1540s, "a drink, liquor," later "big or hearty drink of liquor" (1620s), of unknown origin.

"a stupid head," 1530s; later also "a big, clumsy, stupid person." The origin and signification of jolt here is unknown.

originally the name of the river, from the French rendering of an Algonquian name (French missionaries first penetrated the river valley in its upper reaches) meaning "big river;" compare Ojibwa mshi- "big," ziibi "river." Organized as a U.S. territory 1798; admitted as a state 1817. Related: Mississippian (by 1775; as a geological period, by 1891).

"largeness of proportions; size, whether large or small; bulk, absolute or relative," late 15c., from big + -ness.

"this," as in yay big "this big," 1950s, perhaps from yea "yes" in its sense of "even, truly, verily." "a sort of demonstrative adverb used with adjectives of size, height, extent, etc., and often accompanied by a hand gesture indicating size" [DAS].

"Rocky Mountain sheep," 1805, American English (Lewis & Clark), from big + horn (n.).

territory of northwestern Canada, named for the river, from Athabaskan, perhaps Koyukon yookkene or Lower Tanana yookuna, said to mean "big river."

also wing-tip, 1867, "tip of a wing" (originally of insects; by 1870 of birds), from wing (n.) + tip (n.1). Of airplane wings from 1909. As a type of shoe with a back-curving toe cap suggestive of a bird's wingtip, from 1928. Related: Wing-tipped.

1590s, from Spanish grande "nobleman of the first rank," originally an adjective, "great," from Latin grandis "big, great" (see grand (adj.)).

1910, originally theater slang for lower-salaried circuits, or ones requiring more daily performances; from noun phrase (also 1910). Compare big time.