Online Etymology Dictionary

strike (n.): "concentrated cessation of work by a body of employees," 1810, from verb meaning "refuse to work to force an employer to meet demands" (1768), from strike (v.). Perhaps from notion of striking or "downing" one's tools, or from sailors' practice of striking (lowering) a ship's sails as a symbol of refusal to go to sea (1768), which preserves the verb's original sense of "make level, smooth." Baseball sense is first recorded 1841; bowling sense attested from 1859. Meaning "sudden military attack" is attested from 1942.
strike (v.): O.E. strican "pass over lightly, stroke, smooth, rub," also "go, proceed" (past tense strac, pp. stricen), from P.Gmc. *strik- (cf. O.N. strykva "to stroke," O.Fris. strika, M.Du. streken, Du. strikjen "to smooth, stroke, rub," O.H.G. strihhan, Ger. streichen), from PIE base *str(e)ig- "to stroke, rub, press" (see strigil). Related to streak and stroke, and perhaps influenced in sense development by cognate O.N. striuka. Sense of "to deal a blow" developed by early 14c.; meaning "to collide" is from mid-14c.; that of "to hit with a missile" is from late 14c. Meaning "to cancel or expunge" (as with the stroke of a pen) is attested from late 14c. An older sense is preserved in strike for "go toward."
batter (v.): "strike repeatedly, beat violently and rapidly," early 14c., from O.Fr. batre "to beat, strike" (11c., Mod.Fr. battre "to beat, to strike"), from L. battuere "to beat, strike," an old word in Latin, but almost certainly borrowed from Gaulish, from PIE base *bhau- "to strike" (cf. Welsh bathu "beat;" O.E. beadu "battle," beatan "to beat," bytl "hammer, mallet"). Began to be widely used 1962 in reference to domestic abuse. Battering-ram is an ancient weapon (L. aries), but the word attested only from 1610s.
interfere: 1440, "to strike against," from M.Fr. enterferer "to strike each other," from entre- "between" + ferir "to strike," from L. ferire "to knock, strike," related to L. forare "to bore, pierce," and cognate with O.E. borian "to bore" (cf. punch (v.), which has both the sense "to hit" and "to make a hole in"). Fig. sense of "to meddle with, oppose unrightfully" is from 1632.
bash: "to strike violently," 1640s, perhaps of Scandinavian origin (cf. Swedish basa "to baste, whip, flog, lash," Danish baske "to beat, strike, cudgel"), from O.N. *basca "to strike;" or the whole group may be independently derived and echoic. Figurative sense of "abuse verbally or in writing" is from 1948. On a bash "on a drunken spree" is slang from 1901, which gave the word its sense of "party."
slay: O.E. slean "to smite," also "to kill with a weapon" (class VI strong verb; past tense sloh, slog, pp. slagen), from P.Gmc. *slakhanan, from base *slog- "to hit" (cf. O.N., O.Fris. sla, Dan. slaa, M.Du. slaen, Du. slaan, O.H.G. slahan, Ger. schlagen, Goth. slahan "to strike"), from PIE base from base *slak- "to strike" (cf. M.Ir. pp. slactha "struck," slacc "sword"). Modern Ger. cognate schlagen maintains the original sense of "to strike." Meaning "overwhelm with delight" (1340) preserves some of the wider rangeof meanings that the word once had, including also "to strike a spark" (O.E.).
swap: c.1300, "to strike, strike the hands together," possibly imitative of the sound of hitting. The sense of "exchange, barter, trade" is first recorded 1594, possibly from the practice of slapping hands together as a sign of agreement in bargaining. The noun in this sense is attested from 1625.
hew: O.E. heawan "to chop, hack, gash" (class VII strong verb; past tense heow, pp. heawen), earlier geheawan, from P.Gmc. *khawwanan (cf. O.N. hoggva, Du. houwen, Ger. hauen "to cut, strike, hew"), from PIE base *qau- "to strike, beat" (cf. O.C.S. kovo, Lith. kauju "to beat, forge;" L. cudere "to strike, beat;" M.Ir. cuad "beat, fight"). Weak pp. hewede appeared 14c. Seemingly contradictory sense of "hold fast, stick to" (in phrase hew to) developed from hew to the line "stick to a course," lit. "cut evenly with an axe or saw," first recorded 1891.
stricken: 1513, "wounded, affected (by disease, trouble, etc.)," adjective use of archaic pp. of strike (v.). Fig. meaning "overwhelmed with terror, grief, etc." is from 1533. An earlier development is reflected in 13c. phrase striken in elde "advanced in years," from strike in the sense of "to move, go," hence "far advanced."
collide: 1621, from L. collidere "strike together," from com- "together" + lædere "to strike, injure by striking," of unknown origin. For L. vowel change, see acquisition.
