英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

bomb (n.)[bomb 词源字典]: 1580s, from French bombe, from Italian bomba, probably from Latin bombus "a deep, hollow noise; a buzzing or booming sound," from Greek bombos "deep and hollow sound," echoic. Originally of mortar shells, etc.; modern sense of "explosive device placed by hand or dropped from airplane" is 1909. Meaning "old car" is from 1953. Meaning "success" is from 1954 (late 1990s slang the bomb "the best" is probably a fresh formation); opposite sense of "a failure" is from 1963. The bomb "atomic bomb" is from 1945.[bomb etymology, bomb origin, 英语词源]
bomb (v.): 1680s, from bomb (n.). Meaning "to fail" attested from 1963. Related: Bombed; bombing. Slang bombed "drunk" is attested by 1956.
bombard (n.): early 15c., "catapult, military engine for throwing large stones," from Middle French bombarde "mortar, catapult" (14c.), from bombe (see bomb (n.)). The same word, from the same source, was used in English and French late 14c. in reference to the bass shawm, a bassoon-like musical instrument, preserving the "buzzing" sense in the Latin.
bombard (v.): 1590s, from French bombarder, from bombarde "mortar, catapult" (see bombard (n.)). Figurative sense by 1765. Related: Bombarded; bombarding.
bombardier (n.): 1550s, soldier with a bombard, from French bombardier, from bombard (see bombard (n.)). In 17c.-18c. of soldiers who manned artillery (especially mortars and howitzers); meaning "one who aims the bombs in an aircraft" is attested 1932, American English.
bombast (n.): 1560s, "cotton padding," corrupted from earlier bombace (1550s), from Old French bombace "cotton, cotton wadding," from Late Latin bombacem, accusative of bombax "cotton, 'linteorum aut aliae quaevis quisquiliae,' " a corruption and transferred use of Latin bombyx "silk," from Greek bombyx "silk, silkworm" (which also came to mean "cotton" in Medieval Greek), from some oriental word, perhaps related to Iranian pambak (modern panba) or Armenian bambok, perhaps ultimately from a PIE root meaning "to twist, wind." From stuffing and padding for clothes or upholstery, meaning extended to "pompous, empty speech" (1580s).

Also from the same source are Swedish bomull, Danish bomuld "cotton," and, via Turkish forms, Modern Greek mpampaki, Rumanian bumbac, Serbo-Croatian pamuk. German baumwolle "cotton" is probably from the Latin word but altered by folk-etymology to look like "tree wool." Polish bawełna, Lithuanian bovelna are partial translations from German.
bombastic (adj.): 1704, "inflated," from bombast + -ic. Meaning "given to bombastic language" is from 1727.
Bombay: city in western India, from Portuguese, and popularly explained as Portuguese bom bahia "good bay," but that seems folk etymology (for one, the adjective is masculine and the noun is feminine), and the more likely candidate is the local Mumbadevi "Goddess Mumba," a Hindu deity worshipped there. The city's name officially changed to Mumbai in 1995.
bombazine (n.): (also bombasine, bambazine), 1550s, from French bombasin (14c.) "cotton cloth," from Medieval Latin bombacinium "silk texture," from Late Latin bombycinium, neuter of bombycinius "silken," from bombyx "silk, silkworm," from Greek bombyx. The post-classical transfer of the word from "silk" to "cotton" may reflect the perceived "silk-like" nature of the fabric, or a waning of familiarity with genuine silk in the European Dark Ages, but compare bombast.
bomber (n.): "one who throws bombs," 1915, agent noun from bomb (v.). As a type of military aircraft, from 1917.
bombinate (v.): "make a buzzing noise," 1865, from Latin bombinare, corrupted from bombitare "to hum, buzz," from bombus "a deep, hollow sound; hum, buzz," echoic. Related: Bombinated; bombinating.
bombination (n.): 1816; see bombinate + -ion.
bombshell (n.): 1708, from bomb (n.) + shell (n.). The figurative sense of "shattering or devastating thing or event" attested from 1860. In reference to a pretty woman (especially a blonde) it is attested from 1942 ("Bombshell" as title of a movie starring blond U.S. actress Jean Harlow (1911-1937) is from 1933).
bon (adj.): French, literally "good" (adj.), from Latin bonus "good" (see bene-). It has crossed the Channel in phrases such as bon apétit (1860), literally "good appetite;" bon-ton (1744) "good style;" bon mot.
bon mot (n.): 1735, French, "good saying, " literally "good word," from bon "good" + mot (12c.), from Vulgar Latin muttum, from Latin muttire "to mutter, mumble, murmur" (see mutter).
bon vivant (n.): also bon-vivant, "one fond of good living," 1690s, French (see bon); the fem. is bonne vivante.
bon voyage: 1670s, French, "pleasant journey," from bon "good," (see bon) + voyage (see voyage (n.)).
bona fide: 1540s, Latin, literally "in good faith," ablative of bona fides "good faith" (see faith). Originally used as an adverb, later (18c.) also as an adjective. The opposite is mala fide.
bona fides (n.): by 1838, English pluralization of bona fide, as though it were a noun meaning "guarantee of good faith."
bonafide: see bona fide.