Online Etymology Dictionary

three: O.E. þreo, fem. and neut. (masc. þri, þrie), from P.Gmc. *thrijiz (cf. O.Fris. thre, M.Du., Du. drie, O.H.G. dri, Ger. drei, O.N. þrir, Dan. tre), from PIE *trejes (cf. Skt. trayas, Avestan thri, Gk. treis, L. tres, Lith. trys, O.C.S. trye, Ir., Welsh tri "three"). 3-D first attested 1952, abbreviation of three-dimensional (1878). Three-piece suit is recorded from 1909. Three cheers for ______ is recorded from 1751. Three-martini lunch is attested from 1972. Three-ring circus first recorded 1898. Three-sixty "complete turnaround" is from 1927, originally among aviators, in ref. to the number of degrees in a full circle. Three musketeers translates Fr. les trois mousquetaires, title of an 1844 novel by Alexandre Dumas père.
threnody: "song of lamentation," 1634, from Gk. threnodia, from threnos "dirge, lament," + oide "ode." Gk. threnos probably is from a PIE imitative base meaning "to murmur, hum;" cf. O.E. dran "drone," Goth. drunjus "sound," Gk. tenthrene "a kind of wasp."
thresh: O.E. þrescan, þerscan "to beat, sift grain by trampling or beating," from P.Gmc. *threskanan "to thresh," originally "to tread, to stamp noisily" (cf. M.Du. derschen, Du. dorschen, O.H.G. dreskan, Ger. dreschen, O.N. þreskja, Goth. þriskan), from PIE base *tere- "to rub, turn" (see throw). The basic notion is of treading out wheat under foot of men or oxen, later, with the advent of the flail, the word acquired its modern extended sense of "to knock, beat, strike." The original Gmc. sense is suggested by the use of the word in Romanic languages that borrowed it, e.g. It. trescare "to prance," O.Fr. treschier "to dance," Sp. triscar "to stamp the feet." The thresher shark (1609) so called for its long upper tail shape.
threshold: O.E. þrescold, þærscwold, þerxold "doorsill, point of entering," first element related to O.E. þrescan (see thresh), with its original sense of "tread, trample." Second element of unknown origin and much transformed in all the Gmc. languages; in Eng. it probably has been altered to conform to hold, but the oft-repeated story that the threshold was a barrier placed at the doorway to hold the chaff flooring in the room is mere folk etymology. Cognates include O.N. þreskjoldr, Swed. tröskel, O.H.G. driscufli, Ger. dial. drischaufel.
threw: p.t. of throw (q.v.).
thrice: c.1200, from O.E. þriga, þriwa "thrice" (from þrie "three;" see three) + adverbial genitive -es, changed to -ce c.1600 to reflect voiceless pronunciation.
thrift: c.1300, "fact or condition of thriving," also "prosperity, savings," from M.E. thriven "to thrive" (see thrive), possibly infl. by O.N. þrift, variant of þrif "prosperity," from þrifask "to thrive." Sense of "habit of saving, economy" first recorded 1550s (thrifty in this sense is recorded from 1520s; also see spendthrift). Thrift shop first attested 1947.
thrill (v.): c.1300, "to pierce, penetrate," metathesis of O.E. þyrlian, from þyrel "hole" (in M.E., also "nostril"), from þurh "through" (cf. M.H.G. dürchel "pierced, perforated") + -el. Meaning "give a shivering, exciting feeling" is first recorded 1592, via metaphoric notion of "pierce with emotion." The noun in this sense is from 1680; meaning "a thrilling experience" is attested from 1936. Thriller "sensational story" is from 1889.
thrive: c.1200, from O.N. þrifask "to thrive," originally "grasp to oneself," probably from O.N. þrifa "to clutch, grasp, grip" (cf. Swed. trifvas, Dan. trives "to thrive, flourish"), of unknown origin.
throat: O.E. þrote (implied in þrotbolla "the Adam's apple, larynx," lit. "throat boll"), related to þrutian "to swell," from P.Gmc. *thrut- (cf. O.H.G. drozza, Ger. Drossel, O.S. strota, M.Du. strote, Du. strot "throat"), perhaps from PIE *trud- (cf. O.E. þrutian "to swell," O.N. þrutna "to swell"). The notion is of "the swollen part" of the neck. It. strozza "throat," strozzare "to strangle" are Gmc. loan-words. College slang for "competitive student" is 1970s, from cutthroat.
