operation | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

117 entries found.

"operation whereby displaced parts are put back in their natural situation," 1758, medical Latin, from Greek taxis "arrangement, an arranging, the order or disposition of an army, battle array; order, regularity," verbal noun of tassein "arrange," from PIE root *tag- "to touch, handle."

initialize (v.)

"to make ready for operation," 1957, from initial (adj.) + -ize. The same formation had been used earlier to mean "use initials instead of a name" (1837); "designate by initials" (1833). Related: Initialized; initializing; initialization (1957 in the modern sense).

afoot (adv., adj.)

c. 1200, afote, "on foot, walking, not on horseback," contraction of prepositional phrase on fotum; see a- (1) "on" + foot (n.). Meaning "astir, on the move" is from 1520s; figurative sense of "in active operation" is from 1601 ("Julius Caesar").

manifest (v.)

late 14c., "to spread" (one's fame), "to show plainly," from manifest (adj.) or else from Latin manifestare "to discover, disclose, betray." Meaning "to display by actions" is from 1560s; reflexive sense, of diseases, etc., "to reveal as in operation" is from 1808. Related: Manifested; manifesting.

master-mind (n.)

1720, "an outstanding intellect," from master (n.) + mind (n.). Meaning "head of a criminal enterprise" is attested by 1872. As a verb (also mastermind), "to engage in the highest level of planning and execution of a major operation," from 1940. Related: Masterminded; masterminding.

mobilize (v.)

1833 in the military sense of "prepare for active operation or taking the field;" 1838 as "render capable of movement;" 1846 as "bring into readiness or circulation," from French mobiliser, from mobile "movable" (see mobile (adj.)). Related: Mobilized; mobilizing.

shave (n.)

c. 1600, "something shaved off;" from shave (v.); Old English sceafa meant "tool for shaving." Meaning "operation of shaving" is from 1838. Meaning "a grazing touch" is recorded from 1834. Phrase a close shave is from 1856, on notion of "a slight, grazing touch."

lithotripsy (n.)

operation of crushing a stone in the bladder, 1834, from litho- "stone" + -tripsy, from Greek tripsis "rubbing, friction," from tribein "to rub, thresh, pound, wear out," from PIE root *tere- (1) "to rub, turn." Klein says the intended Greek word is thryptein "to crush" and there has been "confusion" with tribein.

excoriation (n.)

"act of flaying, operation of stripping off the skin," hence "act or process of abrading, removal of the outer layers of the skin," mid-15c., excoriacioun, from Medieval Latin excoriationem (nominative excoriatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Late Latin excoriare (see excoriate).

exsiccation (n.)

"act or operation of drying; evaporation of moisture," 1590s, from Late Latin exsiccationem "a drying up," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin exsiccare "dry up, make quite dry," from ex "out" (see ex-) + siccare "make dry" (see siccative).

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