Online Etymology Dictionary

fast (adj.): O.E. fæst "firmly fixed, steadfast," probably from P.Gmc. *fastuz (cf. O.N. fastr, Du. vast, Ger. fest), from PIE base *past- "firm" (cf. Skt. pastyam "dwelling place"). The adv. meaning "quickly, swiftly" was perhaps in O.E., or from O.N. fast, either way developing from the sense of "firmly, strongly, vigorously" (cf. to run hard means to run fast; also compare fast asleep), or perhaps from the notion of a runner who "sticks" close to whatever he is chasing. The sense of "living an unrestrained life" (usually of women) is from 1746 (fast living is from 1745); fast food is first attested 1951. Fast-forward first recorded 1948. Fast lane is by 1966; the fast track originally was in horse-racing (1934); figurative sense by 1960s. To fast talk someone (v.) is recorded by 1946.
fast (v.): O.E. fæstan "to fast" (as a religious duty), from P.Gmc. *fastejan (cf. O.Fris. festia, O.H.G. fasten, O.N. fasta), from the same root as fast (adj.). The original meaning was "hold firmly," and the sense evolution is via "firm control of oneself," to "holding to observance" (cf. Goth. fastan "to keep, observe," also "to fast"). Presumably the whole group is a Gmc. translation of M.L. observare "to fast." Related: Fasted; fasting.
fast and loose: described as "a cheating game played with a stick and a belt or string, so arranged that a spectator would think he could make the latter fast by placing a stick through its intricate folds, whereas the operator could detach it at once." [James O. Halliwell, "Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words," 1847]. The figurative sense (1550s) is recorded earlier than the literal (1570s).
fastly: former adverbial form of fast (adj.), from O.E. fæstlic, obsolete in 19c., simple fast taking its place.
fasten: O.E. fæstnian "make fast, firm," also "ratify, betroth," from P.Gmc. *fastinojanan, from *fastuz (see fast (adj.)). Related: Fastened; fastener; fastening.
faster: "one who fasts," c.1300, agent noun from fast (v.).
fastness: "a place not easily forced, a stronghold," late O.E., from fast (adj.) in its older sense of "firm, fixed in place" + -ness.
dine: c.1300, from O.Fr. disner, originally "take the first meal of the day," from stem of Gallo-Romance *desjunare "to break one's fast," from L. dis- "undo" + L.L. jejunare "to fast," from L. jejunus "fasting, hungry."
tenacity: 1520s, from M.Fr. ténacité (14c.), from L. tenacitas "the act of holding fast," from tenax (gen. tenacis) "tough, holding fast," from tenere "to hold" (see tenet).
deligate: 1840, from L. deligatus "bound fast," from deligare "to bind fast," from de- + ligare "to bind" (see ligament).
yacht: 1557, yeaghe "a light, fast-sailing ship," probably from Norw. jaght, from M.L.G. jacht, shortened form of jachtschip "fast pirate ship," lit. "ship for chasing," from jacht "chase," from jagen "to chase, hunt," from O.H.G. jagon, from P.Gmc. *jagojanan.
flibbertigibbet: 1540s, "chattering gossip, flighty woman," probably a nonsense word meant to sound like fast talking; as the name of a devil or fiend it dates from c.1600.
breakfast: mid-15c., from break (v.) + fast (n.). The verb is recorded from 1670s. The Sp. almuerzo "lunch," but formerly and still locally "breakfast," is from L. admorsus, pp. of admordere "to bite into," from ad- "to" + mordere "to bite." Like almuerzo, words for "breakfast" tend over time to shift in meaning toward "lunch;" cf. Fr. déjeuner "breakfast," later "lunch" (equivalent of Sp. desayuno "breakfast"), both from V.L. *disieiunare "to breakfast," from L. dis- + ieiunare, jejunare "fast" (see jejune; also cf. dine).
snap-shot: 1808, "a quick shot with a gun, without aim, at a fast-moving target;" photographic sense is attested from 1890.
Percheron: 1875, from Fr., adj. formed from le Perche, region south of Normandy where the horses were bred that were strong, light, and fast.
