device | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

277 entries found.

"instrument for measuring the forces of gravity," 1797, from French gravimètre, from gravité (see gravity) + -mètre "measuring device" (see -meter).

vernier (n.)

device for making precise measurements, 1766, from name of inventor, French mathematician Pierre Vernier (1580-1637), who described it in 1631.

tap (n.3)

"device to listen in secretly on telephone calls," 1923, from tap (v.2) in the "listen secretly" sense.

online (adj., adv.)

also on-line, in reference to computers, "directly connected to a peripheral device," 1950; see on + line (n.).

sand-trap (n.)

1838, in hydraulics, "device for filtering impurities from water," from sand (n.) + trap (n.). As "golf bunker," by 1906.

switchboard (n.)

also switch-board, "device for making interchangeable connections between many circuits," 1867, from switch (n.) + board (n.1).

gin (n.2)

"machine for separating cotton from seeds," 1796, American English, used earlier of other machineries, especially of war or torture, from Middle English gin "ingenious device, contrivance" (c. 1200), from Old French gin "machine, device, scheme," shortened form of engin (see engine). The verb in this sense is recorded from 1789. Related: Ginned; ginning. Middle English had ginful "ingenious, crafty; guileful, treacherous" (c. 1300).

automotive (adj.)

"pertaining to automobiles," 1898, a hybrid from auto- "self," from Greek, and motive (adj.), from Latin. Used earlier as a noun (1865) in reference to some sort of helicopter-like device.

Turing machine (n.)

1937, named for English mathematician and computer pioneer Alan M. Turing (1912-1954), who described such a device in 1936.

extinguisher (n.)

1550s, "one who extinguishes" in any sense, agent noun from extinguish. As a mechanical device for putting out fires, from 1887.

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