英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

coast (v.)[coast 词源字典]: late 14c., "to skirt, to go around the sides, to go along the border" of something (as a ship does the coastline), from Anglo-French costien, from the French source of coast (n.). The meaning "sled downhill," first attested 1775 in American English, is a separate borrowing. Of motor vehicles, "to move without thrust from the engine," by 1925; figurative use, of persons, "not to exert oneself," by 1934. Related: Coasted; coasting.[coast etymology, coast origin, 英语词源]
coastal (adj.): 1883, from coast (n.) + -al (1). The proper Latin form costal is used only of ribs.
coaster (n.): 1570s, "one who sails along coasts," agent noun from coast (v.) in its original sense "to go around the sides or border" of something. Applied to vessels for such sailing from 1680s. Tabletop drink stand (c. 1887), originally "round tray for a decanter," so called from a resemblance to a sled, or because it "coasted" around the perimeter of the table to each guest in turn after dinner.
coastline (n.): 1860, from coast (n.) + line (n.).
coat (n.): early 14c., "outer garment," from Old French cote "coat, robe, tunic, overgarment," from Frankish *kotta "coarse cloth" or some other Germanic source (compare Old Saxon kot "woolen mantle," Old High German chozza "cloak of coarse wool," German Kotze "a coarse coat"), of unknown origin. Transferred to animal's natural covering late 14c. Extended 1660s to a layer of any substance covering any surface. Spanish, Portuguese cota, Italian cotta are Germanic loan-words.
coat (v.): late 14c., "to provide with a coat," from coat (n.). Meaning "to cover with a substance" is from 1753. Related: Coated; coating.
coat of arms (n.): mid-14c., originally a tunic embroidered with heraldic arms (worn over armor, etc); see from coat (n.) + arm (n.2) and compare Old French cote a armer. Sense transferred to the heraldic arms themselves by 1560s. Hence turncoat, one who put his coat on inside-out to hide the badge of his loyalty.
coati (n.): Brazilian raccoon, 1670s, from Tupi (Brazil), from cua "belt, cincture" + tim "nose."
coating (n.): "layer over a surface," 1768, verbal noun from coat (v.).
coattails (n.): also coat-tail, c. 1600, from coat (n.) + tail (n.). In 17c., to do something on one's own coattail meant "at one's own expense. Meaning "power of one person," especially in politics, is from 1848 (in a Congressional speech by Abraham Lincoln, in reference to Andrew Jackson); expression riding (someone's) coattails into political office is from 1949.
coauthor (n.): also co-author, from co- + author. From 1948 as a verb. Related: Coauthored; coauthoring.
coax (v.): 1580s, originally in slang phrase to make a coax of, from earlier noun coax, cox, cokes "a fool, ninny, simpleton" (1560s); modern spelling is 1706. Origin obscure, perhaps related to cock (n.1). Related: Coaxed; coaxing.
coaxial (adj.): "having a common axis," 1904, as a term in mathematics; coaxial cable is 1934. See co- + axial.
cob (n.): a word or set of identical words with a wide range of meanings, many seeming to derive from notions of "heap, lump, rounded object," also "head" and its metaphoric extensions. With cognates in other Germanic languages; of uncertain origin and development. "The N.E.D. recognizes eight nouns cob, with numerous sub-groups. Like other monosyllables common in the dial[ect] its hist[ory] is inextricable" [Weekley]. In the 2nd print edition, the number stands at 11. Some senses are probably from Old English copp "top, head," others probably from Old Norse kubbi or Low German, all perhaps from a Proto-Germanic base *kubb- "something rounded." Among the earliest attested English senses are "headman, chief," and "male swan," both early 15c., but the surname Cobb (1066) suggests Old English used a form of the word as a nickname for "big, leading man." The "corn shoot" sense is attested by 1680s.
cobalt (n.): 1680s, from German kobold "household goblin," Harz Mountains silver miners' term for rock laced with arsenic and sulfur (so called because it degraded the ore and made the miners ill), from Middle High German kobe "hut, shed" + *holt "goblin," from hold "gracious, friendly," a euphemistic word for a troublesome being. The metallic element was extracted from this rock. It was known to Paracelsus, but discovery is usually credited to the Swede George Brandt (1733), who gave it the name. Extended to a blue color 1835 (a mineral containing it had been used as a blue coloring for glass since 16c.). Compare nickel.
cobble (n.): "paving stone; worn, rounded stone," c. 1600, earlier cobblestone, probably a diminutive of cob in some sense. The verb in this sense is from 1690s. Related: Cobbled; cobbling.
cobble (v.): "to mend clumsily," late 15c., perhaps a back-formation from cobbler (n.1), or from cob, via a notion of lumps. Related: Cobbled; cobbling.
cobbler (n.1): late 13c., cobelere "one who mends shoes," of uncertain origin. It and cobble (v.) "evidently go together etymologically" [OED], but the historical record presents some difficulties. "The cobbler should stick to his last" (ne sutor ultra crepidam) is from the anecdote of Greek painter Apelles.
On one occasion a cobbler noticed a fault in the painting of a shoe, and remarking upon it to a person standing by, passed on. As soon as the man was out of sight Apelles came from his hiding-place, examined the painting, found that the cobbler's criticism was just, and at once corrected the error. ... The cobbler came by again and soon discovered that the fault he had pointed out had been remedied; and, emboldened by the success of his criticism, began to express his opinion pretty freely about the painting of the leg! This was too much for the patience of the artist, who rushed from his hiding place and told the cobbler to stick to his shoes. [William Edward Winks, "Lives of Illustrious Shoemakers," London, 1883]
[The quote is variously reported: Pliny ("Natural History" XXXV.x.36) has ne supra crepidam judicaret, while Valerius Maximus (VIII.xiii.3) gives supra plantam ascendere vetuit.]
cobbler (n.2): "deep-dish fruit pie," 1859, American English, perhaps related to 14c. cobeler "wooden bowl."
cobblestone (n.): late 14c., kobilstane; see cobble (n.) + stone (n.).