implement | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

41 entries found.

mid-15c., "supplementary payment, amount needed to complete repayment," from Late Latin implementem "a filling up" (as with provisions), from Latin implere "to fill, fill up, make full; fatten; fulfill, satisfy," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + plere "to fill" (from PIE root *pele- (1) "to fill"). Sense of "workman's tool, utensil of a trade, things necessary to do work" is 1530s. The underlying connection of the senses is "whatever may supply a want, that which fills up a need." Related: Implemental; implements.

implement (v.)

"to complete, perform, carry into effect," 1707, originally chiefly in Scottish English, where the noun was a legal term meaning "fulfillment," from implement (n.). It spawned implementation, which is first recorded 1913. Related: Implemented; implementing.

implete (v.)

"to fill, pervade," 1862, from Latin impletus, past participle of implere "to fill, fill up" (see implement (n.)). OED says U.S. Related: Impleted; impleting.

impletion (n.)

"action of filling," 1580s, from Late Latin impletionem, noun of action from stem of implere "to fill, fill up" (see implement (n.)).

*pele- (1)

*pelə-, Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to fill," with derivatives referring to abundance and multitude.

It forms all or part of: accomplish; complete; compliment; comply; depletion; expletive; fele; fill; folk; full (adj.); gefilte fish; hoi polloi; implement; manipulation; nonplus; plebe; plebeian; plebiscite; pleiotropy; Pleistocene; plenary; plenitude; plenty; plenum; plenipotentiary; pleo-; pleonasm; plethora; Pliocene; pluperfect; plural; pluri-; plus; Pollux; poly-; polyamorous; polyandrous; polyclinic; polydactyl; polydipsia; Polydorus; polyethylene; polyglot; polygon; polygraph; polygyny; polyhedron; polyhistor; polymath; polymer; polymorphous; Polynesia; polyp; Polyphemus; polyphony; polysemy; polysyllabic; polytheism; replenish; replete; supply; surplus; volkslied.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit purvi "much," prayah "mostly;" Avestan perena-, Old Persian paru "much;" Greek polys "much, many," plethos "people, multitude, great number," ploutos "wealth;" Latin plus "more," plenus "full;" Lithuanian pilus "full, abundant;" Old Church Slavonic plunu; Gothic filu "much," Old Norse fjöl-, Old English fela, feola "much, many;" Old English folgian; Old Irish lan, Welsh llawn "full;" Old Irish il, Welsh elu "much."

scummer (n.)

"implement used in skimming," early 14c., scomour; see scum (n.) + -er.

tool (n.)

Old English tol "instrument, implement used by a craftsman or laborer, weapon," from Proto-Germanic *tōwalan "implement" (source also of Old Norse tol), from a verb stem represented by Old English tawian "prepare" (see taw). The ending is the instrumental suffix -el (1). Figurative sense of "person used by another for his own ends" is recorded from 1660s. Slang meaning "penis" first recorded 1550s.

ink-well (n.)

also inkwell, 1854, from ink (n.) + well (n.). A schoolroom implement, so called because it sat down in the surface of a desk in contrast to an ink-stand.

ram (v.)

c. 1300, "to beat with a heavy implement, make the ground firm by tamping," from ram (n.). By 1864 as "dash violently against, strike with great force." Related: Rammed; ramming.

tweezers (n.)

"small pincers, diminutive tongs," 1650s, extended from tweezes, plural of tweeze "case for tweezers" (1620s), a shortening of etweese, considered as plural of etwee (1610s) "a small case," from French étui "small case" (see etui). Sense transferred from the case to the implement inside it. For form, compare trousers from trouzes.

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