"important arrival," 1742, an extended sense of Advent "season preceding Christmas" (in reference to the "coming" of Christ), which was in late Old English, from Latin adventus "a coming, approach, arrival," in Church Latin "the coming of the Savior," from past participle of advenire "arrive at, come to," from ad "to" (see ad-) + venire "to come" (from a suffixed form of PIE root *gwa- "to go, come"). Related: Adventual.
c. 1600, "a way of approach" (originally a military word), from French avenue "way of access" (16c.), from Old French avenue "act of approaching, arrival," noun use of fem. of avenu, past participle of avenir "to come to, arrive," from Latin advenire "to come to, reach, arrive at," from ad "to" (see ad-) + venire "to come" (from a suffixed form of PIE root *gwa- "to go, come").
The meaning was extended to "a way of approach to a country-house," usually a straight path bordered by trees, hence, "a broad, tree-lined roadway" (1650s), then to "wide, main street" (by 1846, especially in U.S.). By late 19c. in U.S. cities it was used to form the names of streets without reference to character.
type of barge used in unloading, late 15c., agent noun from light (adj.1), with a sense of lightening a load, or else from or modeled on Dutch lichter, from lichten "to lighten, unload," on the same notion. They are used in loading or unloading ships that cannot approach a wharf. Related: Lighterman.
"a pinch; a sharp bite," 1540s, from nip (v.). Sense of "a small bit of anything, fragment or bit pinched off" is from c. 1600. Meaning "a chill in the weather" is from 1610s, probably so called for its effect on vegetation. Nip and tuck "a close thing," especially a close approach to equality in the results of a horse race or any competition, is recorded by 1847, American English, perhaps an image from sailing or tailoring.
1590s (implied in proximately), "closely neighboring; next, immediate, without intervention of a third," from Late Latin proximatus, past participle of proximare "to draw near, approach," from proximus "nearest, next; most direct; adjoining," figuratively "latest, most recent; next, following; most faithful," superlative of prope "near" (see propinquity). Meaning "coming next in a chain of causation" is by 1660s. Related: Proximately.
"vehicle mounted on runners for transporting or traveling on ice and snow," 1703, American and Canadian English, from Dutch slee, shortened from slede (see sled (n.)). As a verb from 1728. Related: Sleighing.
Sleigh-ride "a ride in a sleigh" is recorded by 1770; sleigh-bell is by 1796; typically attached to the harness of a horse, they gave warning of the approach of a sleigh.
"state of being round or circular," late 14c., from round (adj.) + -ness.
Roundness applies with equal freedom to a circle, a sphere, a cylinder, or a cone, and, by extension, to forms that by approach suggest any one of these : as, roundness of limb or cheek. Rotundity now applies usually to spheres and to forms suggesting a sphere or a hemisphere : as, the rotundity of the earth or of a barrel ; rotundity of abdomen. [Century Dictionary]
1680s, "pointed post or stake (usually of wood, for defense against cavalry, etc.)," from French piquet "pointed stake," from piquer "to pierce" (see pike (n.1)). Also "one of a number of pointed bars used to make a fence," hence picket-fence (1817). The sense of "troops posted in front of an army to give notice of the approach of the enemy" is recorded from 1761; that of "striking workers stationed to prevent others from entering a factory" is from 1867. Picket-line is by 1856 in the military sense, by 1945 of labor strikes.
c. 1300, "excessive, extravagant, exorbitant, immoderate," from Old French outrageus, outrajos "immoderate, excessive, violent, lawless" (Modern French outrageux), from outrage, oltrage, from Vulgar Latin *ultraticum "excess," from Latin ultra "beyond" (from suffixed form of PIE root *al- "beyond"). Meaning "flagrantly evil, atrocious" is late 14c.; modern teen slang usages of it unwittingly approach the original and etymological sense of outrage. Related: Outrageously; outrageousness.
c. 1300, "fight with a spear or lance on horseback with another knight; tilt in a tournament," from Old French joster "to joust, tilt, fight in single combat," from Vulgar Latin *iuxtare "to approach, come together, meet," originally "be next to," from Latin iuxta "beside, next to, very near," from suffixed (superlative) form of PIE root *yeug- "to join." Formerly spelled, and according to OED until modern times pronounced, "just." Related: Jousted; jouster; jousting.
