- jet (v.)
- 1420, "to prance, strut, swagger," from M.Fr. jeter "to throw, thrust," from L.L. jectare, abstracted from dejectare, projectare, etc., in place of L. jactare "toss about," freq. of jacere "to throw, cast," from PIE base *ye- "to do" (cf. Gk. iemi, ienai "to send, throw;" Hitt. ijami "I make"). Meaning "to sprout or spurt forth" is from 1692. The noun sense of "stream of water" is from 1696; that of "spout or nozzle for emitting water, gas, fuel, etc." is from 1825. Hence jet propulsion (1867) and the noun meaning "airplane driven by jet propulsion" (1944, from jet engine, 1943). The first one to be in service was the Ger. Messerschmitt Me 262. Jet stream is from 1947. Jet set first attested 1951, slightly before jet commuter plane flights began.
- jet (n.)
- "deep black lignite," 1351, from Anglo-Fr. geet, corresponding to O.Fr. jaiet (12c.), from L. gagates, from Gk. gagates lithos "stone of Gages," town and river in Lycia. As "a deep black color," attested from c.1450.
- Jethro
- masc. proper name, biblical father-in-law of Moses, from Heb. Yithro, collateral form of Yether, lit. "abundance," from base y-t-r "to be left over, to remain."
- jetsam
- 1570, alteration of M.E. jetteson "act of throwing goods overboard to lighten a ship," from Anglo-Fr. getteson (see jettison). Form perhaps influenced by flotsam. For distinction of meaning, see flotsam.
- jettison
- 1425 (n.) "act of throwing overboard," from Anglo-Fr. getteson, from O.Fr. getaison "act of throwing (goods overboard)," especially to lighten a ship in distress, from L.L. jactionem (nom. jactatio), from jactatus, pp. of jectare "toss about" (see jet (v.)). The verb is first attested 1848.
- jetty
- 1418, from O.Fr. jetee "a jetty, a projecting part of a building," from fem. pp. of jeter "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Notion is of a structure "thrown out" past what surrounds it.
- objet
- "an object on display, an ornament," 1857, from Fr., especially in objet d'art (1865).
- ramjet
- 1942. from ram (v.) + jet.