英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

floc (n.)[floc 词源字典]: 1921, "mass of fine particles," diminutive of flocculus (see flocculate).[floc etymology, floc origin, 英语词源]
floccinaucinihilipilification (n.): "action or habit of estimating as worthless," in popular smarty-pants use from c. 1963; attested 1741 (in a letter by William Shenstone, published 1769), a combination of four Latin words (flocci, nauci, nihili, pilifi) all signifying "at a small price" or "for nothing," which appeared together in a rule of the well-known Eton Latin Grammar.
[F]or whatever the world might esteem in poor Somervile, I really find, upon critical enquiry, that I loved him for nothing so much as his flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication of money. [Shenstone, letter, 1741]
The kind of jocular formation that was possible among educated men in Britain in those days. Just so, as in praesenti, the opening words of mnemonic lines on conjugation in Lilley's 16c. Latin grammar, could stand alone as late as 19c. and be understood to mean "rudiments of Latin."
flocculate (v.): "gather in flocculent masses," 1845 (flocculated), from flocculus (1799), from Modern Latin, a diminutive of Latin floccus "flock of wool" (see flock (n.2)) + -ate (2). Related: Flocculating.
flocculation (n.): "the union of small particles into granular aggregates," 1875, from flocculate + -ion.
flocculent (adj.): "resembling wool, fleecy," 1800, from Latin floccus "lock of hair, flock of wool" (see flock (n.2)) + -ulent. Related: Flocculence.
flock (n.1): Old English flocc "a group of persons, company, troop," related to Old Norse flokkr "crowd, troop, band," Middle Low German vlocke "crowd, flock (of sheep);" of unknown origin, not found in other Germanic languages; perhaps related to folc "people," but the metathesis would have been unusual for Old English.

In Old English of humans only; extended c. 1200 to "a number of animals of one kind moving or feeding together;" of domestic animals c. 1300. The special reference to birds is recent (19c.). Transferred to bodies of Christians, in relation to Christ or their pastor, from mid-14c.
flock (n.2): "tuft of wool," mid-13c., also found in continental Germanic and Scandinavian, all probably from Old French floc, from Latin floccus "flock of wool, lock of hair."
flock (v.): c. 1300 "gather, congregate" (intransitive), from flock (n.1). Related: Flocked; flocking.
floe (n.): 1817, first used by Arctic explorers, probably from Norwegian flo "layer, slab," from Old Norse flo, from Proto-Germanic *floho-, from PIE *plak- (1) "to be flat," extended form of root *pele- (2) "flat, to spread" (see plane (n.1)). Related to first element in flagstone. Earlier explorers used flake. Floe-rat was a seal-hunter's name for the ringed seal (1880).
flog (v.): 1670s, slang, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a schoolboy shortening of Latin flagellare "flagellate" (see flagellum); Century Dictionary suggests perhaps from a Low German word "of homely use, of which the early traces have disappeared." OED finds it presumably onomatopoeic. Figurative use from 1800. Related: Flogged; flogging.
flogging (n.): 1793, verbal noun from flog (v.). Earlier in the same sense was floggation (1680s).
flood (n.): Old English flōd "a flowing of water, tide, an overflowing of land by water, a deluge, Noah's Flood; mass of water, river, sea, wave," from Proto-Germanic *floduz "flowing water, deluge" (cognates: Old Frisian flod, Old Norse floð, Middle Dutch vloet, Dutch vloed, German Flut, Gothic flodus), from the source of Old English flowan, from PIE verbal root *pleu- "to flow, float, swim" (see pluvial). In early modern English often floud. Figurative use, "a great quantity, a sudden abundance," by mid-14c.
flood (v.): 1660s, "to overflow" (transitive), from flood (n.). Intransitive sense "to rise in a flood" is from 1755. Related: Flooded; flooding.
flood-gate (n.): early 13c. in the figurative sense "opportunity for a great venting" (especially with reference to tears or rain); literal sense is mid-15c. (gate designed to let water in or keep it out as desired, especially the lower gate of a lock); from flood (n.) + gate (n.).
flood-plain (n.): 1844, from flood (n.) + plain (n.).
flood-tide (n.): 1719, from flood (n.) + tide (n.).
floodlight (n.): also flood-light, 1924, from flood (n.) + light (n.). Related: Floodlit.
floor (v.): early 15c., "to furnish with a floor," from floor (n.). Sense of "puzzle, confound" is from 1830, a figurative use, from earlier sense of "knock down to the floor" (1640s). In mid-19c. English university slang, it meant "do thoroughly and successfully" (1852). Related: Floored; flooring.
floor (n.): Old English flor "floor, pavement, ground, bottom (of a lake, etc.)," from Proto-Germanic *floruz "floor" (cognates: Middle Dutch and Dutch vloer, Old Norse flor "floor," Middle High German vluor "floor, flooring," German Flur "field, meadow"), from PIE *plaros "flat surface" (source also of Welsh llawr "ground"), enlarged from *pele- (2) "flat, broad; to spread out" (see plane (n.1)).

Meaning "level of a house" is from 1580s. The figurative sense in legislative assemblies (1774) is in reference to the "floor" where members sit and from which they speak (as opposed to the platform). Spanish suelo "floor" is from Latin solum "bottom, ground, soil;" German Boden is cognate with English bottom (n.). Floor-plan is attested from 1794; floor-board from 1787, floor-lamp from 1886, floor-length (adj.) of dresses is from 1910. The retail store's floor-walker is attested from 1862.
flooring (n.): "materials of a floor," 1620s, verbal noun from floor (v.).