Online Etymology Dictionary

tort (n.): mid-13c., "injury, wrong," from Old French tort (11c.), from Medieval Latin tortum "injustice," noun use of neuter of tortus "wrung, twisted," past participle of Latin torquere "turn, turn awry, twist, wring, distort" (see thwart). Legal sense of "breach of a duty, whereby someone acquires a right of action for damages" is first recorded 1580s.
torte (n.): "sweet cake, tart," 1748, from German Torte; earlier sense of "round cake, round bread" (1550s) is from Middle French torte; both from Late Latin torta "flat cake," also "round loaf of bread" (cf. Italian torte, Spanish torta), probably related to tart (n.1); not considered to be from the source of tort.
tortellini (n.): 1937, from Italian, plural of tortellino, diminutive of tortello "cake, fritter," itself a diminutive of torta (see torte).
tortfeasor (n.): 1650s, from Old French tortfesor, from tort "wrong, evil" (see tort) + -fesor "doer," from Latin facere "to make" (see factitious).
torticollis (n.): 1811, Modern Latin, from Latin tortus "crooked, twisted" (see tortuous) + collum "neck" (see collar).
tortilla (n.): 1690s, from American Spanish tortilla, from Spanish, "a tart," literally "a little cake," diminutive of torta "cake," from Late Latin torta "flat cake" (see torte).
tortious (adj.): late 14c., from Anglo-French torcious (14c.), from stem of torcion, literally "a twisting," from Late Latin tortionem (see torsion, and cf. tort).
tortoise (n.): 1550s, altered (perhaps by influence of porpoise) from Middle English tortuse (late 15c.), tortuce (mid-15c.), tortuge (late 14c.), from Medieval Latin tortuca (mid-13c.), perhaps from Late Latin tartaruchus "of the underworld" (see turtle). Others propose a connection with Latin tortus "twisted," based on the shape of the feet. The classical Latin word was testudo, from testa "shell." First record of tortoise shell as a coloring pattern is from 1782.
tortuous (adj.): late 14c., from Anglo-French tortuous (12c.), from Latin tortuosus "full of twists, winding," from tortus "a twisting, winding," from stem of torquere "to twist, wring, distort" (see thwart).
torture (n.): early 15c., "contortion, twisting, distortion," from Old French torture "infliction of great pain, great pain, agony," and directly from Late Latin torture "a twisting, writhing, torture, torment," from stem of Latin torquere "to twist, turn, wind, wring, distort" (see thwart).
torture (v.): 1580s, from torture (n.). Related: Tortured; torturing.
torturous (adj.): late 15c., from Anglo-French torturous, from Old French tortureus, from Latin tortura (see torture).
torus (n.): 1560s, from Latin torus "a swelling, bulge, knot; cushion, couch."
Tory (n.): 1566, "an outlaw," specifically "a robber," from Irish toruighe "plunderer," originally "pursuer, searcher," from Old Irish toirighim "I pursue," related to toracht "pursuit." About 1646, it emerged as a derogatory term for Irish Catholics dispossessed of their land (some of whom subsequently turned to outlawry); c.1680 applied by Exclusioners to supporters of the Catholic Duke of York (later James II) in his succession to the throne of England. After 1689, Tory was the name of a British political party at first composed of Yorkist Tories of 1680. Superseded c.1830 by Conservative, though it continues to be used colloquially. In American history, Tory was the name given after 1769 to colonists who remained loyal to George III of England.
tosh (adj.): "neat, clean, trim," 1776, Scottish, of unknown origin.
tosh (n.): "valuables collected from drains," 1852, London slang, of unknown origin.
toss (v.): c.1500, possibly from a Scandinavian source (cf. dialectal Norwegian tossa "to strew, spread"). Related: Tossed; tossing. Food preparation sense (with reference to salad, etc.) is recorded from 1723. The noun meaning "an act of throwing" is first recorded 1650s. Tosspot "heavy drinker" is from 1560s. Toss-up "even matter" first recorded 1809, from earlier sense of "a flipping of a coin to arrive at a decision" (c.1700). Tosser as a term of contempt in British slang is recorded from 1977, probably from slang toss off "masturbate" (1969); cf. jerk (n.).
tostada (n.): 1945, from Mexican Spanish, from past participle of Spanish tostar "to toast" (see toast (v.1)).
tot (n.): "little child," 1725, Scottish, of uncertain origin, perhaps a shortened form of totter, or related to Old Norse tottr, nickname of a dwarf (cf. Swedish tutte "little child," Danish tommel-tot "little child," in which the first element means "thumb").
tot (v.): "to reckon up," 1760, from tot (n.), first recorded 1680s, short for total.
total (v.): 1716, from total (n.). Meaning "to destroy one's car" first recorded 1954. Related: Totaled; totaling.
total (n.): 1550s, from total (adj.).
total (adj.): late 14c., from Old French total, from Medieval Latin totalis "entire, total" (as in summa totalis "sum total"), from Latin totus "all, whole, entire," of unknown origin. Total war is attested from 1937, in reference to a concept developed in Germany.
totalitarian (adj.): 1926, first in reference to Italian fascism, formed in English on model of Italian totalitario "complete, absolute, totalitarian," from the Italian cognate of English total (adj.). The noun is recorded from 1938.
totalitarianism (n.): 1926, first recorded in reference to Italian fascism, from totalitarian + -ism.
totality (n.): 1590s, from total (adj.) + -ity. In the eclipse sense, from 1842.
totally (adv.): c.1500, from total (adj.) + -ly (2).
tote (v.): "to carry," 1670s, of unknown origin; originally attested in Virginia, but OED discounts the popular theory of its origin in a W.African language (cf. Kikongo tota "pick up," Kimbundu tuta "carry, load," related to Swahili tuta "pile up, carry"). Related: Toted; toting. Tote bag is first recorded 1900.
totem (n.): animal or natural object considered as the emblem of a family or clan, 1760, from Algonquian (probably Ojibwa) odoodeman "his sibling kin, his group or family," hence, "his family mark;" also attested in French c.1600 in form aoutem among the Micmacs or other Indians of Nova Scotia. Totem pole is 1808, in reference to west coast Canadian Indians.
tother: "the other," early 13c., þe toþer, from faulty separation of þet oþer "that other;" simple use of tother in place of the other is attested by 1580s.
totipotent (adj.): 1896, from Latin toti-, comb. form of totus "whole" (see total (adj.)) + potent. Perhaps immediately from German totipotent, which is attested by 1893. Related: Totipotency.
toto: Latin ablative singular (masc. and neuter) of totus "whole, entire" (see total).
toto caelo: Latin, literally "by the whole heaven."
totter (v.): c.1200, "swing to and fro," perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. dialectal Norwegian totra "to quiver, shake"). Meaning "stand or walk with shaky, unsteady steps" is from c.1600. Related: Tottered; tottering.
tottery (adj.): 1861, from totter + -y (2).
toucan: bright-colored bird of S.America, 1560s, from French toucan (1550s) and Spanish tucan; from Tupi (Brazil) tuka, tukana, probably imitative of its call.
touch (v.): late 13c., from Old French touchier "to touch, hit, knock" (11c.), from Vulgar Latin *toccare "to knock, strike" as a bell (cf. Spanish tocar, Italian toccare), perhaps of imitative origin. Meaning "to get or borrow money" first recorded 1760. Related: Touched; touching.