throb (v.): mid-14c., of uncertain origin, perhaps meant to represent in sound the pulsation of arteries and veins or the heart. The noun is first attested 1570s.
throe: c.1200, throwe "pain, pang of childbirth, agony of death," possibly from O.E. þrawan "twist, turn, writhe" (see throw), or altered from O.E. þrea (gen. þrawe) "affliction, pang, evil, threat" (related to þrowian "to suffer"), from P.Gmc. *thrawo (cf. M.H.G. dro "threat," Ger. drohen "to threaten"). Modern spelling first recorded 1615.
thrombosis: 1706, Mod.L., from Gk. thrombosis "a clumping or curdling" (from thrombousthai "become curdled or clotted," from thrombos "clot, curd, lump") + -osis.
throne: c.1240, from O.Fr. trone (12c.), from L. thronus, from Gk. thronos "elevated seat, chair, throne," from PIE base *dher- "to hold firmly, support" (cf. L. firmus "firm, steadfast, strong, stable," Skt. dharma "statute, law;" see firm (adj.)). Colloquial meaning "toilet" is recorded from 1922.
throng (n.): c.1300, probably shortened from O.E. geþrang "crowd, tumult" (related to verb þringan "to push, crowd, press"), from P.Gmc. *thrangan (cf. O.N. þröng, Du. drang, Ger. Drang "crowd, throng"). The verb, in the sense of "go in a crowd," is first recorded 1534.
throstle: "thrush," O.E. þrostle, from P.Gmc. *thrustalo (cf. O.S. throsla, O.H.G. droscala, Ger. Drossel "thrush"), altered from (perhaps a dim. of) *thurstaz (see thrush), though OED considers this a distinct word from the same PIE root.
throttle (v.): "strangle to death," c.1400, probably from M.E. throte "throat" (see throat). The noun, in the mechanical sense, is first recorded 1870s, from throttle-valve (1824), but was used earlier as a synonym for "throat" (1547); it appears to be an independent formation, not derived from the verb.
through: c.1300, metathesis of O.E. þurh, from W.Gmc. *thurkh (cf. O.S. thuru, O.Fris. thruch, M.Du. dore, Du. door, O.H.G. thuruh, Ger. durch, Goth. þairh "through"), from PIE base *tr- "through" (cf. Skt. tirah, Avestan taro "through, beyond," L. trans "beyond," O.Ir. tre, Welsh tra "through"). Not clearly differentiated from thorough until early Mod.Eng. Spelling thro was common 15c.-18c. Reformed spelling thru (1917) is mainly Amer.Eng.
throughout: late O.E. þurhut; see through + out (cf. Ger. durchaus, 16c.).
throughway: "expressway, large toll road," 1934, Amer.Eng., from through + way.
throw (v.): "to project, propel," c.1300, from O.E. þrawan "to twist, turn writhe" (pt. þreow, pp. þrawen), from P.Gmc. *thræ- (cf. O.S. thraian, M.Du. dræyen, Du. draaien, O.H.G. draen, Ger. drehen "to turn, twist;" not found in Scand. or Gothic), from PIE *tere- "to rub, turn, rub by turning, bore" (cf. Skt. turah "wounded, hurt," Gk. teirein "to rub, rub away," L. terere "to rub, thresh, grind, wear away," O.C.S. tiro "to rub," Lith. trinu "to rub," O.Ir. tarathar "borer," Welsh taraw "to strike"). Not the usual O.E. word for "to throw" (weorpan, related to warp was common in this sense). The sense evolution may be via the notion of whirling a missile before throwing it. The sense of "put by force" (e.g. throw in jail) is first recorded 1560; that of "to confuse, flabbergast" is from 1844; that of "lose deliberately" is from 1868. To throw the book at (someone) is 1932, from notion of judge sentencing a criminal from a law book full of possible punishments. To throw (one's) hat in the ring "issue a challenge," esp. to announce one's candidacy, first recorded 1917. To throw up "vomit" is first recorded 1732.
throw (n.): "act of throwing," 1530, from throw (v.). Wrestling sense is first attested 1819.
