Online Etymology Dictionary

upwind: 1838, from up- + wind. Originally a nautical term.
ur-: prefix meaning "original, earliest, primitive," from Ger. "original, primitive;" at first only in words borrowed from Ger. (cf. ursprache "hypothetical primitive language," attested in Eng. from 1908), now a living prefix in Eng. Cf. also Urschleim under protoplasm and Urquell under Pilsner.
uranium: rare metallic element, 1797, named 1789 in Mod.L. by its discoverer, Ger. chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1743-1817), for the recently found planet Uranus (q.v.).
Uranus: first planet discovered that was not known in ancient times, named for the god of Heaven, husband of Gaia, the Earth, from L. Uranus, from Gk. Ouranos lit. "heaven," in Gk. cosmology, the god who personifies the heavens, father of the titans. Cf. Urania, name of the Muse of astronomy, from Gk. Ourania, fem. of ouranios, lit. "heavenly." Planet discovered and identified as such in 1781 by Sir William Herschel (it had been observed before, but mistaken for a star, cf. 1690 when John Flamsteed cataloged it as 34 Tauri); Herschel proposed calling it Georgium Sidus, lit. "George's Star," in honour of his patron, King George III of England.
"I cannot but wish to take this opportunity of expressing my sense of gratitude, by giving the name of Georgium Sidus ... to a star which (with respect to us) first began to shine under His auspicious reign." [Sir William Herschel, 1783]
The planet was known in Eng. in 1780s as the Georgian Planet; Fr. astronomers began calling Herschel, and ult. Ger. astronomer Johann Bode proposed Uranus as in conformity with other planet names. However, the name didn't come into common usage until c.1850.
urban: "characteristic of city life," 1619 (but rare before 1830s), from L. urbanus "of or pertaining to a city or city life," as a noun, "city dweller," from urbs (gen. urbis) "city," of unknown origin. The word gradually emerged in this sense as urbane became restricted to manners and styles of expression. Urban renewal, euphemistic for "slum clearance," is recorded from 1955.
urbane: 1530s, "of or relating to cities or towns," from M.Fr. urbain (14c.), from L. urbanus "belonging to a city," also "citified, elegant" (see urban). The meaning "having the manners of townspeople, courteous, refined" is first attested 1620s. Urbanity in this sense is recorded from 1530s. For sense connection, cf. human/humane.
urchin: late 13c., yrichon "hedgehog," from O.N.Fr. *irechon (cf. Picard irechon, Walloon ireson, Hainaut hirchon), from O.Fr. herichun "hedgehog" (Fr. hérisson), formed with dim. suffix -on from V.L. *hericionem, from L. ericius "hedgehog," from PIE base *gher- "to bristle" (cf. Gk. kheros "hedgehog;" see horror). Still used for "hedgehog" in non-standard speech in Cumbria, Yorkshire, Shropshire. Applied throughout 16c. to people whose appearance or behavior suggested hedgehogs, from hunchbacks (1520s) to goblins (1580s) to bad girls (c.1530); meaning "poorly or raggedly clothed youngster" emerged 1550s, but was not in frequent use until after c.1780. Sea urchin is recorded from 1591 (a 19c. Newfoundland name for them was whore's eggs).
Urdu: official language of Pakistan, 1796, from Hindustani urdu "camp," from Turk. ordu (source of horde); short for zaban-i-urdu "language of the camp." Compare Dzongkha, a variant of Tibetan and the official language of Bhutan, lit. "the language of the fortress."
urethra: "canal through which urine is discharged from the bladder," 1634, from L.L. urethra, from Gk. ourethra "the passage for urine," coined by Hippocrates from ourein "to urinate," from ouron (see urine).
urge (v.): 1560, from L. urgere "to press hard, push, drive, compel," from PIE base *werg- "to work" (cf. Avestan vareza "work, activity;" Gk. ergon "work," orgia "religious performances," organon "tool;" Armenian gorc "work;" Lith. verziu "tie, fasten, squeeze," vargas "need, distress;" O.C.S. vragu "enemy;" Goth. waurkjan, O.E. wyrcan "work;" Goth. wrikan "persecute," O.E. wrecan "drive, hunt, pursue;" O.N. yrka "work, take effect"). The noun is first attested 1618, from the verb; in frequent use after c.1910.
urgent: 1456, from M.Fr. urgent "pressing, impelling" (14c.), from L. urgentem (nom. urgens), prp. of urgere "to press hard, urge" (see urge). Urgency is from 1540.
