英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

psychotropic (adj.)[psychotropic 词源字典]: 1956, from psycho- + Greek -tropos "turning," from trepein (see trope). Hence, what "turns" the mind.[psychotropic etymology, psychotropic origin, 英语词源]
psychro-: word-forming element meaning "cold," from Latinized form of Greek psykhros "cold," from psykhrein "blow, make cool or cold," from the same root as psyche.
psychrometer (n.): "instrument to measure moisture in the atmosphere," 1749, from Latinized form of Greek psykhros "cold" + -meter.
psychrophobia (n.): 1727, from psychro- "cold" + -phobia "fear."
pt-: An initial consonant combination common in Greek; the p- is typically silent in English words that have it but pronounced in French, German, etc.
ptarmic (n.): "substance which causes sneezing," 1680s, from noun use of Latin ptarmicus, from Greek ptarmikos "causing sneezing," from ptarmos "sneeze."
ptarmigan (n.): bird of the grouse family, 1590s, from Gaelic tarmachan, of unknown origin. The pt- spelling (1680s) is a mistaken Greek construction (perhaps based on pteron "wing").
ptero-: before vowels pter-, word-forming element in science meaning "feather; wing," from comb. form of Greek pteron "wing," from PIE *pt-ero- (cognates: Sanskrit patram "wing, feather," Old Church Slavonic pero "pen," Old Norse fjöðr, Old English feðer), from root *pet- "to rush; to fly" (see petition (n.))
pterodactyl (n.): extinct flying reptile, 1830, from French ptérodactyle (1821), from Modern Latin genus name Pterodactylus, from Greek pteron "wing" (see ptero-) + daktylos "finger" (see dactyl).
Ptolemaic (adj.): 1670s, "of Ptolemy," Alexandrian astronomer (2c.) whose geocentric model of the universe was accepted until the time of Copernicus and Kepler. Also (1771) "of the Ptolemies," Macedonian Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt from the death of Alexander to Cleopatra. Earlier form was Ptolemaean (1640s).
Ptolemy: ancient masc. proper name, from Greek Ptolemaios, literally "warlike," from ptolemos, collateral form of polemos "war." Also see Ptolemaic.
ptomaine (n.): 1880, from Italian ptomaina, coined by Professor Francesco Selmi of Bologna, 1878, from Greek ptoma "corpse," on notion of poison produced in decaying matter. Greek ptoma is literally "a fall, a falling," via the notion of "fallen thing, fallen body;" nominal derivative of piptein "to fall" (see symptom). Incorrectly formed, and Selmi is roundly scolded for it in OED, which says proper Greek would be *ptomatine.
ptosis (n.): 1743, from Greek ptosis, literally "falling, a fall," also "the case of a noun," nominal derivative of piptein "to fall" (see symptom). In English, especially of the eyelid. Related: Ptotic.
pub (n.): 1859, slang shortening of public house (see public (adj.)), which originally meant "any building open to the public" (1570s), then "inn that provides food and is licensed to sell ale, wine, and spirits" (1660s), and finally "tavern" (1768). Pub crawl first attested 1910 in British slang.
puberty (n.): "the time of life in which the two sexes begin first to be acquainted" [Johnson], late 14c., from Old French puberté and directly from Latin pubertatem (nominative pubertas) "age of maturity, manhood," from pubes (genitive pubertis) "adult, full-grown, manly." Related: Puberal; pubertal.
pubes (n.): 1560s, "pubic hair," from Latin pubes "pubescent, arrived at the age of puberty, of ripe years, grown up," also, as a noun, "a sign of puberty" (such as pubic hair), also "young men of the age of puberty" (see puberty). In 19c. also "pubic bone," and earlier "part of either hip bone that forms the front of the pelvis," from Latin os pubis, from pubes "genital area." In modern slang, monosyllable, a familiar shortening of pubic hairs (see pubic).
pubescence (n.): early 15c., Middle French pubescence, from Medieval Latin pubescentia, noun of state from Latin pubescentem (nominative pubescens), present participle of pubescere "grow up; ripen, come to maturity; reach the age of puberty, arrive at puberty," from pubes "adult, full-grown" (see puberty).
pubescent (adj.): 1610s, a back-formation from pubescence, or else from French pubescent (early 16c.) or directly from Latin pubescentem (nominative pubescens), present participle of pubescere "to reach puberty" (see pubescence).
pubic (adj.): 1811, with -ic + medical Latin pubis "bone of the groin" (1590s), short for Latin os pubis, from Latin pubes (genitive pubis) "genital area, groin," related to pubes (adj.) "full-grown" (see puberty).
public (adj.): late 14c., "open to general observation," from Old French public (c. 1300) and directly from Latin publicus "of the people; of the state; done for the state," also "common, general, public; ordinary, vulgar," and as a noun, "a commonwealth; public property," altered (probably by influence of Latin pubes "adult population, adult") from Old Latin poplicus "pertaining to the people," from populus "people" (see people (n.)).

Early 15c. as "pertaining to the people." From late 15c. as "pertaining to public affairs;" meaning "open to all in the community" is from 1540s in English. An Old English adjective in this sense was folclic. Public relations first recorded 1913 (after an isolated use by Thomas Jefferson in 1807). Public office "position held by a public official" is from 1821; public service is from 1570s; public interest from 1670s. Public-spirited is from 1670s. Public enemy is attested from 1756. Public sector attested from 1949. Public funds (1713) are the funded debts of a government.

Public school is from 1570s, originally, in Britain, a grammar school endowed for the benefit of the public, but most have evolved into boarding-schools for the well-to-do. The main modern meaning in U.S., "school (usually free) provided at public expense and run by local authorities," is attested from 1640s. For public house, see pub.