also candle-stick, "utensil for holding a candle," Old English candelsticca; see candle + stick (n.). From 1915 in reference to a type of upright telephone common from 1890s to 1940s.

"exclusive set or circle of persons who are in the habit of meeting and socializing, a clique," 1738, from French coterie "circle of acquaintances," originally an organization of peasants holding land from a feudal lord (14c.), from cotier "tenant of a cote" (see cottage).

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to hold firmly, support." 

It forms all or part of: affirm; confirm; Darius; dharma; farm; fermata; firm (adj.); firm (n.); firmament; furl; infirm; infirmary; terra firma; throne.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit dharmah "custom, statute, law," dharayati "holds;" Prakrit dharaṇa "a holding firm;" Iranian dāra‑ "holding;" Greek thronos "seat;" Latin firmus "strong, steadfast, enduring, stable;" Lithuanian diržnas "strong;" Welsh dir "hard," Breton dir "steel."

"policy of adopting actions to circumstances while holding goals unchanged," 1870, originally a word in continental politics; see opportune + -ism. Compare opportunist. Later, in the jargon of socialism and communism, "policy of concession to bourgeois society in the course of developing socialism."

"state or character of being radical," in any sense, 1819, from radical (adj.) + -ism. Originally, and especially, in the political sense of "holding or carrying out of extreme principles on any subject."

in medical use, "case for a broken limb," 1670s, from Latinized form of Greek glossocomion "small case for holding the reed of a wind instrument," from glōssa "mouthpiece," literally "tongue" (see gloss (n.2)).