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63 entries found.

late 14c., diffinicioun, definicion, "decision, setting of boundaries, determination and stating of the limits and distinctive nature of a thing," also "limitations," also "a statement of the meaning of a word or phrase," from Old French definicion, from Latin definitionem (nominative definitio) "a bounding, a boundary; a limiting, prescribing; a definition, explanation," the last sense most often in Cicero, noun of action from past-participle stem of definire "to limit, determine, explain," from de "completely" (see de-) + finire "to bound, limit," from finis "boundary, end" (see finish (v.)). In logic, meaning "act of stating what something means" is from 1640s. Meaning "degree of distinctness of the details in a picture" is from 1889.

definitional (adj.)

"of or pertaining to definition," 1817; see definition + -al (1).

aphoristic (adj.)

"of the nature of an aphorism," 1753, from Latinized form of Greek aphoristikos, from aphorismos "definition, pithy sentence" (see aphorism). Related: Aphoristically (1650s). Aphorismic "having the form of an aphorism" is from 1794.

endgame (n.)

also end-game, 1850, in chess, from end + game (n.). There is no formal or exact definition of it in chess, but it begins when most of the pieces have been cleared from the board.

contextual (adj.)

"pertaining to or dealing with the context," 1822, from context on model of textual, etc. In philosophy, contextual definition is recorded from 1873, contextualization from 1930, contextualizefrom 1934. Related: Contextualized; contextualizing; contextually.

hamper (n.2)

"things important for a ship but in the way at certain times" (Klein's definition), 1835, from hamper (n.) "a fetter, shackles," from French hamper "to impede." Hence top hamper, originally "upper masts, spars, rigging, etc. of a sailing ship."

deforestation (n.)

"act of cutting down and clearing away the forests of a region or tract," 1870, noun of action from deforest (q.v.). Earlier was deforesting (1530s) which was a legal term for the change in definition of a parcel of land from "forest" to something else.

pheromone (n.)

"chemical released by an animal that causes a specific response when detected by another animal of the same species," but the exact definition is much debated; 1959, coined (by Karlson & Lüscher) from Greek pherein "to carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children") + ending as in hormone.

luggage (n.)

1590s, from lug (v.) "to drag" + -age; so, literally "what has to be lugged about" (or, in Johnson's definition, "any thing of more weight than value"). In 20c., the usual British word for "baggage belonging to passengers."

chutzpah (n.)

also hutzpah, 1892, from Yiddish khutspe "impudence, gall," from Hebrew hutspah. The classic definition is that given by Leo Rosten: "that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan."

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