living | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

363 entries found.

c. 1600, "a living creature, one who breathes," agent noun from breathe. Meaning "spell of exercise to stimulate breathing" is from 1836; that of "a rest to recover breath" is from 1882.

inlaid (adj.)

1590s, "embedded in (something)," from in + laid, past participle of lay (v.). In old slang (c. 1700) it meant "full of money, living at ease."

microbe (n.)

popular name for a bacterium or other extremely small living being, 1878, from French microbe, "badly coined ... by Sédillot" [Weekley] in 1878 from Latinized form of Greek mikros "small" (see micro-) + bios "life" (from PIE root *gwei- "to live"). Intended to mean literally "a small living being," the use of bios is incorrect, as in modern science generally (see bio-); in Greek the compound would mean "short-lived."

parasitism (n.)

"a habitual living on or at the expense of another," 1610s, from parasite + -ism. Biological sense of "vital relation of a parasite to a host" is by 1840.

industrialist (n.)

1846, from industrial + -ist. Perhaps modeled on French industrialiste (Saint-Simon, 1823). Earlier "one who makes a living by productive industry" (1837).

sanguicolous (adj.)

"living in the blood" (as a parasite does), by 1889, from Latin sanguis "blood" (see sanguinary) + colere "to inhabit" (see colony). Also, with classical stem, sanguinicolous.

-plast

word-forming element denoting "something made," from Greek plastos "formed, molded," verbal adjective from plassein "to mold" (see plasma). Used to form names of small particles of living matter.

physiological (adj.)

c. 1600, "of or pertaining to natural science" (a sense now obsolete), from physiology + -ical. From 1814 as "of or pertaining to physiology, relating to the functions and properties of living bodies." Related: Physiologically.

Indic (adj.)

"pertaining to India or its inhabitants," 1877, from Latin Indicus "of India," or Greek Indikos "of India;" see India. Especially in reference to the Indo-European languages of India, living and dead.

arboreal (adj.)

1660s, "pertaining to trees," from Latin arboreus "pertaining to trees," from arbor, arboris "tree" (see arbor (n.2)) + -al (1). From 1834 as "living in or among trees."

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