attainder: "extinction of rights of a person sentenced to death or outlaw," mid-15c., from O.Fr. ataindre "to touch upon, strike, hit, seize, accuse, condemn" (see attain). O.Fr. infinitive used as a noun. Latin attingere had a wide range of meanings, including "to attack, to strike, to appropriate, to manage," all somehow suggested by the literal sense "to touch."
tap (v.): "strike lightly," early 13c., from O.Fr. taper "tap, rap, strike," from a Gallo-Romance or Germanic source ultimately imitative of the sound of rapping. Meaning "to designate for some duty or for membership" is recorded from 1952, from notion of a tap on the shoulder. The noun is attested from c.1300. Tap dancer first recorded 1927, from tap (n.) in the sense of "metal plate over the heel of a shoe" (1680s).
cataplexy: "the state of an animal when it is feigning death," 1883, from Ger. kataplexie, from Gk. kataplexis "stupefaction," from kataplessein "to strike down" (with fear, etc.), from kata- "down" + plessein "to strike, hit."
plectrum: 1626, from L. plectrum, from Gk. plektron "thing to strike with" (pick for a lyre, cock's supr, spear point, etc.), from plek-, root of plessein "to strike."
dab: c.1300, "heavy blow with a weapon," from dabben "to strike," perhaps imitative. Modern sense of "strike with a slight, quick pressure" developed by 1590s, infl. by Fr. dauber (see daub). Dab hand is British slang, 1828, from dab "expert" (1691), said to be school slang, of unknown origin.
douse: 1559, "to strike, punch," which is probably from M.Du. dossen "beat forcefully." Meaning "to strike a sail in haste" is recorded from 1627; that of "to extinguish (a light)" is from 1785; perhaps influenced by dout (1526), an obsolete contraction of do out (cf. doff, don). OED regards the meaning "to throw water over" (1606) as a separate word, of unknown origin, though admitting there may be a connection of some sort.
elide: 1590s, a legal term, "to annul, do away with," from M.Fr. elider, from L. elidere "strike out," from ex- "out" + -lidere, comb. form of laedere "to strike." Phonological sense is first recorded 1796. Related: Elided; eliding.
anapest: 1670s, "two short syllables followed by a long one," from L. anapestus, from Gk. anapaistos "struck back, rebounding," verbal adj. from anapaiein "to strike back," from ana- "back" + paiein "to strike;" so called because it reverses the dactyl.
lash (n.): early 14c., las "a blow, a stroke," later "flexible part of a whip" (late 14c.), possibly imitative. The verb "to strike out" is first attested early 14c. and may be the source of the noun. Lash out "to strike out violently" is from 1560s. Related: Lashed; lashes; lashing.
buttress: early 14c., from O.Fr. botrez "flying buttress," lit. "buttressed," pl. of boteret "support," from bouter "to thrust against," of Frankish origin (cf. O.N. bauta "to strike, beat"), from P.Gmc. *butan, from PIE base *bhau- "to strike" (see butt (v.)). The verb is from late 14c.
conflict (v.): c.1430, from L. conflictus, pp. of confligere "to strike together," from com- "together" + fligere "to strike" (see afflict). The noun also dates from mid-15c. Psychological sense of "incompatible urges in one person" is from 1859 (hence conflicted, pp. adj.); Phrase conflict of interest was in use by 1743.
smack (v.2): "to slap with the hand," 1835, from noun in this sense (c.1746), perhaps influenced by Low Ger. smacken "to strike, throw," which is likely of imitative origin (cf. Swed. smak "slap," M.L.G. smacken, Fris. smakke, Du. smakken "to fling down," Lith. smagiu "to strike, knock down, whip").
pulsation: 1540s, from L. pulsationem (nom. pulsatio) "a beating or striking," from pulsatus, pp. of pulsare "to beat, strike, push," freq. of pellere (pp. pulsus) "to beat, strike." Pulsate (v.) is recorded from 1741.
pelt (v.): "to strike" (with something), c.1500, perhaps from an unrecorded O.E. *pyltan, from M.L. *pultiare, from L. pultare "to beat." Or from O.Fr. peloter "to strike with a ball," from pelote "ball" (see pellet).
affront (v.): early 14c., from O.Fr. afronter "to face, confront," lit. "to strike on the forehead," from L.L. affrontare "to strike against," from L. ad frontem "to the face," from frons (gen. frontis) "forehead." The noun is c.1600, from the verb.
complain: c.1370, from stem of O.Fr. complaindre "to lament," from V.L. *complangere, orig. "to beat the breast," from L. com- intensive prefix + plangere "to strike, beat the breast," from PIE base *plag- "to strike." Older sense of "lament" died out 17c.