throw away (v.): 1382, "to reject, cast from oneself," from throw (v.) + away. More literal meaning of "dispose of as useless, release from one's possession as unneeded" is first recorded 1530. Throw-away (adj.) is first recorded 1924, originally of prices so low they amounted to giving away the merchandise; with ref. to disposable goods, it is attested from 1969.
throwback: "reversion to an ancestral type or character," 1888, from throw (v.) + back (adv.); earlier it meant "a reverse in a course or progress, a relapse" (1856).
thru: by 1839, alt. (simplified) spelling of through.
thrum (v.): "play a stringed instrument," 1592, from the noun (1553), of imitative origin.
thrush (1): type of songbird, O.E. þyrsce (related to throstle), from P.Gmc. *thruskjon (cf. O.N. þröstr, Norw. trost, O.H.G. drosca), from PIE *trozdo- (cf. L. turdus, Lith. strazdas "thrush," M.Ir. truid, Welsh drudwy "starling," O.C.S. drozgu, Rus. drozdu).
thrush (2): throat disease, 1665, probably from a Scand. source (cf. Norw., Dan. trøske, Swed. torsk), but its roots and original meaning are unclear.
thrust (v.): c.1175, from O.N. þrysta "to thrust, force," from P.Gmc. *thrustijanan, perhaps from PIE *trud- "push, press" (see threat), but OED finds this derivation doubtful. The noun is recorded from 1513; fig. sense of "principal theme, aim, point, purpose" is recorded from 1968.
thud (v.): O.E. þyddan "to strike, thrust," of imitative origin. Sense of "hit with a dull sound" first recorded 1796. The noun is attested from 1513.
thug: 1810, "member of a gang of murderers and robbers in India who strangled their victims," from Marathi thag, thak "cheat, swindler," Hindi thag, perhaps from Skt. sthaga-s "cunning, fraudulent," possibly from sthagayati "(he) covers, conceals," from PIE base *(s)teg- "cover" (see stegosaurus). Transferred sense of "ruffian, cutthroat" first recorded 1839. The more correct Indian name is phanseegur, and the activity was described in Eng. as far back as c.1665. Rigorously prosecuted by the British from 1831, they were driven from existence, but the process extended over the rest of the 19c.
Thule: northernmost part of the world, O.E., from L., from Gk. Thyle "land six days' sail north of Britain" (Polybius). Identity is speculative; it came to be used in a transferred sense of "extreme limits of travel."
thumb: O.E. þuma, from W.Gmc. *thumon- (cf. O.Fris. thuma, O.S., O.H.G. thumo, Ger. Daumen, Du. duim "thumb," O.N. þumall "thumb of a glove"), lit. "the stout or thick (finger)," from PIE *tum- "swell" (cf. L. tumere "to swell," tumidus "swollen;" Avestan tuma "fat;" see thigh). For spelling with -b (attested from c.1290), see limb. The verb meaning "to go through" (especially of printed material) is first found 1930, though the related sense of "soil or wear by handling" dates from 1644. Verb meaning "to hitchhike" is 1939, originally the thumb pointed in the direction one wished to travel. Thumbnail sketch (1852) so called for its smallness. To be under (someone's) thumb "be totally controlled by that person" is recorded from 1586. Thumbs up (1887) and thumbs down (1906) were said to be from expressions of approval or the opposite in ancient amphitheaters, especially gladiator shows, where the gesture decided whether a defeated combatant was spared or slain. But the Roman gesture was merely one of hiding the thumb in the hand or extending it. Perhaps the modern gesture is from the usual coachmen's way of greeting while the hands are occupied with the reins.
thumbtack: tack with a broad, flat head which may be driven by pressure from the thumb, 1884, from thumb + tack.
thump (v.): c.1537, "to strike hard," probably imitative of the sound made by hitting with a heavy object (cf. E.Fris. dump "a knock," Swed. dial. dumpa "to make a noise"). The noun is first recorded 1552. Thumping (adj.) "exceptionally large" is colloquial from 1576.
thunder: O.E. þunor, from P.Gmc. *thunraz (cf. O.N. þorr, O.Fris. thuner, M.Du. donre, Du. donder, O.H.G. donar, Ger. Donner "thunder"), from PIE *(s)tene- "to resound, thunder" (cf. Skt. tanayitnuh "thundering," Pers. tundar "thunder," L. tonare "to thunder"). Swed. tordön is lit. "Thor's din." The intrusive -d- is also found in Du. and Icelandic versions of the word. The verb is O.E. þunrian; fig. sense of "to speak loudly, threateningly, bombastically" is recorded from c.1340. Thunderbolt is from c.1440; thunderclap is from c.1386; thunderstruck is from 1613, originally fig.; the lit. sense always has been rare. Thunderhead "high-piled cloud" is recorded from 1861.
thunk (1): sound of impact, attested from 1952, echoic.
