loss | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

199 entries found.

"convulsive epilepsy" (with loss of consciousness), 1842 as a French term in English, from French grand mal, literally "great sickness" (see grand (adj.)). Opposed to petit mal.

damage (v.)

"cause damage to, hurt, injure, harm," early 14c., from Old French damagier, from damage "loss caused by injury" (see damage (n.)). Related: Damaged; damaging.

unfeeling (adj.)

late Old English had unfelende, "having no sensation." Middle English had a verb unfeel "be insensible, fail to feel" (early 14c.) as well as unfeelingness "insensibility, loss of sensation," and unfeelingly "without understanding or direct knowledge" (late 14c.), and a verbal noun unfeeling "loss of sensation, lack of feeling." However the word in its main modern meaning "devoid of kindly or tender feelings" is from 1590s, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of feel (v.). Related: Unfeelingly.

jeopardize (v.)

"to expose to loss or injury," 1640s, from jeopardy + -ize. Related: Jeopardized; jeopardizing. As a verb, Middle English used simple jeopard (late 14c.), a back-formation from jeopardy.

redress (n.)

late 14c., redresse, "reparation, compensation for injustice, injury, loss, etc., adjustment," late 14c., from Anglo-French redresce, Old French redrece, redresse, fromredrecier, redresier (see redress (v.)).

suffering (n.)

"patient enduring of pain, inconvenience, loss, etc.," mid-14c.; "undergoing of punishment, affliction, etc.," late 14c., verbal noun from suffer (v.). Meaning "a painful condition, pain felt" is from late 14c.

insure (v.)

mid-15c., insuren, spelling variant of ensuren "to assure, give formal assurance" (late 14c.), also "make secure, make safe" (c. 1400), from Anglo-French enseurer, Old French ensurer, from en- "make" (see en- (1)) + seur, sur "safe, secure, undoubted" (see sure (adj.)).

The particular commercial senses of "make safe against loss by payment of premiums; undertake to ensure against loss, etc." are from mid-17c. (replacing assure in that meaning). Related: Insured; insuring.

aphasic (adj.)

"characterized by pathological loss of ability to speak," 1867, from aphasia + -ic. Aphasiac (1868) is better as the noun, "one suffering from aphasia," but both words have been used in both senses.

risk (v.)

1680s, "expose to chance of injury or loss," from risk (n.), or from French risquer, from Italian riscare, rischaire, from the noun. By 1705 as "venture upon, take the chances of." Related: Risked; risks; risking.

amends (n.)

early 14c., "recompense, compensation for loss or injury," collective singular, from Old French amendes "fine, penalty, reparation, compensation," plural of amende "reparation," from amender "to amend" (see amend).

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