percussion: 1544, "a striking, a blow," from L. percussionem (nom. percussio), from percussus, pp. of percutere "to strike," from per- "through" + quatere "to strike, shake." Reference to musical instruments is first recorded 1776. Percussionist "player of a percussion instrument" is recorded from 1950.
blindfold (v.): early 13c., from O.E. (ge)blindfellian "to strike blind," altered by similarity to fold, from blind + Anglian gefeollan "to strike down," as in to fell a tree (see fell (v.)). The noun is from 1880.
afflict: late 14c., "to cast down," from O.Fr. afflicter, from L. afflictare "to damage, harass, torment," freq. of affligere (pp. afflictus) "to dash down, overthrow," from ad- "to" + fligere (pp. flictus) "to strike," from PIE base *bhlig- "to strike" (cf. Gk. phlibein "to press, crush," Czech blizna "scar," Welsh blif "catapult"). Transf. meaning of "trouble, distress," is first recorded 1530s.
butt (v.): "hit with the head," c.1200, from Anglo-Norm. buter, from O.Fr. boter "to push, shove, knock; to thrust against," from V.L. *bottare "thrust," or from Frankish (cf. O.N. bauta, Low Ger. boten "to strike, beat"), from P.Gmc. *butan, from PIE base *bhau- "to strike" (see batter (v.)). To butt in "rudely intrude" is Amer.Eng., 1900.
offend: early 14c., "to sin against (someone)," from M.Fr. offendre, from L. offendere "strike against, stumble, commit a fault, displease," from ob "against" + fendere "to strike" (found only in compounds). Meaning "to violate (a law), to make a moral false step, to commit a crime" is from late 14c. Meaning "to wound the feelings" is from late 14c. The literal sense of "to attack, assail" is attested from late 14c.; this has been lost in Modern English, but is preserved in offense and offensive.
sly: c.1200, from O.N. sloegr "cunning, crafty, sly," from P.Gmc. *slogis (cf. Low Ger. slu "cunning, sly"), probably from base *slog- "hit" (see slay), with an original notion of "able to hit." Cf. Ger. verschlagen "cunning, crafty, sly," schlagfertig "quick-witted," lit. "ready to strike," from schlagen "to strike." A non-pejorative use of the word lingered in northern Eng. dialect until 20c. On the sly "in secret" is recorded from 1812. Sly-boots "a seeming Silly, but subtil Fellow" is in the 1700 "Dictionary of the Canting Crew."
repercussion: c.1400 (implied in repercussive) "act of driving back," from M.Fr. répercussion (14c.), from L. repercusionem (nom. repercussio), from repercussus, pp. of repercutere "to strike or beat back," from re- "back" + percutere "to strike or thrust through" (see percussion). Meaning "reverberation, echo" first recorded 1595; the metaphoric extension is recorded from 1625.
paraplegia: "paralysis of the lower half of the body," 1657, coined in Mod.L. from Ionic Gk. paraplegie "paralysis of one side of the body," from paraplessein "strike at the side," paraplessesthai "be stricken on one side," from para- "beside" + plessein "to strike" (see plague). The adj. paraplegic is attested from c.1822; the noun meaning "paraplegic person" is first recorded 1890. An earlier adj. form was paraplectic (1661).
tocsin: "alarm bell," 1586, from M.Fr. toquassen "an alarm bell, the ringing of an alarm bell" (1372), from O.Prov. tocasenh, from tocar "to strike" (from V.L. *toccare "strike a bell;" see touch) + senh "bell, bell note," from L.L. signum "bell, ringing of a bell," in L. "mark, signal." The current Eng. spelling is from 1794, adopted from modern Fr.
-cide: "killer," from Fr. -cide, from L. -cida "cutter, killer, slayer," from -cidere, comb. form of caedere "to strike down, chop, beat, hew, fell, slay," from PIE *kae-id-, from base *(s)k(h)ai- "to strike" (Pokorny, not in Watkins; cf. Skt. skhidati "beats, tears," Lith. kaisti "shave.") For L. vowel change, see acquisition. The element also can represent "killing," from Fr. -cide, from L. -cidium "a cutting, a killing."
trip (v.): c.1380 (implied in tripper), "tread or step lightly, skip, caper," from O.Fr. tripper "strike with the feet" (12c.), from a Gmc. source (cf. M.Du. trippen "to skip, trip, hop," Low Ger. trippeln, Fris. tripje, Du. trappen, O.E. treppan "to tread, trample") related to trap. The sense of "strike with the foot and cause to stumble" is first recorded c.1425. Meaning "to release" (a catch, lever, etc.) is recorded from 1897; trip-wire is attested from 1916.
