1793 (earlier steeplehunt, 1772), from steeple + chase (n.). Originally an open-country horse race with a visible church steeple as a goal.

pertaining to the monstrous race in Irish mythology, 1876, from Irish fomor "pirate, monster," from fo "under" + mor "sea." Cognate with Gaelic famhair.

in Hindu mythology, a race of serpent demons, offspring of Kaduru, guardians of the under-regions; 1785, from Sanskrit naga "serpent, snake," a word of unknown origin.

also nonstarter, "one who does not start a race, contest, etc.," hence "ineffectual person or impracticable idea," 1909, from non-  + starter.

c. 1300, ani-bodi, "any person," from any + body. One-word form attested by 1826. Phrase anybody's game (or race, etc.) is from 1840.

"race, lineage, stock from the same parentage" (originally of animals), 1550s, from breed (v.). Of persons, from 1590s. The meaning "kind, species" is from 1580s.

"one of the race of giants in Scandinavian mythology," 1804, a word revived by scholars from Old Norse jotunn "a giant," from the common Germanic word (see ettin).

"where it is forbidden to go," 1971, from no + go (v.). Earlier it was a noun phrase for an impracticable situation (1870) and a type of horse race (by 1860).

"origination of the human race," 1833, from anthropo- + -geny. Related: Anthropogenesis "origination or evolution of man" (1862; from 1855 in German and French); anthropogony "doctrine of man's origin" (1847).

1938, derived noun from escalate; the figurative sense is earliest, originally in reference to the battleship arms race among global military powers.