"trifling, of no value; invalid, futile," c. 1600, from Latin nugatorius "worthless, trifling, futile," from nugator "jester, trifler, braggart," from nugatus, past participle of nugari "to trifle, jest, play the fool," from nugæ "jokes, jests, trifles," a word of unknown origin.

"render legally null and void, render invalid," 1590s, from Late Latin nullificare "to esteem lightly, despise," literally "to make nothing," from Latin nullus "not any" (see null) + combining form of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Related: Nullified; nullifying; nullifier.

"prove to be false or invalid, overthrow by evidence or stronger argument," 1520s, from French confuter, from Latin confutare "repress, check; disprove, restrain, silence," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see con-), + *futare "to beat," which is perhaps from PIE root *bhau- "to strike." Related: Confuted; confuting.

"supposed, reputed, commonly thought of or deemed," early 15c., from Late Latin putativus "supposed," from putat-, past-participle stem of Latin putare "to judge, suppose, believe, suspect," originally "to clean, trim, prune" (from PIE root *pau- (2) "to cut, strike, stamp"). At first especially in putative marriage, one which, though legally invalid due to an impediment, was contracted in good faith by at least one party. Related: Putatively.

"food" for anything, "food" in its widest sense, "that which nourishes an animal or vegetable," 1670s, from Latin pabulum "fodder, food, nourishment," from PIE root *pa- "to feed" + instrumentive suffix *-dhlom. Related Pabular; pabulary; pabulous.

Pablum (1932), derived from this, is a trademark (Mead Johnson & Co.) for a soft, bland cereal used as a food for infants and weak and invalid persons, hence its figurative use (attested from 1970, first by U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew) in reference to "mushy" political prose.

Middle English crokke, from Old English crocc, crocca "pot, earthen vessel, pitcher, or jar," from Proto-Germanic *krogu "pitcher, pot" (source also of Old Frisian krocha "pot," Old Saxon kruka, Middle Dutch cruke, Dutch kruik, Old High German kruog "pitcher," German Krug, Old Norse krukka "pot"). These all are perhaps from the same source as Middle Irish crocan "pot," Greek krossos "pitcher," Old Church Slavonic krugla "cup."

Specifically a receptacle for meal, butter, milk, etc., or in cooking; usually an earthen vessel but sometimes of brass or iron.

Used as an image of worthless rubbish since 19c., perhaps from the use of crockery as chamberpots. But there were other uses of crock, of uncertain relationship, such as "an old ewe" (1520s, Scottish), used contemptuously of debilitated or invalid persons (19c.). Also compare Middle English croke, crok "a hull, husk," figuratively "refuse," Low German krak "a thing of no value," colloquial English crock "soot, smut" (1650s).