1650s, intransitive, "establish oneself in a place, settle, adopt a fixed residence," from Latin locatus, past participle of locare "to place, put, set, dispose, arrange," from locus "a place" (see locus).
Transitive sense of "to fix (something) in a place, settle or establish (something) in a particular spot" is from 1739, American English, originally of land surveys. And via the notion of "mark the limits of" (a parcel of land) the sense of the verb extended to "establish (something) in a place" (1807) and "find out the exact place of" (1882, American English). Related: Located; locating.
also re-locate, 1822, transitive, "to move (something, originally a road) to another place," from re- "back, again" + locate (v.). Intransitive sense of "settle again" is by 1841. Related: Relocated; relocating. Late Latin relocare meant "bring a thing back to its former place," also "to let out again."
"to place, locate," 1832, in modern use a back-formation from emplacement. Marked "Rare" in Century Dictionary in 1895. Related: Emplaced.
"placed, located," with reference to surroundings, 1520s, now obsolete (replaced by situated), adjective from Late Latin situatus, past participle of situare "to place, locate" (see situate (v.)).
early 15c., situaten, "to place in a particular state or condition, give a site or position to," from Medieval Latin situatus, past participle of situare "to place, locate," from Latin situs "a place, position" (from PIE root *tkei- "to settle, dwell, be home"). Related: Situated; situating.
1570s, of a house, town, etc., "to be in a certain position" (implied in seated), from seat (n.). Of diseases, in the body, from 1610s (hence deep-seated). Transitive sense of "locate, settle, place permanently" is from 1580s.
The meaning "cause to sit, place on a seat" is from 1590s, especially "cause to sit on a throne or other seat of dignity." From c. 1600 as "set or secure in its proper place," hence many extended senses in mechanics. Of a theater, etc., "afford seating accommodations for," by 1830.
c. 1600, "one who lets (something) for hire," a legal term, from Latin locator "one who lets," agent noun from locare "to put, place, set," from locus "a place" (see locus). As "one who settles upon land by legal right of possession," 1803, American English. Of things which locate, from 1902.
also pin-point, 1849, "the point of a pin," from pin (n.) + point (n.). Taken into aeronautics in a sense of "place identified from the air" (used to ascertain the position of the aircraft); hence the verb meaning "locate precisely" (1917), which originally was aviators' slang. Related: Pinpointed; pinpointing. As an adjective, "performed with precisional accuracy," 1944, originally of aerial bombing.
early 15c., situacioun, "place, position, or location," from Old French situacion or directly from Medieval Latin situationem (nominative situatio) "a position, situation," noun of action from past-participle stem of situare "to place, locate," from Latin situs "a place, position" (from PIE root *tkei- "to settle, dwell, be home").
The meaning "state of affairs, position with reference to circumstances" is from 1710; the meaning "employment, post, office" is by 1803. For situation comedy, see sitcom.
colored crystalline gem, late 13c., from Old French topace (11c.), from Latin topazus (source also of Spanish topacio, Italian topazio), from Greek topazos, topazion, of obscure origin. Pliny says it was named for a remote island in the Red or Arabian Sea, where it was mined, the island so named for being hard to find (from Greek topazein "to divine, to try to locate"); but this might be folk etymology, and instead the word might be from the root of Sanskrit tapas "heat, fire." In the Middle Ages used for almost any yellow stone. To the Greeks and Romans, possibly yellow olivine or yellow sapphire. In modern science, fluo-silicate of aluminum. As a color name from 1908.