Uriah: masc. proper name, in O.T., the Hittite husband of Bathsheba; of non-Hebrew (possibly Horite) origin, but explained by folk etymology as Heb. Uriyyah, lit. "flame of the Lord." Uriah Heep, character from Dickens' "David Copperfield" (1850) sometimes is invoked as the type of a hypocritically humble person.
urinal: late 13c., "glass vial to receive urine for medical inspection," from O.Fr. urinal, from L.L. urinal, from L. urinalis (adj.) "relating to urine," from urina (see urine). Meaning "chamber pot" is from late 15c. Modern sense of "fixture for urinating (for men)" is attested from 1851.
urine: early 14c., from O.Fr. urine (12c.), from L. urina "urine," from PIE *ur- (cf. Gk. ouron "urine"), variant of base *awer- "to moisten, flow" (cf. Skt. var "water," Avestan var "rain," Lith. jures "sea," O.E. wær, O.N. ver "sea," O.N. ur "drizzling rain." Urinate is a 1590s back-formation from urination (early 15c.).
URL: by 1990, acronym from uniform resource locator.
urn: late 14c., "vase used to preserve the ashes of the dead," from L. urna "a jar, vessel," probably from earlier *urc-na, akin to urceus "pitcher, jug," and from the same source as Gk. hyrke "earthen vessel." But another theory connects it to L. urere "to burn" (cf. bust (1)).
ursine: "pertaining to a bear," c.1550, from L. ursinus "of or resembling a bear," from ursus "a bear," cognate with Gk. arktos (see arctic).
Ursula: fem. proper name, from L. Ursula, dim. of ursa "she-bear" (see ursine).
us: O.E. us (cognate with O.S., O.Fris. us, O.N., Swed. oss), accusative and dative pl. of we, from PIE *ns- (cf. Skt. nas, Avestan na, Hittite nash "us;" Gk. no "we two;" L. nos "we, us;" O.C.S. ny "us," nasu "our;" O.Ir. ni, Welsh ni "we, us"). The -n- is preserved in Gmc. in Du. ons, Ger. uns.
usable: 1382, from O.Fr. usable (1311), from user (see use). Not a common word before c.1840.
usage: c.1300, "established practice, custom," from Anglo-Fr. and O.Fr. usage "custom, habit, experience," from us, from L. usus "use, custom" (see use).
use (v.): mid-13c., from O.Fr. user "use, employ, practice," from V.L. *usare "use," frequentative form of pp. stem of L. uti "to use," in Old L. oeti "use, employ, exercise, perform," of unknown origin. Replaced O.E. brucan (see brook (v.)). Used "second-hand" is recorded from 1590s. User is recorded from 1935 in the narcotics sense, 1967 in the computer sense. User-friendly (1977) is said in some sources to have been coined by software designer Harlan Crowder as early as 1972. Verbal phrase used to "formerly did or was" (as in I used to love her) represents a construction attested from c.1300, and common from c.1400, but now surviving only in past tense form. The pronunciation is affected by the t- of to.
use (n.): early 13c., from O.Fr. us, from L. usus "use, custom, skill, habit," from pp. stem of uti (see use (v.)). Useful is recorded from 1590s; useless is first attested 1590s.
usher (n.): c.1380, "servant who has charge of doors and admits people to a chamber, hall, etc.," from Anglo-Fr. usser (12c.), from O.Fr. ussier, from V.L. ustiarius "doorkeeper," from L. ostiarius "door-keeper," from ostium "door, entrance," related to os "mouth." Fem. form usherette is attested from 1925. The verb meaning "conduct, escort" is from 1594.
ustashi: Croatian separatise movement, 1932, from Croatian Ustaše, pl. of Ustaša "insurgent, rebel."
usual: late 14c., from O.Fr. usuel (late 13c.), from L.L. usualis "ordinary," from L. usus "custom" (see use). The adv. form usually is attested from late 15c. The usual suspects is from a line delivered by Claude Rains (as a French police inspector) in "Casablanca" (1942).
usufruct: "right to the use and profits of the property of another without damaging it," 1618 (implied in usufructuary), from L.L. usufructus, in full usus et fructus "use and enjoyment," from L. usus "a use" + fructus "enjoyment," lit. "fruit." Attested earlier in delatinized form usufruit (1478).
usurer: late 13c., from O.Fr. usurier, from M.L. usurarius "usurer," from L. adj. usurarius "pertaining to interest," from usura (see usury).
usurp: early 14c., from O.Fr. usurper, from L. usurpare "make use of, seize for use," in L.L. "to assume unlawfully," from usus "a use" (see use) + rapere "to seize" (see rapid).
usury: c.1300, from M.L. usuria, from L. usura "usury, interest," from usus, from stem of uti (see use). Originally the practice of lending money at interest, later, at excessive rates of interest.
