"want of good citizenship," in English often with a menacing sense, a word from the French Revolution, 1794, from French incivisme; see in- (1) "not" + civic + -ism.
The words civisme and incivisme came into use during the first French revolution, when an appearance of active devotion to the existing government was the great test of good citizenship, and incivism was regarded a crime. [Century Dictionary]
French, literally "seek the woman," the reflexive notion that a woman or passion for one is behind whatever crime has been committed, first used by Alexandre Dumas père in "Les Mohicans de Paris" (1864) in the form cherchons la femme. French chercher is from Latin circare, in Late Latin "to wander hither and thither," from circus "circle" (see circus).
"wanton destruction of trees," 1853, from Latin arbor "tree" + ending from suicide, etc. The meaning "one who wantonly cuts down trees" is from 1873. Related: Arboricidal (1865).
Arboricide is a crime, as well as homicide. The name of Gastrell, who cut down Shakspeare's mulberry tree, is justly followed by the execrations of posterity, and hangs forever on a gibbet of reproach, vainly craving the boon of oblivion. [New England Farmer, March 1853]
1620s, "council or body of representatives," from French syndicat (15c.), from syndic "representative of a corporation" (see syndic) + -at (see -ate (1)). Meaning "combination of capitalists or companies to carry out some commercial undertaking" first occurs 1865. Publishing sense of "association of publishers for purchasing articles, etc., for simultaneous publication in a number of newspapers" is from 1889. As a synonym for "organized crime, the Mob" it is recorded from 1929.
late 14c., "to lay (a crime, duty, obligation, etc.) to the account of," from Old French imposer "put, place; impute, charge, accuse" (c. 1300), from assimilated form of in- "into, in" (from PIE root *en "in") + poser "put, place" (see pose (v.1)). From c. 1500 as "apply authoritatively." Sense of "lay on as a burden, inflict by force or authority" first recorded 1580s. Related: Imposed; imposer; imposing.
traditional Japanese organized crime cartel, literally "eight-nine-three" (ya, ku, sa) the losing hand in the traditional baccarat-like Japanese card game Oicho-Kabu. The notion may be "good for nothing," or "bad luck" (such as that suffered by someone who runs afoul of them), or it may be a reference to the fact that a player who draws this hand requires great skill to win.
"act of conniving, an overlooking of a disreputable or illegal action, often implying private approval," especially, in divorce law, "corrupt consent of a married person to that conduct of the spouse of which complaint is later made," 1590s, from French connivence or directly from Latin conniventia, from conniventem (nominative connivens), present participle of connivere "to wink," hence, "to wink at (a crime), be secretly privy" (see connive). According to OED, the spelling with -a- prevailed after early 18c. but is unetymological.
"lateral curvature of the spine," 1706, medical Latin, from Latinized form of Greek skoliosis "crookedness," from skolios "bent, curved," from PIE root *skel- "bend, curve," with derivatives referring to crooked parts of the body (as in Greek skelos "leg, limb; Latin scelus "malice, badness, crime;" Old High German scelah, Old English sceolh "oblique, curved, squinting;" Albanian çalë "lame"). Distinguished from lordosis and kyphosis. Related: Scoliotic.
early 13c., "offense, crime, sin;" late 13c., "a failing or failure, failure to act," from Old French defaute (12c.) "fault, defect, failure, culpability, lack, privation," from Vulgar Latin *defallita "a deficiency or failure," past participle of *defallere, from Latin de "away" (see de-) + fallere "to deceive, to cheat; to put wrong, to lead astray, cause to be mistaken; to escape notice of, be concealed from" (see fail (v.)). The financial sense is first recorded 1858; the computing sense is from 1966.