Thursday: O.E. Þurresdæg, perhaps a contraction (influenced by O.N. Þorsdagr) of Þunresdæg, lit. "Thor's day," from Þunre, gen. of Þunor "Thor" (see Thor); from P.Gmc. *thonaras daga- (cf. O.Fris. thunresdei, M.Du. donresdach, Du. donderdag, O.H.G. Donares tag, Ger. Donnerstag "Thursday"), a loan-translation of L. Jovis dies "day of Jupiter," identified with the Gmc. Thor (cf. It. giovedi, O.Fr. juesdi, Fr. jeudi, Sp. jueves), itself a loan-translation of Gk. dios hemera "the day of Zeus."
thus: O.E. þus "in this way," related to þæt "that" and this, but the exact connection and P.Gmc. history are obscure. Cognate with O.S., O.Fris. thus, M.Du., Du. dus. Colloquial adv. thusly first recorded 1865.
thwack: "to hit hard with a stick," 1530, of echoic origin. The noun is recorded from 1587.
thwaite: "cleared land," 1628, from O.N. þveit "piece of land, paddock," lit. "cutting, cut-piece" (related to O.E. þwitan "to cut, cut off"). Always a rare word and now obsolete, but frequently encountered in place names, where it probably originally meant "piece of ground cleared from forest."
thwart (adv.): c.1200, from O.N. þvert "across," originally neut. of thverr (adj.) "transverse, across," cognate with O.E. þweorh "transverse, perverse, angry, cross," from P.Gmc. *thwerkhaz (cf. M.Du. dwers, Du. dwars "cross-grained, contrary," O.H.G. twerh, Ger. quer, Goth. þwairhs "angry"), altered (by influence of *thwer- "to turn") from *therkh-, from PIE *twork-/*twerk- "twist" (cf. L. torquere "to twist," Skt. tarkuh "spindle," O.C.S. traku "band, girdle," O.H.G. drahsil "turner," Ger. drechseln "to turn on a lathe"). The verb meaning "oppose, hinder" is mid-13c., from the adv. and prep.
thy: possessive pronoun of 2nd person sing., c.1175, reduced form of þin (see thine), originally used before consonants except H. In 15c., used before vowels, too.
thyme: plant of the mint family, late 14c., from O.Fr. thym, tym (13c.), from L. thymum, from Gk. thymon, possibly from thyein "burn as a sacrifice," which would indicate the plant was used as incense.
thymus: gland near the base of the neck, 1693, Mod.L., from Gk. thymos "a warty excrescence," used of the gland by Galen, lit. "thyme," probably so called because of a fancied resemblance to a bunch of thyme.
thyroid (adj.): 1693 (in ref. to both the cartilage and the gland), from Gk. thyreoiedes "shield-shaped" (in khondros thyreoiedes "shield-shaped cartilage," used by Galen to describe the "Adam's apple" in the throat), from thyreos "oblong, door-shaped shield" (from thyra "door") + -eides "form, shape." The noun, short for thyroid gland, is recorded from 1849.
thyrsus: 1591, from Gk. thyrsos, lit. "stalk or stem of a plant," a non-Gk. word of unknown origin. The staff or spear tipped with an ornament like a pine cone, and sometimes wreathed in ivy or vine branches, borne by Dionysus and his votaries.
Tia Maria: coffee-flavored, rum-based liqueur, originally made in the West Indies, 1948, from Sp., lit. "Aunt Mary."
tiara: 1555, "headdress of the Persian kings" (also worn by men of rank), from L. tiara, from Gk. tiara, of unknown origin. Earlier in Anglicized form tiar (1513).
Tib: 1533, typical name for an Eng. woman of the lower class, hence "girl, lass, sweetheart," sometimes also "strumpet," from the pet form of Isabel. Often paired with Tom, as Jill was with Jack.