late 12c., "circular band, flattened ring," probably from an unrecorded Old English *hop, from Proto-Germanic *hōp (source also of Old Frisian hop "a hoop, band," Middle Dutch and Dutch hoep "hoop," Old Norse hop "a small bay"). The original meaning must have been "curve; ring," but the IE etymology is uncertain.
As a child's plaything by 1792. In basketball from 1893. As something someone jumps through (on horseback) as a circus trick, by 1793; figurative use of jump through hoops is by 1917. As "circular band serving to expand the skirt of a woman's dress" from 1540s. They have been in and out of style over the centuries. Hoop-petticoat (one stiffened or expanded by hoops of ratan, whalebone, etc,) is attested from 1711; hoop-skirt in the same sense is from 1856, figurative of old-fashioned ways by 1893, when there was a general alarm at their rumored return to fashion. The U.S. Southern hoop snake (1784) is fabled to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop. Related: Hoops.
"a leap, a bound, act or movement of leaping," 1620s, from Latin saltationem (nominative saltatio) "a dancing; dance," noun of action from past-participle stem of saltare "to hop, to dance," frequentative of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). Given several technical and scientific senses in 20c.
1776, "pertaining to dancing" (saltatory in the same sense is by 1745), from Latin saltatorius "pertaining to dancing," from saltare "to hop, to dance," frequentative of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). By 1832 in zoology, "leaping frequently or habitually; fitted for leaping; characterized by or pertaining to leaping." Related: Saltatory; saltatorially.
also booyah, exclamation used in various situations, attested c. 1990 in hip-hop slang and to have been popularized by U.S. sports announcer Stuart Scott (1965-2015) on ESPN's SportsCenter. A 1991 magazine article has booyah as a Wisconsin word for "bouillon," based on an inability to spell the latter.
"one who or that which raps" in any sense, 1610s; see rap (v.)). It could mean "door-knocker" (1630s), "spirit-rapper" (1755), "professional perjurer" (1840), prison slang for "prosecutor" in prison slang (1904), "itinerant antiques buyer," with a tinge of shadiness (1914). The hip-hop performance sense emerged c. 1979. Rapster is from 1772.
also diss, slang, by 1980, shortening of disrespect or dismiss, originally in African-American vernacular, popularized by hip hop. Related: Dissed; dissing. Earlier it was short for distribute in late 19c. printers' slang and for disconnected in the telephone-line sense, and in this sense it was given a slang figurative extension as "weak in the head" (1925).
"a dish cooked by being fried in a pan over high heat," 1813, from French sauté, literally "jumped, bounced" (in reference to tossing continually while cooking), past participle of sauter "to jump," from Latin saltare "to hop, dance," frequentative of salire "to leap" (see salient (adj.)). As an adjective, "fried quickly," from 1869. As a verb from 1859. Related: Sauteed. French saut also was borrowed 19c. as a ballet term.
early 15c., "one who climbs," agent noun from climb (v.). Botanical meaning "a plant that rises by attaching itself to some support" is from 1630s.
Climbing plants are distinguished as stem-climbers, which like the hop, wind upward around an upright support, and as tendril-climbers, which, like the grape-vine, cling to adjacent objects by slender coiling tendrils. Other plants climb also by means of retrorse bristles or spines, or by means of rootlets. [Century Dictionary]
