10000 entries found.
back down (v.)
in figurative sense of "withdraw a charge," 1859, American English, from notion of descending a ladder, etc. (the literal sense by 1849); from back (v.) + down (adv.).
spitball (n.)
1846 in the schoolboy sense, "bit of paper chewed and rounded as a missile;" 1904 in the baseball sense, from spit (n.1) + ball (n.1).
non-aligned (adj.)
also nonaligned, by 1960 in geopolitical sense, from non- + past participle of align. Non-alignment (also nonalignment) in this sense is attested from 1934.
chemistry (n.)
c. 1600, "alchemy," from chemist + -ry; also see chemical (adj.). The meaning "natural physical process" is from 1640s; the sense of "scientific study of the composition of material things and the changes they undergo" is by 1788. The figurative sense of "instinctual attraction or affinity" is attested slightly earlier, from the alchemical sense.
unblemished (adj.)
c. 1300, from un- (1) "not" + past participle of blemish (v.). Originally in moral sense; material sense is attested from mid-15c.
discovery (n.)
1550s (Hakluyt), "fact of discovering what was previously unknown;" see discover + -y (1). Earlier in this sense was discovering (mid-14c.). Meaning "that which is discovered" is from 1630s. Sense "act of revealing" (1580s) preserves the usual Middle English sense of discover but is now obsolete except in the legal sense of "disclosure by a party to an action" (of facts, documents, etc.), attested from 1715.
left wing (n.)
also (as an adjective) left-wing, 1871 in the political sense (1530s in a military formation sense), from left (adj.) + wing (n.). Related: Left-winger.
respectively (adv.)
mid-15c., respectiveli, "relatively" (a sense now obsolete); 1580s, "respectfully" (a sense now archaic); 1620s, "relatively to each of several singly," from respective (adj.) + -ly (2).
mine (v.2)
"lay explosives," 1620s, in reference to old tactic of tunneling under enemy fortifications to blow them up; a specialized sense of mine (v.1) via a sense of "dig under foundations to undermine them" (late 14c.), and miner in this sense is attested from late 13c. Related: Mined; mining.
disaffect (v.)
1620s, "lack affection for" (a sense now obsolete); 1640s, "alienate the affection of, make less friendly" (the main modern sense), from dis- + affect (v.1). Related: Disaffected; disaffecting.
8. dwarf
9. jalopy
10. good