undertaker (n.)

c. 1400, "a contractor or projecter of any sort," agent noun from undertake (v.). The specialized sense (1690s) emerged from funeral-undertaker.

Entries linking to undertaker

undertake (v.)

c. 1200, "to entrap;" c. 1300, "to set about (to do)," from under + take (v.). Similar formation in French entreprendre "to undertake," from entre "between, among" + prendre "to take." The under in this word may be the same one that also may form the first element of understand. Old English had underniman "to trap, accept" (cognate with Dutch ondernemen, German unternehmen).

Share undertaker

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker">Etymology of undertaker by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of undertaker. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of undertaker,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of undertaker.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of undertaker.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/undertaker (accessed $(datetime)).

Definitions of undertaker

undertaker (n.)

one whose business is the management of funerals;

Synonyms: mortician / funeral undertaker / funeral director

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near undertaker

understated

understatement

understory

understudy

undertake

undertaker

undertaking

undertone

undertow

underutilize

undervalue