1640s, "to make more civil;" 1884 "to make into a city," from urban + -ize; in the latter sense from French urbaniser (1873). Related: Urbanized; urbanizing.

1918, a blend of rural and urban coined in reference to areas that have elements of both. Compare suburban.

1856, a French word in English, "one who frequents the boulevard;" i.e. "man-about-town, one fond of urban living and society."

"a thorough beating, a thrashing," by 1997 in urban slang, from verbal phrase (attested from c. 1400); see beat (v.) + down (adv.).

1982, acronym from "young urban professional," ousting competition from yumpie (1984), from "young upward-mobile professional," and yap (1984), from "young aspiring professional." The word was felt as an insult by 1985.

c. 1600, from Latin inurbanus "not civil or polite," from in- "not" (see in- (1) + urbanus "refined, courteous," literally "of a city" (see urban (adj.)). Related: Inurbanity.

1964, American English shortening of discotheque; sense extended by 1972 to the kind of dance music played there and the subculture of urban night-clubs built around it in the 1970s. As an adjective by 1965.

"act of renewing or forming anew," 1680s, from renew (v.) + -al (2). Specific meaning "urban redevelopment" is attested by 1965, American English. An earlier noun was simply renew (early 15c., reneue).

1530s, from French urbanité (14c.) and directly from Latin urbanitatem (nominative urbanitas) "city life; life in Rome; refinement, city fashion or manners, elegance, courtesy," also "wit, raillery, trickery," from urbanus (see urban).

"arid, highly eroded regions of the upper midwestern U.S.," 1850, from bad (adj.) + land (n.). Translating French Canadian Mauvaises Terres, a trapper's word, in reference to the difficulty of traversing them. Applied to urban districts of crime and vice since 1892 (originally with reference to Chicago).