Touch and go (adj.) is recorded from 1812, apparently from the name of a tag-like game, first recorded 1650s. Touch football is first attested 1933. Touch-me-not (1590s) translates Latin noli-me-tangere.
touch (n.): c.1300, from Old French touche "a touching," from touchier (see touch (v.)). Meaning "slight attack" (of an illness, etc.) is recorded from 1660s. Sense of "skill or aptitude in some topic" is first recorded 1927. Soft touch "person easily manipulated" is recorded from 1940.
touchdown (n.): 1864, from touch (v.) + down (adv.). Originally in rugby, where the ball is literally touched down on the other side of the goal.
touche: 1904, "exclamation acknowledging a hit in fencing," from French touché, past participle of toucher "to hit," from Old French touchier "to hit" (see touch (v.)).
touched (adj.): "stirred emotionally," mid-14c., past participle adjective from touch (v.).
touching (adj.): "affecting the emotions," c.1600, present participle adjective from touch (v.).
touchpoint (n.): c.1600, from touch + point (n.).
touchstone (n.): late 15c., from touch (v.) + stone (n.). Black quartz, used for testing the quality of gold and silver alloys by the color of the streak made by rubbing them on it. Cf. also basalt. Figurative sense is from 1530s.
touchy (adj.): "too sensitive," c.1600, perhaps an alteration of tetchy (q.v.) influenced by touch (v.). Related: Touchiness.
tough (adj.): Old English toh "difficult to break or chew," from Proto-Germanic *tankhuz (cf. Middle Low German tege, Middle Dutch taey, Dutch taai, Old High German zach, German zäh). See rough for spelling change.

Figurative sense of "strenuous, difficult, hard to beat" is first recorded c.1200; that of "hard to do, trying, laborious" is from 1610s. Verb tough it "endure the experience" is first recorded 1830, American English. Tough guy first recorded 1932. Tough-minded first recorded 1907 in William James. Tough luck first recorded 1912; tough shit is from 1946.
tough (n.): "street ruffian," 1866, American English, from tough (adj.).
toughen (v.): 1580s, from tough (adj.) + -en (1). Related: Toughened; toughening.
toupee (n.): 1727, from French toupet "tuft of hair, forelock," diminutive formed from Old French toupe "tuft," from Frankish *top, related to top (n.1) "highest point." Originally an artificial curl or lock on the top of the head; a style, not necessarily a compensation for baldness. In 18c., also sometimes used of a person who wears a toupee. Slang short form toup is recorded from 1959.
tour (n.): early 14c., "a turn, a shift on duty," from Old French tour, tourn "a turn, trick, round, circuit, circumference," from torner, tourner "to turn," from Latin tornare "to polish, round off, fashion, turn on a lathe" (see turn (v.)). Sense of "a traveling around, journey" is first recorded 1640s. Tour de France is recorded from 1922. The Grand Tour, a journey through France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy formerly was the finishing touch in the education of a gentleman.