"one of the two ends of an open electrical circuit," 1834, coined by English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday from electro- + Greek hodos "a way, path, track, road" (a word of uncertain origin; see Exodus) on the same pattern as anode, cathode.

prehistoric trackway from Norfolk to Dorset, Old English Iccenhilde, Icenhylte (903), which is of unknown meaning and origin. There was a Romano-British Iceni tribe in modern Norfolk. The name was transferred 12c. to the ancient Roman road from Burton on the Water to Templeborough.

of a road, etc., "marked by bumps," 1865, from bump + -y (2). Of airplane flights, "uneven because of bumps," 1911.

Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night. [Bette Davis ("Margo Channing"), "All About Eve," 1950]

Related: Bumpiness.

"instrument used for measuring the distance passed over by any wheeled vehicle," 1791, from French odomètre (1724), from Greek hodos "a way, path, track, road," a word of uncertain origin (see Exodus), + -meter. First recorded in writings of Thomas Jefferson.

"narrow ledge," 1729, from French berme (17c.), from Old Dutch baerm "edge of a dike," which is probably related to brim (q.v.). In U.S., especially "grass strip beside a road," originally the name for the bank of a canal opposite the tow path (1833; berm-bank is from 1832).

"something that dampens one's spirits" recorded by 1971 (said to have been in use since 1968), from verbal phrase turn off "stop the flow of" (1850), from turn (v.) + off (adv.). Turn-off (n.) as "place where one road diverges from another" is from 1881.

"one who is enamored, person in love," early 13c., agent noun from love (v.). Old English had lufend for male lovers, lufestre for women. Meaning "one who has a predilection for" (a thing, concept, pursuit, etc.) is mid-14c. As a form of address to a lover, from 1911. Related: Loverly (adj.) "like a lover, suitable for a lover" (1853); loverless (1819).

Lover's quarrel is from 1660s; lover's leap, usually involving a local crag and a fanciful story, is by 1712; Lover's Lane for a remote and shady road, little-traveled and thus popular with lovers, is by 1853. It seems also to have been an actual road-name in some places.

"steep slope of a road or railroad," 1835, principally in American English, probably from grade (n.) by analogy of quotient, etc. [OED]. It was used 17c. as an adjective, of animals, "characterized by walking;" in that case it is probably from Latin gradientem, present participle of gradi "to walk."

also sign-post, 1610s, "sign on a post, usually indicating an inn or shop; post having an arm from which a sign hangs or swings," from sign (n.) + post (n.1). The meaning "guide- or direction-post along a road, finger-post" is attested from 1863. The figurative sense is from 1889.

"capable of being penetrated or permeated by something else, accessible, permeable," 1610s, originally figurative (literal sense is from 1630s), from Latin pervius "that may be passed through," from per "through" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + via "road" (see via (adv.)). Related: Perviousness.