1805, "pertaining to or comprehending instruction in many (technical) subjects," from French École Polytechnique, name of an engineering school founded 1794 (as École des Travaux publics) in Paris; from Greek polytekhnos "skilled in many arts," from polys "many" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill") + tekhnē "art" (see techno-). As a noun (short for polytechnic institution) from 1836. Related: Polytechnical.

"to support or prevent from falling by placing something under or against," mid-15c., probably from prop (n.1) or a related verb in Dutch. Meaning "support or sustain" in a general sense (especially a cause, institution, etc. at risk of failing) is from 1540s. Related: Propped; propping.

"financial institution," late 15c., originally "money-dealer's counter or shop," from either Old Italian banca or via French banque (itself from the Italian word), both meaning "table," from a Germanic source (such as Old High German bank "bench, moneylender's table"), from Proto-Germanic *bankiz- "shelf," *bankon- (see bank (n.2)). The etymonlogical notion is of the moneylender's exchange table.

As "institution for receiving and lending money" from 1620s. In games of chance, "the sum of money held by the proprietor or one who plays against the rest," by 1720. Bank holiday is from 1871, though the tradition is as old as the Bank of England. To cry all the way to the bank was coined 1956 by U.S. pianist Liberace, after a Madison Square Garden concert that was panned by critics but packed with patrons.

c. 1300, "institution of higher learning," also "body of persons constituting a university," from Anglo-French université, Old French universite "universality; academic community" (13c.), from Medieval Latin universitatem (nominative universitas), "the whole, aggregate," in Late Latin "corporation, society," from universus "whole, entire" (see universe). In the academic sense, a shortening of universitas magistrorum et scholarium "community of masters and scholars;" superseded studium as the word for this. The Latin word also is the source of Spanish universidad, German universität, Russian universitet, etc.

late 14c., "official in charge of accounts in a king's household," from Anglo-French contrerolleour (late 13c.), Old French contrerelleor (Modern French contrôleur), from Medieval Latin contrarotulator, agent noun from *contra-rotulare (see control (v.)).

Broader sense of "officer who examines accounts and manages finances of a corporation or institution" is from c. 1400. The first syllable was confused with count (v.), Latin comptus (hence comptroller). Mechanical sense "that which governs or restrains" is from 1867.

one whose name becomes that of a place, a people, an era, an institution, etc., 1833, from Greek eponymos "given as a name, giving one's name to something," as a plural noun (short for eponymoi heroes) denoting founders (legendary or real) of tribes, cities, etc.; from combining form of epi "upon, (called) after," (see epi-) + onyma, Aeolic dialectal variant of onoma "name" (from PIE root *no-men- "name").

"place for weighing out medicines, room or shop in which medicines are dispensed," 1690s, from Medieval Latin dispensarius, as a noun, "one who dispenses," from Latin dispensare "disburse, administer, distribute (by weight);"  frequentative of dispendere "pay out," from dis- "out" (see dis-) + pendere "to hang, cause to hang; weigh; pay" (from PIE root *(s)pen- "to draw, stretch, spin"). Especially "public institution, primarily intended for the poor, where medical advice is given and medicines dispensed for free or for a small charge."

1560s, "the carrying out or following up of anything" (also literal, "action of pursuing, a following after," but this is obsolete), from French prosecution (late 13c.) and directly from Late Latin prosecutionem (nominative prosecutio) "a following," noun of action from past-participle stem of prosequi "to follow after; chase, pursue; attack, assail" (see prosecute). The meaning "legal action, the institution and carrying out of a suit at law" is from 1630s. Hence, transferred, "the party by whom legal proceedings are initiated" (1891).