"to reach the maximum level," by 1986, colloquial, from maximize or related words. Related: Maxed; maxing. As a noun, by 1811 in reference to a kind of gin said to be the best, apparently an abbreviation of French maxime.

1975, proprietary name (Sony), from Japanese beta-beta "all over" + max, from English maximum.

German manufacturing company, named for founder Max Braun, mechanical engineer in Frankfurt am Main (1921).

in physics, in reference to the work of German physicist Max Planck (1858-1947); such as Planck's constant, attested in English from 1901.

leather shorts worn in Alpine regions, 1937, from German Lederhosen, literally "leather trousers" (see leather and hose (n.)). Old English had cognate leðerhose. German hosen displaced Old High German bruch, which is from the basic Germanic word for "trousers" (see breeches).

"small natural stream," Old English broc "flowing stream, torrent," of obscure origin, probably from Proto-Germanic *broka- which yielded words in German (Bruch) and Dutch (broek) that have a sense of "marsh, bog." In Sussex and Kent, it means "water-meadow," and in plural, "low, marshy ground."

"mistake," 1954, apparently a reduplication of boob "stupid person," which had acquired a secondary sense of "foolish mistake" (1934). In 1930s it was the nickname of Philadelphia gangster Max "Boo-Boo" Hoff.

also water-front, 1834, American English, from water (n.1) + front (n.). To cover the waterfront "deal with thoroughly" is attested from 1913; I Cover the Waterfront was a 1932 best-seller by San Diego newspaperman Max Miller.

"devotion to a single god without asserting that he or she is the only god," 1860, from Greek henos (neuter of heis "one;" from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with") + -theism. Coined by (Friedrich) Max Müller (1823-1900), professor of comparative philology at Oxford. Supposedly a characteristic of the oldest Hindu religion; or a system between monotheism and polytheism. Related: Henotheist; henotheistic.

late 14c., mesche, "open space in a net or netting," probably from late Old English max "net," earlier mæscre, from Proto-Germanic *mask- (source also of Old Norse möskvi, Danish maske, Swedish maska, Old Saxon masca, Middle Dutch maessce, Dutch maas "mesh," Old High German masca, German Masche "mesh"), from PIE *mezg- "to knit, plait, twist" (source also of Lithuanian mezgu, megzti "to knit," mazgas "knot"). In machinery, "the engagement of the teeth in gearing" (by 1875). Mesh-work in netting is attested by 1785.