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nonplus [nonplus 词源字典]: nonplus: see plural
[nonplus etymology, nonplus origin, 英语词源]
pluck: pluck: [OE] Pluck is a widespread Germanic word (Flemish has plokken, Swedish plocka, and Danish plukke, and German and Dutch the closely related pflücken and plukken), but it is ultimately of Latin origin. Prehistoric Germanic *plukkōn was acquired from a Vulgar Latin *piluccāre (source also of Old French peluchier ‘pluck’ – from which English gets plush [16] – and Italian piluccare ‘pluck’), a derivative of Latin pīlus ‘hair’ (source of English depilatory, pile ‘nap’, etc).

The use of the noun pluck for ‘courage’ originated in the 18th century from an earlier literal application to the ‘heart (and other internal organs) of a slaughtered animal’, which in turn was based on the notion of their being ‘plucked’ or removed from the carcase.
=> depilatory, pile, plush
plum: plum: [OE] Plum and prune ‘dried plum’ are ultimately the same word. Their common ancestor was Greek proumnon, a word which originated somewhere in Asia Minor. This was later contracted to prounon, and borrowed into Latin as prōnum. Its plural prōna came to be regarded in post-classical times as a singular, and this is where English gets prune from, but prōna was also borrowed into prehistoric Germanic, and many of its descendants here have had their r changed to l (the two are close together phonetically) – hence German pflaume, Swedish plommon, and English plum.
=> prune
plumb: plumb: [13] Plumb comes via Old French *plombe from Latin plumbum ‘lead’, a word of uncertain origin. Of its modern English uses, the verbal ‘sound the depths’ comes from the use of a line weighted with lead (a plumb line) to measure the depth of water and the adverbial ‘exactly’ from the use of a similar line to determine verticality. Related words in English include aplomb; plumber [14] (originally simply a ‘worker in lead’, but eventually, since water pipes were once made of lead, a ‘pipe-layer’); plummet [14] (a diminutive form coined in Old French); and plunge [14] (from the Vulgar Latin derivative *plumbicāre ‘sound with a plumb’).
=> aplomb, plumber, plummet, plunge
plume: plume: [14] Latin plūma originally denoted ‘down, feathers’ (it is probably related to English fleece). Eventually, though, it came to signify a ‘single feather’, and evolved in this sense to Italian piuma, Spanish pluma, and French plume – source of English plume. The derivative plumage [15] originated in Old French.
=> fleece, plumage
plummet: plummet: see plumb
plunder: plunder: [17] Plunder is of Dutch origin, and etymologically denotes something like ‘rob of household odds and ends’. It was borrowed from Middle Dutch plunderen, which was presumably derived from the noun plunde or plunne ‘household goods, clothes, etc’, whose origins are unknown.
plunge: plunge: see plumb
plural: plural: [14] Plural is one of a range of English words that go back ultimately to Latin plūs ‘more’, a descendant (like English full and Greek pólus ‘much’, source of the English prefix poly-) of the Indo-European base *plē- ‘full’. This was borrowed into English directly as plus [17], in the sense ‘with the addition of’. Plural comes via Old French plurel from the Latin derivative plūrālis ‘more than one’.

Other related words in English include nonplus [16] (etymologically ‘put in a position where “no more” – Latin nōn plūs – can be done’); pluperfect [16] (a lexicalization of the Latin phrase plūs quam perfectum ‘more than perfect’); and surplus.
=> nonplus, pluperfect, plus, surplus
plus fours: plus fours: [20] The term plus fours was introduced around 1920. It is an allusion to the fact that such trousers were made four inches longer in the leg than the standard knickerbockers or shorts of the time, which came to just above the knee.
plush: plush: see pluck
surplus: surplus: see full
E pluribus unum: motto of the United States, being one nation formed by uniting several states, 1782, Latin, from e "out of" (see ex-); ablative plural of plus "more" (see plus (n.)); neuter of unus "one" (see one). Not found in classical Latin, though a variant of the phrase appears in Virgil (color est e pluribus unum); the full phrase was the motto of the popular "Gentleman's Magazine" from 1731 into the 1750s.
ear-plug (n.): also earplug, 1841, from ear (n.1) + plug (n.).
fireplug (n.): also fire-plug, 1713, from fire (n.) + plug (n.).
ne plus ultra: "utmost limit to which one can go," Latin, literally "no more beyond;" the motto traditionally inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules.
nonplus (v.): "to bring to a nonplus, to perplex," 1590s, from the noun (1580s), properly "state where 'nothing more' can be done or said," from Latin non plus "no more, no further" (see plus). Related: Nonplussed.
nonplussed (adj.): c. 1600, past participle adjective from nonplus.
