unlike | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

47 entries found.

"glistening smoothness, luster," 1530s, probably from Scandinavian (compare Icelandic glossi "a spark, a flame," related to glossa "to flame"), or obsolete Dutch gloos "a glowing," from Middle High German glos; probably ultimately from the same source as English glow (v.). Superficial lustrous smoothness due to the nature of the material (unlike polish, which is artificial).

kelpie (n.)

1747, Scottish, of unknown origin, perhaps related to Gaelic colpach "heifer, steer, colt;" colpa "cow, horse." The Lowland name of a demon in the shape of a horse that was reputed to haunt lakes and rivers and to delight in causing drownings. But unlike its equivalents in Danish (nøkken) and Icelandic (nykur), it occasionally was benevolent, especially to millers by keeping their streams running.

uneven (adj.)

Old English unefen "unequal, unlike, anomalous, irregular," from un- (1) "not" + even (adj.). Similar formation in Old Frisian oniovn, Middle Dutch oneven, Old High German uneban, German uneben, Old Norse ujafn. Meaning "broken, rugged" (in reference to terrain, etc.) is recorded from late 13c. Related: Unevenly; unevenness.

inequality (n.)

early 15c., "difference of rank or dignity," from Old French inequalité (14c., Modern French inégalité) and directly from Medieval Latin inaequalitas, from Latin inaequalis "unequal, unlike, different (in size); changeable, inconstant," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + aequalis "equal" (see equal). In reference to magnitude, number, intensity, etc., from 1530s.

different (adj.)

late 14c., "not the same, unlike, dissimilar in nature or quality as well as state of being," from Old French different (14c.), from Latin differentem (nominative differens) "differing, different," present participle of differre "to set apart," from assimilated form of dis- "apart, away from" (see dis-) + ferre "to bear, carry," from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry." Colloquial sense of "special, out of the ordinary" is attested by 1912. Related: Differently.

dissemble (v.)

early 15c., dissemblen, "assume a false seeming; conceal real facts, motives, intentions, etc.; mask the truth about oneself," from Old French dessembler, from Latin dissimulare "make unlike, conceal, disguise," from dis- "completely" (see dis-) + simulare "to make like, imitate, copy, represent," from stem of similis "like, resembling, of the same kind" (see similar). Related: Dissembled; dissembling.

Form altered apparently by influence of resemble, Old French resembler. Earlier was Middle English dissimule, from Old French dissimuler. Transitive meaning "make unlike, disguise" is from c. 1500; that of "give a false impression of" is from 1510s.

To dissemble is to pretend that a thing which is is not: as, to dissemble one's real sentiments. To simulate is to pretend that a thing which is not is: as, to simulate friendship. To dissimulate is to hide the reality or truth of something under a diverse contrary appearance: as, to dissimulate one's poverty by ostentation. To disguise is to put under a false guise, to keep a thing from being recognized by giving it a false appearance: as I cannot disguise from myself the fact. [Century Dictionary]

stoop (n.)

"raised open platform at the entrance of a house," 1755, American and Canadian, from Dutch stoep "flight of steps, doorstep, threshold," from Middle Dutch, from Proto-Germanic *stap- "step" (see step (v.)).

This, unlike most of the words received [in American English] from the Dutch, has extended, in consequence of the uniform style of building that prevails throughout the country, beyond the bounds of New York State, as far as the backwoods of Canada. [Bartlett]

Also in South African English as stoep.

dissimulation (n.)

late 14c., dissimulacioun, "concealment of reality under a diverse or contrary appearance," from Old French dissimulation (12c.) and directly from Latin dissimulationem (nominative dissimulatio) "a disguising, concealment, dissembling," noun of action from past-participle stem of dissimulare "make unlike, conceal, disguise," from dis- "not, opposite of" (see dis-) + simulare "to make like, imitate, copy, represent," from stem of similis "like, resembling, of the same kind," from Old Latin semol "together" (from PIE root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with").

black sheep (n.)

by 1822 in figurative sense of "member of some group guilty of offensive conduct and unlike the other members," supposedly because a real black sheep had wool that could not be dyed and thus was worth less. But one black sheep in a flock was considered good luck by shepherds in Sussex, Somerset, Kent, Derbyshire. First known publication of Baa Baa Black Sheep nursery rhyme is in "Tommy Thumb's Pretty Song Book" (c. 1744).

millipede (n.)

also millepede, type of many-legged hard-shelled arthropod, c. 1600, from Latin millepeda "wood louse," a type of crawling, insect-like arthropod, from mille "thousand" (see million) + pes (genitive pedis) "foot," from PIE root *ped- "foot." Probably a loan-translation of Greek khiliopous. The native name is thousand-legs. The number of legs is far from 1,000, though they are about twice as numerous as those of the centipede, but unlike some centipedes the millipede is quite harmless.

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