Jehu: "fast, skillful driver," 1682, from Jehu, a king of Israel in O.T., who "driveth furiously" (II Kings ix.20).
avast: 1680s, a nautical interjection, "hold! stop!" probably worn down from Du. houd vast "hold fast."
like (adj.): "having the same characteristics or qualities" (as another), M.E. shortening of O.E. gelic "like, similar," from P.Gmc. *galikaz "having the same form," lit. "with a corresponding body" (cf. O.S. gilik, O.N. glikr, Du. gelijk, Ger. gleich, Goth. galeiks "equally, like"), a compound of *ga- "with, together" + *likan "body" (cf. O.E. lic "body," Ger. Leiche "corpse," Dan. lig, Swed. lik, Du. lijk "body, corpse"). Analogous, etymologically, to L. conform. The modern form (rather than *lich) may be from a northern descendant of the O.E. word's O.N. cognate, likr. Formerly with comp. liker and superl. likest (still in use 17c.). The prep. (c.1200) and the adv. (c.1300) are both from the adjective. As a conjunction, first attested c.1530. Plural likes (n.) "predilections, preferences" is from 1851; earlier used in sing. in this sense (1425). The word has been used as a postponed filler ("going really fast, like") from 1778; as a presumed emphatic ("going, like, really fast") from 1950, originally in counterculture slang and bop talk. Phrase more like it "closer to what is desired" is from 1888.
quick: O.E. cwic "living, alive," from P.Gmc. *kwikwaz (cf. O.Fris. quik, O.N. kvikr "living, alive," O.H.G. quec "lively," Ger. keck "bold"), from PIE base *gwiwo- "to live" (see bio-). Sense of "lively, swift" developed by c.1300, on notion of "full of life."
"NE swift or the now more common fast may apply to rapid motion of any duration, while in quick (in accordance with its original sense of 'live, lively') there is a notion of 'sudden' or 'soon over.' We speak of a fast horse or runner in a race, a quick starter but not a quick horse. A somewhat similar feeling may distinguish NHG schnell and rasch or it may be more a matter of local preference." [Buck]
Quickie "sex act done hastily" is from 1940. Quicklime (c.1400) is loan-translation of L. calx viva.
clinch: 1570, "clasp, interlock," var. of clench. The sense of "settle decisively" is first recorded 1716, from the notion of "clinching" the point of a nail to keep it fast. Boxing sense is from 1860.
fighter: O.E. feohtere; see fight. Meaning "fast military airplane used for combat" is from 1917.
whippet: "small, fast type of dog," 1610, probably from whip in the sense of "move quickly" + dim. suffix -et Used earlier (1550) in ref. to "a brisk, nimble woman."
cling: O.E. clingan "hold fast, congeal, shrivel," shifting 13c. to "adhere, stick together," from P.Gmc. *klingg-.
bound (adj.1): "fastened," mid-14c., in figurative sense of "compelled," from bounden, pp. of bind (q.v.). Meaning "under obligation" is from late 15c.; the literal sense "made fast by tying" is the latest recorded (1550s).
clipper: early 14c., from clippen "shorten," perhaps infl. by M.Du. klepper "swift horse," echoic. The type of fast sailing ship so called from 1830, from clip (1) in sense of "to move or run rapidly."
gobble (1): "eat fast," c.1600, probably partly echoic, partly frequentative of gob, via gobben "drink something greedily."
jive: 1928, "to deceive playfully" (v.), also "empty, misleading talk" (n.) and "a style of fast, lively jazz and dance music," Amer.Eng., from Black English, probably of African origin (cf. Wolof jev, jeu "talk about someone absent, especially in a disparaging manner"). Used from 1938 for "New York City African-American slang." The adj. meaning "not acting right" is attested from 1971.
handfast (v.): "betroth, bind in wedlock," c.1200, from hand + fast (see fasten).
thrash: 1588, "to separate grains from wheat, etc., by beating," dial. variant of threshen (see thresh). Sense of "beat (someone) with (or as if with) a flail" is first recorded 1606. Meaning "to make wild movements like those of a flail or whip" is attested from 1846. Type of fast heavy metal music first called by this name 1982.
tallyho: huntsman's cry, 1772, earlier as a roistering character, Sir Toby Tallyho (1756), from Fr. taiaut, cry used in deer hunting (1660s), from O.Fr. taho, tielau. Meaning "fast coach" is from 1823, originally in reference to the one that made the run from London to Birmingham.
speed (v.): O.E. spedan "to succeed, prosper, advance" (see speed (n.)). Meaning "to go fast" is attested from c.1300. Meaning "To send forth with quickness" is first recorded 1569; that of "to increase the work rate of" (usually with up) is from 1856.
clench: O.E. beclencan "to hold fast, make cling," caus. of clingan (see cling).
tenacious: c.1600, from L. tenaci-, from tenax "holding fast" (see tenacity). Related: Tenaciously.
destine (v.): c.1300, from Fr. destiner (12c.), from L. destinare "make fast or firm, establish" (see destination). Originally in English of the actions of deities, fate, etc. Of human choices or actions, from early 16c. Related: Destined.
wuss: 1982, from wussy (1960s), probably an alteration of pussy (2).