-plus: word-forming element, Latin -plus "-fold," from *-plo-, combining form of PIE *pel- (3) "to fold" (see fold (v.)). Cognate with Old English -feald, Greek -paltos, -plos.
pluck (n.): c. 1400, "act of plucking," from pluck (v.). Meaning "courage, boldness" (1785), originally in pugilism slang, is a figurative use from earlier meaning "heart, viscera" (1610s) as that which is "plucked" from slaughtered livestock. Perhaps influenced by figurative use of the verb in pluck up (one's courage, etc.), attested from c. 1300.
pluck (v.): late Old English ploccian, pluccian "pull off, cull," from West Germanic *plokken (cognates: Middle Low German plucken, Middle Dutch plocken, Dutch plukken, Flemish plokken, German pflücken), perhaps from Vulgar Latin *piluccare (source of Old French peluchier, late 12c.; Italian piluccare), a frequentative, ultimately from Latin pilare "pull out hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). But despite the similarities, OED finds difficulties with this and cites gaps in historical evidence. Related: Plucked; plucking.
To pluck a rose, an expression said to be used by women for going to the necessary house, which in the country usually stands in the garden. [F. Grose, "Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," 1785]
This euphemistic use is attested from 1610s. To pluck up "summon up" is from c. 1300.
plucky (adj.): 1831, from pluck (n.) + -y (2). Related: Pluckily; pluckiness.
plug (v.): "close tightly (a hole), fill," 1620s, from plug (n.) or from Dutch pluggen. Meaning "work energetically at" is c. 1865. Sense of "popularize by repetition" is from 1906. Slang sense "put a bullet into" is recorded from 1870. Related: Plugged; plugging.
plug (n.): 1620s, originally a seamen's term, probably from Dutch plug, Middle Dutch plugge "bung, stopper," related to Norwegian plugg, Danish pløg, North Frisian plaak, Middle Low German pluck, German Pflock; ultimate origin uncertain. Irish and Gaelic words are from English. Sense of "wad or stick of tobacco" is attested from 1728, based on resemblance. Electrical sense is from 1883, based on being inserted; meaning "sparking device in an internal combustion engine" is from 1886. Meaning "advertisement" first recorded 1902, American English, perhaps from verb sense "work energetically at" (c. 1865).
plug-in (adj.): 1922, from plug (v.) + in (adv.).
plug-ugly (n.): "ruffian," 1856, originally in Baltimore, Maryland, from plug (n.), American English slang name for the stovepipe hats then popular among young men, + ugly.
plugger (n.): 1867, agent noun from plug (v.).
plum (n.): Old English plume "plum, plum tree," from an early Germanic borrowing (Middle Dutch prume, Dutch pruim, Old High German pfluma, pfruma, German Pflaume) from Vulgar Latin *pruna, from Latin prunum "plum," from Greek prounon, later form of proumnon, of unknown origin, perhaps from an Asiatic language (Phrygian?). Also see prune (n.). Change of pr- to pl- is peculiar to Germanic. The vowel shortened in early modern English. Meaning "something desirable" is first recorded 1780, probably in reference to the sugar-rich bits of a plum pudding, etc.
plumage (n.): late 14c., "feathers," from Old French plumage "plumage, appearance" (14c.), from plume (see plume (n.)).
plumassier (n.): "dealer in ornamental feathers," from French plumassier, from Middle French plumasse "plume of feather," from plume (see plume).
plumb (n.): "lead hung on a string to show the vertical line," early 14c., from Old French *plombe, plomee "sounding lead," and directly from Late Latin *plumba, originally plural of Latin plumbum "lead (the metal), lead ball; pipe; pencil," a word of unknown origin, related to Greek molybdos "lead" (dialectal bolimos) and perhaps from an extinct Mediterranean language, perhaps Iberian.
plumb (v.): early 15c., "to sink" (like lead), from plumb (n.). Meaning "take soundings with a plumb" is first recorded 1560s; figurative sense of "to get to the bottom of" is from 1590s. Related: Plumbed; plumbing.
