late 14c., "having no deficiency, wanting no part or element; perfect in kind or quality; finished, ended, concluded," from Old French complet "full," or directly from Latin completus, past participle of complere "to fill up, complete the number of (a legion, etc.)," transferred to "fulfill, finish (a task)," from com-, here probably as an intensive prefix (see com-), + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill").
also résumé, 1804, "a summary, summing up, recapitulation," from French résumé, noun use of past participle of resumer "to sum up," from Latin resumere "take again, take up again" (see resume (v.)). Meaning "biographical summary of a person's career" is 1940s.
"to come up to, catch up with, catch in pursuit," early 13c., from over- + take (v.). According to OED, originally "the running down and catching of a fugitive or beast of chase"; the editors find the sense of over- in this word "not so clear." The meaning "take by surprise, come on unexpectedly" (of storms, night, misfortune) is from late 14c. Related: Overtaken; overtaking. Old English had oferniman "to take away, carry off, seize, ravish."
"to warn, exhort to take heed," 1640s, from caution (n.). Related: Cautioned; cautioning.
early 15c., detracten, "disparage, defame, slander," from Latin detractus, past participle of detrahere "to take down, pull down, disparage," from de "down" (see de-) + trahere "to pull" (see tract (n.1)). Literal sense of "take away, withdraw" (c. 1500) is rare in English. Related: Detracted; detracting.
late 14c., revengen, "avenge oneself," from Old French revengier, revenger, variants of revenchier "take revenge, avenge" (13c., Modern French revancher), from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + vengier "take revenge," from Latin vindicare "to lay claim to, avenge, punish" (see vindication). Transitive sense of "take vengeance on account of" is from early 15c. Related: Revenged; revenging; revengement.
To avenge is "to get revenge" or "to take vengeance"; it suggests the administration of just punishment for a criminal or immoral act. Revenge seems to stress the idea of retaliation a bit more strongly and implies real hatred as its motivation. ["The Columbia Guide to Standard American English," 1993]
