- option
- c.1600, "action of choosing," from Fr. option, from L. optionem (nom. optio) "choice, free choice," related to optare "to desire, choose," from PIE base *op- "to choose, prefer." Meaning "thing that may be chosen" is attested from 1885. Commercial transaction sense first recorded 1755 (the verb in this sense is from 1934). As a N.Amer. football play, it is recorded from 1954.