decline in economic activity," 1929, noun of action from recess (q.v.):
The material prosperity of the United States is too firmly based, in our opinion, for a revival in industrial activity -- even if we have to face an immediate recession of some magnitude -- to be long delayed. ["Economist," Nov. 2, 1929]
Ayto notes, "There was more than a hint of euphemism in the coining of this term."
recessional: 1858 (adj.), 1864 (n.); see recession + -al.
recessive (adj.): 1670s, from Latin recess-, past participle stem of recedere (see recede). Linguistics sense is from 1879; in genetics, 1900, from German recessiv (Mendel, 1865).
recharge (v.): early 15c., "to reload" (a vessel), from re- "again, back" + charge "load" (q.v.); modeled on Middle French rechargier (13c.). Meaning "re-power a battery" is from 1876. Related: Recharged; recharging. The noun is recorded from 1610s.
rechargeable (adj.): 1901 of batteries, etc., from recharge + -able. Earlier in financial accounts.
recherche (adj.): 1722, from French recherché "carefully sought out," past participle of rechercher "to seek out." Commonly used 19c. of food, styles, etc., to denote obscure excellence.
recidivate (v.): 1520s, from past participle stem of Medieval Latin recidivare (see recidivist).
recidivism (n.): 1882, from recidivist + -ism.
recidivist (n.): "relapsed criminal," 1863, from French récidiviste, from récidiver "to fall back, relapse," from Medieval Latin recidivare "to relapse into sin," from Latin recidivus "falling back," from recidere "fall back," from re- "back, again" (see re-) + comb. form of caedere "to fall" (see -cide). Recidivation in the spiritual sense is attested from early 15c., was very common 17c.
recipe (n.): 1580s, "medical prescription," from Middle French récipé, from Latin recipe "take!," imperative of recipere "to take" (see receive); word written by physicians at the head of prescriptions. Meaning "instructions for preparing food" first recorded 1743. The original sense survives only in the pharmacist's abbreviation Rx.
recipient (n.): 1550s, from Middle French récipient (16c.), from Latin recipientem (nominative recipiens), present participle of recipere (see receive).
reciprocal (adj.): 1560s, from Latin reciprocus "returning the same way, alternating," from pre-Latin *reco-proco-, from *recus (from re- "back" + -cus, adjective formation) + *procus (from pro- "forward" + -cus, adjective formation).
reciprocate (v.): "to return, requite," 1610s, from Latin reciprocatus, past participle of reciprocare, from reciprocus (see reciprocal). Related: Reciprocated; reciprocating.
reciprocation (n.): 1520s, from Latin reciprocationem (nominative reciprocatio) "retrogression, alternation, ebb," noun of action from past participle stem of reciprocare "move back and forth," from reciprocus (see reciprocal).
reciprocity (n.): 1766, from French réciprocité, from Latin reciprocus (see reciprocal).
recision (n.): 1610s, from Latin recisionem, noun of action from past participle stem of recidere "to cut back" (see recidivist).
recital (n.): 1510s, a legal term, "rehearsal or statement of relevant facts," from recite + -al. Musical performance sense is from 1811.
recitation (n.): late 15c., from Old French récitation (14c.) or directly from Latin recitationem, noun of action from recitare (see recite). Meaning "repetition of a prepared lesson" is first recorded 1770, American English.
recitative (n.): 1640s, from Italian recitativo, from recitato, past participle of recitare, from Latin recitare (see recite). Style of musical declamation intermediate between speech and singing. The Italian form of the word was used in English from 1610s.