world organisation | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

613 entries found.

late 14c., "relative, kinsman" (a sense now obsolete), from ally (v.); mid-15c. in the sense of "one united with another by treaty or league." Allies as the name of the nations aligned against the Central Powers in World War I is from 1914; as the nations aligned against Germany, Italy and Japan in World War II, from 1939.

Stuka (n.)

German dive bomber of World War II, 1940, from German shortening of Sturzkampfflugzeug, from Sturz "fall" + Kampf "battle" + Flugzeug "aircraft."

mortified (adj.)

"deeply humiliated," 1717, past-participle adjective from mortify. Earlier it meant "dead to sin or the world" (early 15c.); "gangrenous" (late 14c.).

briefing (n.)

"fact or situation of giving preliminary instructions," 1910 (but popularized by World War II pre-flight conferences), verbal noun from brief (v.).

demob (v.)

1919, short for demobilize. Originally in reference to troops returning to civilian life at the end of World War I. Related: Demobbed.

stateside (adj.)

also state-side, 1944, World War II U.S. military slang, from the States "United States" (see state (n.2)) + side.

offensive (n.)

1720, the offensive, "condition of attacking, an aggressive action or course," from offensive (adj.). Military sense of "forceful action toward a particular end" is by 1918, from World War I.

hypnopedia (n.)

also hypnopaedia, "sleep-learning," 1932, in "Brave New World," from hypno- "sleep" + ending derived from Greek paideia "education," from pais (genitive paidos) "child" (see pedo-).

yardbird (n.)

"convict," 1956, from yard (n.1) + bird (n.1), from the notion of prison yards; earlier it meant "basic trainee" (World War II armed forces slang).

liaise (v.)

1928, back-formation from liaison. Said to have been a coinage of British military men in World War I. Related: Liaised; liaising.

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