aback
aback (adv.)c. 1200, from Old English on bæc \\\"at or on the back;\\\" see back (n.). Now surviving...
abacus
abacusabacus: [17] Abacus comes originally from a Hebrew word for ‘dust’, ’ābāq. This was borrowed i...
abaft
abaft (adv.)\\\"in or at the back part of a ship\\\" (opposed to forward), 1590s, from Middle Englis...
abandon
abandonabandon: [14] The Old French verb abandoner is the source of abandon. It was based on a bando...
abandoned
abandoned (adj.)\\\"self-devoted\\\" to some purpose (usually evil), late 14c., past participle adje...
abandonment
abandonment (n.)1610s, from French abandonnement, from abandonner (see abandon (v.))....
abase
abase (v.)late 14c., abaishen, from Old French abaissier \\\"diminish, make lower in value or status...
abash
abashabash: [14] Abash shares a common ancestry with abeyance [16], although the latter underwent an...
abate
abate (v.)c. 1300, \\\"put an end to;\\\" early 14c., \\\"to grow less, diminish in power or influen...
abatement
abatement (n.)mid-14c., from Old French abatement, from abattre (see abate).
...
abbey
abbey (n.)mid-13c., \\\"convent headed by an abbot or abbess,\\\" from Anglo-French abbeie, Old Fren...
abbot
abbotabbot: [OE] Abbot comes ultimately from abbā, a Syriac word meaning ‘father’ (which itself achi...
abbreviate
abbreviateabbreviate: see briefabbreviate (v.)mid-15c., from Latin abbreviatus, past participle of a...
abbreviation
abbreviation (n.)mid-15c., from Middle French abréviation (15c.), from Late Latin abbreviationem (no...
ABC
ABC (n.)\\\"the alphabet,\\\" late 13c., abece. Sense \\\"rudiments or fundamentals (of a subject)\\...
abdicate
abdicateabdicate: see indicateabdicate (v.)1540s, \\\"to disown, disinherit (children),\\\" from Lat...
abdication
abdication (n.)1550s, \\\"a disowning,\\\" from Latin abdicationem (nominative abdicatio) \\\"renunc...
abdomen
abdomen (n.)1540s, \\\"belly fat,\\\" from Latin abdomen \\\"belly,\\\" which is of unknown origin,...
abdominal
abdominal (adj.)1550s, from medical Latin abdominalis, from abdomen (genitive abdominis); see abdome...
abduct
abduct (v.)\\\"to kidnap,\\\" 1834, probably a back-formation from abduction; also see abduce. Relat...
abduction
abduction (n.)1620s, \\\"a leading away,\\\" from Latin abductionem (nominative abductio), noun of a...
abeam
abeam (adv.)\\\"at right angles to the mainmast,\\\" 1826, nautical, literally \\\"on beam;\\\" see...
aberrant
aberrant (adj.)1798, originally in natural history, from Latin aberrantem (nominative aberrans), pre...
aberration
aberration (n.)1590s, \\\"a wandering, straying,\\\" from Latin aberrationem (nominative aberratio)...
abet
abetabet: see baitabet (v.)late 14c. (implied in abetting), from Old French abeter \\\"to bait, to h...
abeyance
abeyance (n.)1520s, from Anglo-French abeiance \\\"suspension,\\\" also \\\"expectation (especially...