"young girl," 1670s, playful or diminutive form of miss (n.2), at first chiefly among servants.

"lewd, wanton woman" (mid-14c.); later "a giddy, romping girl;" of unknown origin; compare gig (n.1).

"miniaturized processor capable of serving as the central processing unit of a computer," by 1970, from micro- + processor.

"serving to instruct or inform," 1610s, from instruct (v.) + -ive. An earlier adjective was instructing (1580s). Related: Instructively; instructiveness.

"serving as a model; worthy to serve as an exemplar," 1844, from model (n.). Model railway is by 1864.

"serving to prevent or hinder," 1650s, from prevent + -ative. An irregular formation; preventive is more correct. As a noun from 1774.

in reference to Egypt and other nearby regions, "dancing-girl, belly-dancer," 1814, perhaps from Arabic almah (fem. adjective), "learned, knowing," in reference to their training, from alama "to know." Or perhaps from a Semitic root meaning "girl" (source also of Hebrew alma "a young girl, a damsel"). Her occupation was performance to amuse company in wealthy private homes and to sing at funerals, with higher status than the ghawazee (dancing girls), but the word was used broadly in English.

in biology, "sac or pouch serving as a receptacle for eggs," 1875; see oo- "egg" + cyst.

any type of grass growing in sand and serving to bind it, 1766; see sand (n.) + grass (n.).

"belonging to or serving as a preface, introductory," 1670s, from Latin praefat-, past-participle stem of praefari "to say beforehand" (see preface (n.)) + -ory. Related: Prefatorial; prefatorily.