- dynamo
- 1882, short for Ger. dynamoelektrischemaschine, coined 1867 by its inventor, Ger. electrical engineer Werner Siemans (1816-92), from Gk. dynamis "power."
- dynamite
- 1867, from Sw. dynamit, coined 1867 by its inventor, Sw. chemist Alfred Nobel (1833-96), from Gk. dynamis "power." Fig. sense of "something potentially dangerous" is from 1922.
- dyne
- metric unit of force, 1873, from Ger. use of Gk. dynamis "power," also infl. by Fr. dyne.
- dynamic
- 1817, as a term in philosophy; 1827 in the sense "force producing motion," from Fr. dynamique (1762), from Ger. dynamisch, introduced by Leibnitz 1691 from Gk. dynamikos "powerful," from dynamis "power," from dynasthai "be able to have power," of unknown origin. The fig. sense of "active, potent, energetic" is from 1856. Dynamics as a branch of physics was in use from 1788.
- miracle
- 1137, from O.Fr. miracle, from L. miraculum "object of wonder" (in Church L., "marvelous event caused by God"), from mirari "to wonder at," from mirus "wonderful," from *smeiros, from PIE *(s)mei- "to smile, be astonished" (cf. Skt. smerah "smiling," Gk. meidan "to smile," O.C.S. smejo "to laugh;" see smile). Replaced O.E. wundortacen, wundorweorc. The Gk. words rendered as miracle in the Eng. Bibles were semeion "sign," teras "wonder," and dynamis "power," in Vulgate translated respectively as signum, prodigium, and virtus. First record of miraculous is from 1502.