in loco parentis | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

451 entries found.

1817, "uncooked," French, literally "naturally, in the natural state." Originally in English a term in French recipes, it was used euphemistically in English for "undressed" by 1860, perhaps via its use in French in the visual arts. See au + natural (adj.).

at all (prep.)

"in any way," mid-14c., originally used only affirmatively (as in I Samuel xx.6 in KJV: "If thy father at all misse me"); now it is overwhelmingly used only in the negative or in interrogatory expressions, formerly also in literary attempts at Irish dialect.

right wing (n.)

1570s of armies; from 1882 in field sports; by 1905 in the political sense (compare left wing). Right-winger is attested by 1919 in U.S. politics; 1895 in sports.

blank verse (n.)

"unrhymed pentameter," commonly used in English dramatic and epic poetry, 1580s; the thing itself is attested in English poetry from mid-16c. and is classical in origin.

head shop (n.)

emporium for stoner gear, by 1969 (noted in 1966 as the name of a specific shop in New York City selling psychedelic stuff), from head (n.) in the drug sense.

round robin (n.)

"petition or complaint signed in a circle to disguise the order in which names were affixed and prevent ringleaders from being identified," 1730, originally in reference to sailors and frequently identified as a nautical term. As a kind of tournament in which each player plays the others, it is recorded from 1895.

yellow journalism

"sensational chauvinism in the media," 1898, American English, from newspaper agitation for war with Spain; originally "publicity stunt use of colored ink" (1895) in reference to the popular Yellow Kid" character (his clothes were yellow) in Richard Outcault's comic strip "Shantytown" in the "New York World."

climate change (n.)

1983, in the modern "human-caused global warming" sense. See climate (n.) + change (n.). Climatic change in a similar sense was in use from 1975.

rank and file (n.)

1590s, in reference to the horizontal and vertical lines of soldiers marching in formation, from rank (n.) in the military sense of "number of soldiers drawn up in a line abreast" (1570s) + file (n.1). Thence generalized to "common soldiers" (1796) and "common people, general body" of any group (1860).

point man (n.)

"one who leads a military patrol in formation in a jungle, etc.," 1944, said to be from point (n.) in military sense of "small leading party of an advance guard" (1580s) + man (n.). A more literal sense also is possible. Point (n.) in U.S. also meant "position at the front of a herd of cattle," and pointman in this sense is attested by 1903.

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