Online Etymology Dictionary

taxonomy (n.): 1828, from French taxonomie (1813), introduced by Linnæus and coined irregularly from Greek taxis "arrangement" (see taxidermy) + -nomia "method," from -nomos "managing," from nemein "manage" (see numismatics).
taxpayer (n.): 1816, from tax (n.) + payer.
tay: mid-15c., from French teie, from Latin theca, from Greek theke (see theco-).
Tay-Sachs: fatal inherited disorder, 1907, named in German (1901) by H. Higier from names of British ophthalmologist Warren Tay (1843-1927) and U.S. physician and neurologist Warren Sachs (1858-1944) who described it in 1881 and 1887 respectively.
Taylor: surname, attested from late 12c., variant of tailor.
tchotchke (n.): "tinket, gewgaw," also (transferred) "pretty girl," 1964, American English, from Yiddish, from a Slavic source (cf. Russian tsatska).
Te Deum: early 12c., from Late Latin Te Deum laudamus "Thee God we praise," first words of the ancient Latin hymn.
tea (n.): 1650s, earlier chaa (1590s, from Portuguese cha), from Malay teh and directly from Chinese (Amoy dialect) t'e, in Mandarin ch'a. First known in Paris 1635, the practice of drinking tea was first introduced to England 1644.

The distribution of the different forms of the word reflects the spread of use of the beverage. The modern English form, along with French thé, Spanish te, German Tee, etc., derive via Dutch thee from the Amoy form, reflecting the role of the Dutch as the chief importers of the leaves (through the Dutch East India Company, from 1610). The Portuguese word (attested from 1550s) came via Macao; and Russian chai, Persian cha, Greek tsai, Arabic shay, and Turkish çay all came overland from the Mandarin form.

Meaning "afternoon meal at which tea is served" is from 1738. Slang meaning "marijuana" (which sometimes was brewed in hot water) is attested from 1935, felt as obsolete by late 1960s. Tea ball is from 1895.
tea party (n.): 1778, from tea + party (n.). Political references to tea party all trace to the Boston tea party of 1773, in which radicals in Massachusetts colony boarded British ships carrying tea and threw the product into Boston Harbor in protest royal taxation. It has been a model for other libertarian political actions in the U.S. (mostly symbolic), including citizen gatherings begun in early 2009 to protest government spending.
tea-berry (n.): American wintergreen, 1818, from tea + berry, so called because the dried berries were used as a substitute for tea.
tea-rose (n.): 1825, from tea + rose (n.); so called because it has a scent supposed to resemble that of tea.
teabag (n.): also tea-bag 1857, a small permeable packet for holding loose tea, from tea + bag. As a sex act, by 2000.
teach (v.): Old English tæcan (past tense and past participle tæhte) "to show, point out," also "to give instruction," from Proto-Germanic *taikijanan (cf. Old High German zihan, German zeihen "to accuse," Gothic ga-teihan "to announce"), from PIE *deik- "to show, point out" (see diction). Related to Old English tacen, tacn "sign, mark" (see token). Related: Taught; teaching.

Old English tæcan had more usually a sense of "show, declare, warn, persuade" (cf. German zeigen "to show," from the same root); while the Old English word for "to teach, instruct, guide" was more commonly læran, source of modern learn and lore.
teachable (adj.): late 15c., from teach (v.) + -able. Teachable moment attested from 1917, not common until after c.1960.
teacher (n.): "one who teaches," c.1300; agent noun from teach (v.). It was used earlier in a sense of "index finger" (late 13c.). Teacher's pet attested from 1856.
teak (n.): type of East Indian tree, 1690s, from Portuguese teca, from Malayam tekka, corresponding to Tamil tekku, Telegu teku, Kanarese tegu.
teal (n.): "small freshwater duck," early 14c., probably from an unrecorded Old English word cognate with Middle Dutch teling "teal," Middle Low German telink, from West Germanic *taili. As the name of a shade of dark greenish-blue like the color patterns on the fowl's head and wings, it is attested from 1923.
team (n.): Old English team "set of draft animals yoked together," from Proto-Germanic *taumaz (cf. Old Norse taumr, Old Frisian tam, Dutch toom, Old High German zoum, German Zaum "bridle"), probably literally "that which draws," from *taugmaz "action of drawing," from series *taukh-, *tukh-, *tug-, represented by Old English togian "to pull, drag" (see tow), from PIE *deuk- "pull" (related to Latin ducere "to lead;" see duke (n.)). Applied to people in Old English, especially "group of people acting together to bring suit." Team spirit is recorded from 1928. Team player attested from 1886, originally in baseball.
team (v.): 1550s, "to harness beasts in a team," from team (n.). The meaning "to come together as a team" (usually with up) is attested from 1932. Related: Teamed; teaming.
teammate (n.): 1901, from team (n.) + mate (n.).
teamster (n.): "person who drives a team of horses" (especially in hauling freight), 1777, from team (n.) + -ster. Transferred to motor truck drivers by 1907.
teamwork (n.): 1828 in the literal sense, from team (n.) + work (n.). Attested by 1909 in the extended sense.
tear (n.1): "water from the eye," Old English tear, from earlier teahor, tæhher, from Proto-Germanic *takh-, *tagr- (cf. Old Norse, Old Frisian tar, Old High German zahar, German Zähre, Gothic tagr "tear"), from PIE *dakru-/*draku- (cf. Latin lacrima, Old Latin dacrima, Irish der, Welsh deigr, Greek dakryma). Tear gas first recorded 1917.
tear (n.2): "act of ripping or rending," 1660s, from tear (v.1).
tear (v.1): "pull apart," Old English teran (class IV strong verb; past tense tær, past participle toren), from Proto-Germanic *teran (cf. Old Saxon terian, Middle Dutch teren "to consume," Old High German zeran "to destroy," German zehren, Gothic ga-tairan "to tear, destroy"), from PIE *der- "tear" (cf. Sanskrit drnati "cleaves, bursts," Greek derein "to flay," Armenian terem "I flay," Old Church Slavonic dera "to burst asunder," Breton darn "piece").

