abscess
abscessabscess: [16] Abscess comes, via French abcès, from Latin abscessus, a noun derived from absc...
abscissa
abscissa (n.)1690s, from Latin abscissa (linea) \\\"(a line) cut off,\\\" from fem. past participle...
abscission
abscission (n.)\\\"removal or cutting away,\\\" early 15c., from Latin abscissionem (nominative absc...
abscond
abscond (v.)1560s, from Middle French abscondre and directly from Latin abscondere \\\"to hide, conc...
absence
absence (n.)late 14c., from Old French absence (14c.), from Latin absentia, noun of state from absen...
absent
absentabsent: [14] Absent is based ultimately on the Latin verb ‘to be’, esse. To this was added the...
absenteeism
absenteeism (n.)1829, from absentee + -ism; originally in reference to landlords, especially in Irel...
absolute
absoluteabsolute: [14] Absolute, absolution, and absolve all come ultimately from the same source: L...
absolutely
absolutely (adv.)late 14c., \\\"unconditionally, completely,\\\" from absolute (adj.) + -ly (2). Fro...
absolve
absolve (v.)early 15c., from Latin absolvere \\\"set free, loosen, acquit,\\\" from ab- \\\"from\\\"...
absorb
absorbabsorb: [15] Absorb comes, via French absorber, from Latin absorbēre, a compound verb formed f...
absorption
absorption (n.)1590s, from Latin absorptionem (nominative absorptio), noun of action from past parti...
abstain
abstainabstain: [14] The literal meaning of this word’s ultimate source, Latin abstinēre, was ‘hold...
abstemious
abstemious (adj.)c. 1600, from Latin abstemius \\\"sober, temperate,\\\" from ab(s)- \\\"from\\\" (s...
abstention
abstention (n.)1520s, from Middle French abstention (Old French astencion), from Late Latin abstenti...
abstinence
abstinence (n.)mid-14c., \\\"forbearance in indulgence of the appetites,\\\" from Old French abstine...
abstinent
abstinent (adj.)late 14c., from Old French abstinent (earlier astenant) \\\"moderate, abstemious, mo...
abstract
abstract (adj.)late 14c., originally in grammar (of nouns), from Latin abstractus \\\"drawn away,\\\...
abstraction
abstraction (n.)c. 1400, \\\"a withdrawal from worldly affairs, asceticism,\\\" from Old French abst...
abstruse
abstruseabstruse: [16] It is not clear whether English borrowed abstruse from French abstrus(e) or d...
abstruse
abstruseabstruse: [16] It is not clear whether English borrowed abstruse from French abstrus(e) or d...
absurd
absurd (adj.)1550s, from Middle French absurde (16c.), from Latin absurdus \\\"out of tune; foolish\...
absurdity
absurdity (n.)late 15c., from Middle French absurdité, from Late Latin absurditatem (nominative absu...
abundance
abundance (n.)mid-14c., from Old French abondance and directly from Latin abundantia \\\"fullness, p...
abundant
abundant (adj.)late 14c., from Old French abundant and directly from Latin abundantem (nominative ab...
abuse
abuseabuse: see useabuse (v.)early 15c., \\\"to misuse, misapply,\\\" from Middle French abuser, fro...
abusive
abusive (adj.)1530s (implied in abusively), originally \\\"improper,\\\" from Middle French abusif,...
abut
abutabut: see buttabut (v.)mid-13c., \\\"to end at, to border on,\\\" from Old French aboter \\\"joi...
abysmal
abysmal (adj.)1650s, formed in English from abysm + -al (1). Weakened sense of \\\"extremely bad\\\"...
abyss
abyssabyss: [16] English borrowed abyss from late Latin abyssus, which in turn derived from Greek áb...
acacia
acaciaacacia: [16] Acacia comes via Latin from Greek akakía, a word for the shittah. This is a tree...
academic
academic (adj.)1580s, \\\"relating to an academy,\\\" also \\\"collegiate, scholarly,\\\" from Latin...
academic
academic (adj.)1580s, \\\"relating to an academy,\\\" also \\\"collegiate, scholarly,\\\" from Latin...
anteater
anteater (n.)also ant-eater, 1764, in reference to the South American species; 1868 of the Australia...
armadillo
armadillo (n.)1570s, from Spanish armadillo, diminutive of armado \\\"armored,\\\" from Latin armatu...
badger
badgerbadger: [16] The Old English term for a ‘badger’ was brock, a word of Celtic origin, and badge...
bat
batbat: Bat as in ‘cricket bat’ [OE] and bat the animal [16] come from entirely different sources. B...
bear
bearbear: [OE] The two English words bear ‘carry’ and bear the animal come from completely different...
beaver
beaverbeaver: [OE] Like bear, beaver appears to mean etymologically ‘brown animal’. Old English beof...