Mike Damone: You are a wuss: part wimp, and part pussy
["Fast Times at Ridgemont High" script, 1982]
flyer: also flier, mid-15c., "something that flies," agent noun of fly (v.1). Meaning "something that goes fast" is from 1795; that of "aviator" is from 1934. Meaning "small handbill or fly-sheet" is from 1889, U.S. slang (originally especially of police bulletins), on notion of "made to be scattered broadcast." Related: Fliers; flyers.
chopstick: 1699, sailors' partial translation of Chinese k'wai tse "fast ones" or "nimble boys," first element from pidgin Eng. chop, from Cantonese kap "urgent." Chopsticks, the two-fingered piano exercise, is first attested 1893, probably from the resemblance of the fingers to chopsticks.
astringent (adj.): 1540s, from L. astringentum (nom. astringens), prp. of astringere "to bind fast, tighten, contract," from ad- "to" + stringere "draw tight" (see strain (v.)).
engrain: M.E., originally "dyed in grain," from Fr. graine "seed of a plant," also "cochineal" (the source of the dye was thought to be berries), thus "fast-dyed." Later associated with grain in the sense of "the fiber of a thing." Related: Engrained.
press (v.1): "push against," c.1300, from O.Fr. preser (13c.), from L. pressare "to press," frequentative of pressus, p.p. of premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress," from PIE *prem-/*pres- "to strike." Weight-lifting sense is attested from 1908.
hesitation: 1620s, from L. hæsitationem (nom. hæsitatio) "irresolution, uncertainty," from hæsitare "stick fast, stammer in speech, be undecided," freq. of hærere "stick, cling," from PIE *ghais-eyo (cf. Lith. gaistu "to delay, tarry").
cantankerous: 1772, said to be "a Wiltshire word," probably an alteration (infl. by raucous) of M.E. contakour "troublemaker" (c.1300), from Anglo-Fr. contec "discord," from O.Fr. contechier, from con- "with" + teche, related to atachier "hold fast" (see attach).
swift (adj.): O.E. swift "moving quickly," related to swifan "move in a course, sweep" (see swivel). The bird (several species of the family Cypselidæ, resembling swallows), noted for its "swift" flight, was so called from at least 1668. Regarded as a bird of ill-omen, if not downright demonic, probably for its shrill cry. The name earlier had been given to several small fast lizards (1530).
shamefaced: 1555, "modest, bashful," folk etymology alteration of shamefast, from O.E. scamfæst "bashful," lit. "restrained by shame," or else "firm in modesty," from shame + -fæst, adjectival suffix (see fast (adj.)).
rely: early 14c., "to gather, assemble," from O.Fr. relier "fasten, attach, rally, oblige," from L. religare "fasten, bind fast," from re-, intensive prefix, + ligare "to bind" (see ligament). Sense of "depend, trust" is from 1570s, perhaps via notion of "rally to, fall back on."
Rebecca: fem. proper name, biblical wife of Isaac, mother of Jacob and Esau, from L.L. Rebecca, from Gk. Rhebekka, from Heb. Ribhqeh, lit. "connection" (cf. ribhqah "team"), from Semitic base r-b-q "to tie, couple, join" (cf. Arabic rabaqa "he tied fast"). Rebekah, form of the name in Authorized Version, was taken as the name of a society of women (founded 1851 in Indiana, U.S.) as a complement to the Odd Fellows.
rigid: 1538, from L. rigidus "hard, stiff, rough, severe," from rigere "be stiff," from PIE *reig- "stretch (tight), bind tightly, make fast" (cf. O.Ir. riag "torture," M.H.G. ric "band, string"), related to L. frigus "cold," Gk. rhigos "frost, cold."
corvette: 1636, from Fr., "small, fast frigate," probably from M.Du. korver "pursuit ship," from M.L.G. korf meaning both a kind of boat and a basket, from L. corbita (navis) "slow-sailing ship of burden," from corbis "basket." A basket was hoisted as a signal by Egyptian grain-ships. The U.S. sports car was so named Sept. 1952, after the warship, on a suggestion by Myron Scott, employee of Campbell-Ewald, Chevrolet's advertising agency.
hurry (v.): 1590, first recorded in Shakespeare, who used it often, perhaps a W.Midlands sense of M.E. hurren "to vibrate rapidly, buzz," from P.Gmc. *khurza "to move with haste" (cf. M.H.G. hurren "to whir, move fast," O.Swed. hurra "to whirl round"), which also perhaps is the root of hurl. The noun is 1600, from the verb. Reduplicated form hurry-scurry is from 1732.
celerity: late 15c., from M.Fr. célérité, from L. celeritatem (nom. celeritas), from celer "swift," from PIE base *kel- "to drive, set in swift motion" (cf. Skt. carati "goes," Gk. keles "fast horse or ship," keleuthos "journey, road," Lith. sulys "a gallop," O.H.G. scelo "stallion").