The Old English past tense survived long enough to get into Bible translations as tare before giving place 17c. to tore, which is from the old past participle toren. Sense of "to pull by force" (away from some situation or attachment) is attested from late 13c. To be torn between two things (desires, loyalties, etc.) is from 1871.
tear (v.2): 1650s, mainly in American English, from tear (n.1). Related: Teared; tearing. Old English verb tæherian did not survive into Middle English.
tear-jerker (n.): 1911, in reference to newspaper stories about tragic situations, on model of soda-jerker and perhaps especially beer-jerker, from tear (n.1) + jerk (v.).
teary (adj.): late 14c., from tear (n.1) + -y (2). Related: Tearily; teariness.
tease (v.): Old English tæsan "pluck, pull apart" (fibers of wool, flax, etc.), from West Germanic *taisijanan (cf. Danish tæse, Middle Dutch tesen, Dutch tezen "to draw, pull, scratch," Old High German zeisan "to tease, pick wool").

The original sense is of running thorns through wool or flax to separate, shred, or card the fibers. The figurative sense of "vex, worry, annoy" emerged 1610s. For similar sense development, see heckle. Hairdressing sense is recorded from 1957.
tease (n.): "one who teases," 1852, from tease (v.). Specifically as short for cock-teaser, it was in use by 1976.
teasel (n.): Old English tæsel "large thistle used in teasing cloth," from Proto-Germanic *taisilo (cf. Old High German zeisala), from root of Old English tæsan "to pluck" (see tease (v.)).
teaser (n.): "short sample, introductory advertisement," 1934, agent noun from tease (v.).
teaspoon (n.): 1680s, from tea + spoon (n.).
teat (n.): mid-13c., from Old French tete "teat" (12c.), from Proto-Germanic *titta (source of Old English titt, see tit).
tec (n.): 1879 as short for detective; 1934 as short for detective story.
tech (n.): 1906 as short for technical college (or institute, etc.), American English; 1942 as short for technician.
techie (n.): one well-versed in the latest technology, by 1984.
technic (adj.): 1610s, "technical," from Latin technicus, from Greek tekhnikos "of or pertaining to art," from tekhne (see techno-).
technical (adj.): 1610s, "skilled in a particular art or subject," formed in English from Greek tekhnikos "of art," from tekhne "art, skill, craft" (see techno-). The sense narrowed to "having to do with the mechanical arts" (1727). Basketball technical foul (one which does not involve contact between opponents) is recorded from 1934. Boxing technical knock-out (one in which the loser is not knocked out) is recorded from 1921; abbreviation TKO is from 1940s.
technicality (n.): 1814, from technical + -ity. Related: Technicalities.
technician (n.): 1833, "person expert in the technicalities of some question," from technic + -ian. Meaning "person skilled in mechanical arts" is recorded from 1939.
technicolor (n.): 1946, transferred from Technicolor, trademark (reg. 1917 U.S.), from technical + color.
technics (n.): 1850, from technic; also see -ics.
technique (n.): 1817, from French technique "formal practical details in artistic expression," noun use of adj. technique "of art, technical," from Greek tekhnikos (see techno-).
techno-: word-forming element, from Greek tekhno-, combining form of tekhne "art, skill, craft, method, system," probably from PIE root *tek- "shape, make" (cf. Sanskrit taksan "carpenter," Latin texere "to weave;" see texture).
technocracy (n.): 1919, coined by W.H. Smyth in "Industrial Management" as a name for a new system of government by technical experts, from techno- + -cracy.
technocrat (n.): 1932, back-formation from technocracy. Related: Technocratic.
technological (adj.): 1620s, from technology + -ical. Related: Technologically.
technologist (n.): 1859, from technology + -ist.
technology (n.): 1610s, "discourse or treatise on an art or the arts," from Greek tekhnologia "systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique," originally referring to grammar, from tekhno- (see techno-) + -logy. The meaning "science of the mechanical and industrial arts" is first recorded 1859. High technology attested from 1964; short form high-tech is from 1972.