fem. proper name, from Greek Zenobia, literally "the force of Zeus," from Zen, collateral form of Zeus, + bia "strength, force," cognate with Sanskrit jya "force, power" (see Jain).

used for "London Metropolitan Police," 1864, from the name of short street off Whitehall, where from 1829 to 1890 stood the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Force, hence, the force itself, especially the detective branch. After 1890, it was located in "New Scotland Yard."

unit of force, 1904, named in honor of Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727). Related: Newtonian.

Atlantic island, named for Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez(d.1570), who discovered it c. 1515.

Bermuda shorts is attested by 1946 (in "The Princeton Alumni Weekly"), from the type of garb worn by U.S. tourists there. Bermuda triangle in the supernatural sense was popular from 1972. As the adjective, Bermudian (1777) holds seniority over Bermudan (1895).

1797, ancient supernatural people of Ireland (enemies of the Dannans); according to OED perhaps from Old Irish fir, plural of fear "man" + bolg, genitive plural of bolg "bag, belly" (from PIE *bhelgh- "to swell," extended form of root *bhel- (2) "to blow, swell"). Or the second element may be cognate with the Gaulish tribal name Belgae. Related: Firbolgian.

"the communist guerrilla force in Vietnam 1954-1976," also Vietcong, 1957, from Vietnamese, in full Viêt Nam Cong San, literally "Vietnamese communist."

masc. proper name, Welsh form of John, perhaps influenced in form by Welsh ieuanc "young man" (cognate of Latin juvenis), from Celtic *yowanko-, from PIE *yeu- "vital force, youthful vigor" (see young (adj.)).

by 1912 in reference to the inertial force that acts on objects that are in motion relative to a rotating reference frame, from the name of French scientist Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis (1792-1843) who described it c. 1835.

early 13c., from Late Latin, from Greek, from Hebrew bel'yya'al "destruction," literally "worthless," from b'li "without" + ya'al "use." Wickedness as an evil force (Deuteronomy xiii.13); later treated as a proper name of Satan (2 Corinthians vi.15), though Milton made him one of the fallen angels.

London street near Covent Garden, developed with homes from early 17c., the name (attested from 1680s) is from bow (n.1) in reference to its curved shape. It was seat of a metropolitan police court from 1740; hence Bow Street runners, the popular name for the nascent police force established there in 1750.