plague (n.): 1382, "affliction, calamity, evil, scourge," also "malignant disease," from M.Fr. plague, from L.L. plaga, used in Vulgate for "pestilence," from L. plaga "stroke, wound," probably from root of plangere "to strike, lament (by beating the breast)," from or cognate with Gk. (Doric) plaga "blow," from PIE *plag- "hit" (cf. O.E. flocan "to strike, beat," Goth. flokan "to bewail," Ger. fluchen, O.Fris. floka "to curse"). O.Ir. plag (gen. plaige) "plague, pestilence" is from L. Specifically in ref. to "bubonic plague" from 1601. The verb is from 1481; in the sense of "bother, annoy" it is first recorded 1594. Plaguey "vexatious" is attested from 1615.
smite: O.E. smitan "to hit, strike, beat" (strong verb, pt. smat, pp. smiten), from P.Gmc. *smitanan (cf. Swed. smita, Dan. smide "to smear, fling," O.Fris. smita, M.L.G., M.Du. smiten "to cast, fling," Du. smijten "to throw," O.H.G. smizan "to rub, strike," Ger. schmeißen "to cast, fling," Goth. bismeitan "to spread, smear"), perhaps from PIE base *(s)mei- "to smear, to rub," but original sense in Gmc. seems to be of throwing. Sense of "slay in combat" (c.1300) is originally Biblical, smite to death, first attested c.1200.
inflict: 1566, from L. inflictus, pp. of infligere "to strike or dash against," from in- "on, against" + fligere (pp. flictus) "to dash, strike" (see afflict). You inflict a plague on someone; you afflict someone with a plague.
striking: "producing a vivid impression," 1752, from strike (v.) in the sense of "to catch the fancy of" (1599).
T-bone: type of steak, 1916, so called from the T-shaped bone that runs through it. The verb meaning "to strike (another car, bus, etc.) from the side" is attested from 1980s.
clunk: 1796, "to make the sound of a cork being pulled from a bottle;" imitative. This was the main sense through most of 19c. Meaning "to hit, strike" is attested from 1940s, along with meaning "old worn-out machine."
thud (v.): O.E. þyddan "to strike, thrust," of imitative origin. Sense of "hit with a dull sound" first recorded 1796. The noun is attested from 1513.
beat up: "thrash, strike repeatedly," c.1900 (v.), from beat (v.). As an adj. meaning "worn-out" it dates to 1946.
awfully: c.1300, "so as to inspire reverence," from awful (q.v.). Meaning "dreadfully, so as to strike one with awe" is recorded from late 14c. As a simple intensifier, "very, exceedingly," recorded from c.1830.
planxty: in Ir. music, "harp tune of a sportive and animated character," 1790, of unknown origin, evidently not a native Ir. word; some suggest ultimate derivation from L. plangere "to strike, beat."
beat: O.E. beatan "inflict blows on, thrash" (class VII strong verb; past tense beot, pp. beaten), from P.Gmc. *bautan (cf. O.N. bauta, O.H.G. bozan "to beat"), from PIE base *bhau- "to strike" (see batter (v.)). Of the heart, c.1200, from notion of it striking against the breast. Meaning "to overcome in a contest" is from 1610s (the source of the sense of "legally avoid, escape" in beat the charges, etc., attested from c.1920 in underworld slang). Meaning "strike cover to rouse or drive game" (M.E.) is source of beat around the bush (1570s), the metaphoric sense of which has shifted from "make preliminary motions" to "avoid, evade." Command beat it "go away" first recorded 1906 (though "action of feet upon the ground" was a sense of O.E. betan). Dead-beat (originally "tired-out") preserves the old pp. To beat off "masturbate" is recorded by 1960s. For beat generation see beatnik.
type (n.): c.1470, "symbol, emblem," from L. typus "figure, image, form, kind," from Gk. typos "dent, impression, mark, figure, original form," from root of typtein "to strike, beat," from PIE base *(s)teu- "to strike, cut, hew" (see steep (adj.)). Extended 1713 to printing blocks with letters carved on them. The meaning "general form or character of some kind, class" is first in Eng. 1843, though it had that sense in L. and Gk. The verb meaning "to write with a typewriter" is attested from 1888. Typewriter in the mechanical sense is attested from 1868; typist is recorded from 1843. Typeface first attested 1887. Type-cast (adj. and v.) with ref. to actors is recorded from 1946, perhaps a deliberate pun on the verbal phrase in the print type founding sense (attested from 1847). To be someone's type "be the sort of person that person is attracted to" is recorded from 1934.
whack (v.): "to strike sharply," 1719, probably of imitative origin. The noun is from 1737. The word in out of whack (1885) is perhaps the slang meaning "share, just portion" (1785), which may be from the notion of the blow that divides, or the rap of the auctioneer's hammer.