Utah: from Sp. yuta, name of the indigenous Uto-Aztecan people of the Great Basin (Mod. Eng. Ute), perhaps from Western Apache (Athabaskan) yudah "high" (in reference to living in the mountains).
utensil: late 14c., from O.Fr. utensile "implement," from L. utensilia "materials, things for use," noun use of neut. pl. of utensilis "fit for use," from uti (see use).
uterine: "pertaining to the womb," early 15c., from O.Fr. uterin, from L.L. uterinus "pertaining to the womb," also "born of the same mother," from L. uterus "womb" (see uterus).
uterus: 1615, from L. uterus "womb, belly" (pl. uteri), from PIE base *udero- "abdomen, womb, stomach" (cf. Skt. udaram "belly," Gk. hystera "womb," Lith. vederas "stomach," O.C.S. vedro "bucket").
utilitarian: 1781, coined by Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) from utility. One guided by the doctrine of the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Utilitarianism is from 1827.
utility: 1391, "fact of being useful," from O.Fr. utilite "usefulness" (1291), earlier utilitet (12c.), from L. utilitatem (nom. utilitas) "usefulness, serviceableness, profit," from utilis "usable," from uti (see use). As a shortened form of public utility it is recorded from 1930.
utilize: 1807, from Fr. utiliser, from It. utilizzare, from utile "usable," from L. utilis "usable," from uti (see use). Utilization is first attested 1847.
"Utilize is fast antiquating improve, in the sense of 'turn to account.' " [Fitzedward Hall, "Modern English," 1873]
utmost: O.E. utmest (Anglian) "outermost," double superlative of ut "out."
utopia: 1551, from Mod.L. Utopia, lit. "nowhere," coined by Thomas More (and used as title of his book, 1516, about an imaginary island enjoying perfect legal, social, and political systems), from Gk. ou "not" + topos "place." Extended to "any perfect place," 1613. Utopian originally meant "having no known location" (1609); sense of "impossibly visionary, ideal" is from 1621; as a noun meaning "visionary idealist" it is first recorded c.1873 (earlier in this sense was utopiast, 1854).
utter (adj.): "complete, total," O.E. utera, uterra, "outer," comparative adj. formed from ut (see out), from P.Gmc. *utizon (cf. O.N. utar, O.Fris. uttra, M.Du. utere, Du. uiter-, O.H.G. uzar, Ger. äußer "outer"), a comparative adj. from the base of out. Uttermost, attested from c.1300, is more recent than utmost; M.E. also had uttermore (late 14c.), now, alas, no loger with us. Utterly (early 13c.) originally meant "sincerely, outspokenly" (cf. utter (v.)).
utter (v.): "speak, say," c.1400, in part from M.L.G. utern "to turn out, show, speak," from uter "outer," comparative adj. formed from ut "out;" in part from M.E. verb outen "to disclose," from O.E. utan "to put out," from ut (see out). Cf. Ger. äussern "to utter, express," from aus "out;" and colloquial phrase out with it "speak up!" Formerly also used as a commercial verb (as release is now). Utterance "that which is uttered" is attested from c.1454.
uvula: 1392, from L.L. uvula, from L. uvola "small bunch of grapes," dim. of uva "grape," which is of unknown origin. So called from fancied resemblance of the organ to small grapes.
uxorious: "excessively fond of or submissive to one's wife," 1598, from L. uxorius "of or pertaining to a wife," from uxor (gen. uxoris) "wife," of unknown origin. Uxorial, "relating to a wife or wives," is recorded from 1800 and sometimes is used in the sense of uxorius; uxoricide, "the murder of one's wife," is recorded from 1854.
Uzi: 1959, trademark name for Israeli-made submachine gun, developed by Usiel Gal, and manufactured by IMI.