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193 entries found.

c. 1400, "handsomely," from fair (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "impartially, justly" is from 1670s. Sense of "somewhat" is from 1805, a curious contrast to the earlier, but still active, sense of "totally" (1590s). Old English had fægerlice "splendidly."

brig (n.)

"two-masted square-rigged vessel," 1720, colloquial shortening of brigantine (q.v.). Meaning "a ship's jail" is by 1841, American English, perhaps from the use of such vessels as prison ships upon retirement from active duty.

mufti (n.1)

1580s, muphtie "official head of the state religion in Turkey," from Arabic mufti "judge," active participle (with formative prefix mu-) of afta "to give," conjugated form of fata "he gave a (legal) decision" (compare fatwa).

thyroxine (n.)

active principle of the thyroid gland, 1915, from thyro-, combining form of thyroid, + oxy- (apparently a reference to the oxygen atom present in it, but OED has it as a shortening of oxy-indol) + chemical suffix -ine (2), denoting an amino acid.

Symbionese (adj.)

in Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), name adopted by a socialist revolutionary group active in U.S. 1972-76, coined from simbion "an organism living in symbiosis, from symbioun (see symbiosis) + people-name ending -ese.

rustler (n.)

1820, "one who or that which rustles" (a leaf, a bird), agent noun from rustle (v.). The American English meaning "cattle thief" is by 1882; earlier it meant "active, efficient person" (1872).

operose (adj.)

"laborious, tedious, involving much labor," 1670s, from Latin operosus "taking great pains, laborious, active, industrious," from opus (genitive operis) "work" (from PIE root *op- "to work, produce in abundance"). Related: Operosely; operoseness; operosity (1620s).

spirit (v.)

1590s, "to make more active or energetic" (of blood, alcohol, etc.), from spirit (n.). The meaning "carry off or away secretly" (as though by supernatural agency) is first recorded 1660s. Related: Spirited; spiriting.

peccavi (v.)

statement acknowledging or confessing sin; Latin, literally "I have sinned;" first person singular preterite indicative active of peccare "to sin" (see peccadillo). Related: peccavimus "we have sinned;" peccavit "he has sinned."

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").

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