lack | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

146 entries found.

c. 1300, "state or character of being unkind, lack of natural regard or proper consideration," from un- (1) "not" + kindness (n.), or from unkind (adj.) + -ness. Meaning "an unkind act" is from c. 1500.

sorehead (n.)

"mean, discontented person," 1848, American English, from sore (adj.) + head (n.). Especially in 19c. U.S. political slang, a person who is dissatisfied through lack of recognition or reward for party service (1862).

caret (n.)

"mark in correcting printers' proofs to show where something is to be inserted," 1680s, from Latin caret "there is lacking," 3rd person singular indicative of carere "to lack, to want" (from suffixed form of PIE root *kes- "to cut").

tire (v.1)

"to weary," also "to become weary," Old English teorian (Kentish tiorian) "to fail, cease; become weary; make weary, exhaust," of uncertain origin; according to Watkins possibly from Proto-Germanic *teuzon, from a suffixed form of PIE root *deu- (1) "to lack, be wanting." Related: Tired; tiring.

indifference (n.)

mid-15c., "quality of being neither good nor bad, neutral quality," from Latin indifferentia "want of difference, similarity," abstract noun from indifferentem (see indifferent). From late 15c. as "lack of prejudice, impartiality;" from 1650s as "state of being apathetic." Meaning "comparative mediocrity, inexcellence"" is from 1864.

imperfection (n.)

late 14c., "incompleteness, deficiency, lack," from Old French imperfeccion "defect; imperfect state" (12c.) and directly from Late Latin imperfectionem (nominative imperfectio) "imperfection," noun of action from Latin imperfectus "imperfect"(see imperfect). Meaning "an instance of being imperfect" is from early 15c.

pusillanimity (n.)

late 14c., pusillanimite, "timidity, faint-heartedness, lack of the spirit of courage or fortitude," from Old French pusillanimité (14c.) and directly from Church Latin pusillanimitatem (nominative pusillanimitas) "faint-heartedness," from Latin pusillanimis "faint-hearted, having little courage" (see pusillanimous).

rusticity (n.)

1530s, "lack of breeding or refinement, awkwardness," from French rusticite (15c.), from Latin rusticitatem (nominative rusticitas) "country life," from rusticus (see rustic (adj.)). By 1630s as "rural life, quality, or character; anything betokening a rustic life or origin."

stupidity (n.)

1540s, "want of intelligence," from Latin stupiditatem (nominative stupiditas) "dullness, stupidity, senselessness," from stupidus "confounded, amazed; dull, foolish" (see stupid). It also at various times meant "lack of feeling or emotion" (1560s); "stupor, numbness" (c. 1600).

astatine (n.)

radioactive element, named 1947, from Greek astatos "unstable" (see astatic) + chemical suffix -ine (2). So called for its short half-life and lack of stable isotopes. "The element appears not to have a stable form and probably does not exist in nature" [Flood, "Origin of Chemical Names"].

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