plumb (adj.): "perpendicular, vertical," mid-15c., from plumb (n.). The notion of "exact measurement" led to extended sense of "completely, downright" (1748), sometimes spelled plump, plum, or plunk.
plumb-bob (n.): 1835, from plumb (n.) + bob (n.1).
plumbago (n.): "graphite," 1784, from Latin plumbago "a type of lead ore, black lead," from plumbum "lead" (see plumb (n.)); it renders Greek molybdaina, which was used of yellow lead oxide and also of a type of plant (leadwort). Attested in English in the yellow oxide sense from 1610s; as a type of plant from 1747. Related: Plumbaginous.
plumber (n.): late 14c. (from c. 1100 as a surname), "a worker in any sort of lead" (roofs, gutters, pipes), from Old French plomier "lead-smelter" (Modern French plombier) and directly from Latin plumbarius "worker in lead," noun use of adjective meaning "pertaining to lead," from plumbum "lead" (see plumb (n.)). Meaning focused 19c. on "workman who installs pipes and fittings" as lead water pipes became the principal concern of the trade. In U.S. Nixon administration (1969-74), the name of a special unit for investigation of "leaks" of government secrets.
plumbic (adj.): "combined with lead," 1799, from Latin plumbum (see plumb (n.)) + -ic.
plumbing (n.): mid-15c., "the weighting of a fishing line," verbal noun from plumb (v.). Specific meaning "water and drainage pipes" is recorded by 1875, American English.
THE apparatus by which the water from a reservoir is carried about over a building and delivered at points convenient for use, is called by the general name of plumbing. The word "plumbing" means lead-work; and it is used to signify this water apparatus of a house because the pipes of which it largely consists are usually made of lead. [Edward Abbott, "Long Look House: A Book for Boys and Girls," Boston, 1877]
Alternative plumbery also is mid-15c. Slang meaning "a person's reproductive organs" attested by 1975.
plumbo-: word-forming element meaning "lead" (the metal), from comb. form of Latin plumbum "lead" (see plumb (n.)).
plumbous (adj.): 1680s, "leaden;" 1854 in chemistry sense, "containing lead" (especially in a low valence), from Latin plumbosus "full of lead," from plumbum (see plumb (n.)).
plume (n.): late 14c., "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from Old French plume "soft feather, down; feather bed," and directly from Latin pluma "a feather, down; the first beard," from PIE root *pleus- "to pluck; a feather, fleece" (source of Old English fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long streamer of smoke, etc." is first attested 1878.
plume (v.): late 14c., "to pluck, strip," from plume (n.). From mid-15c. as "to adorn with plumes." Meaning "to dress the feathers" is from 1702. Related: Plumed; pluming.
plumed (adj.): "adorned with plumes," 1520s, past participle adjective from plume (v.).
plummet (n.): late 14c., "ball of lead, plumb of a bob-line," from Old French plomet "graphite, lead; plummet, sounding lead," diminutive of plom "sounding lead" (see plumb (n.)).
plummet (v.): 1620s, "to fathom, take soundings," from plummet (n.). Meaning "to fall rapidly" first recorded 1933, perhaps originally among aviators. Related: Plummeted; plummeting.
plump (adj.): late 15c., "blunt, dull" (in manners), from Dutch plomp "blunt, thick, massive, stumpy," probably related to plompen "fall or drop heavily" (see plump (v.)). Meaning "fleshy, of rounded form" is from 1540s in English. Danish and Swedish plump "rude, coarse, clumsy" are from the Low German word and represent a different sense development.
plump (v.1): c. 1300, "to fall or strike with a full impact," common Low German word, from or related to Middle Dutch and Dutch plompen, East Frisian plumpen, Middle Low German plumpen, probably more or less imitative of something hard striking something soft. Hence plump (n.) "a firm blow," in pugilism usually one to the stomach.
To plump; to strike, or shoot. I'll give you a plump in the bread basket, or the victualling office; I'll give you a blow in the stomach. [Grose, "Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," London, 1785]

Or, even if any of them should suspect me, I know how to bring myself off. It is but pretending to be affronted, stripping directly, challenging him to fight, and before he can be on his guard, hitting him a plump in the bread-basket, that shall make him throw up his accounts; and I'll engage he will have but very little stomach to accuse me after. ["The Reverie: or A Flight to the Paradise of Fools," London, 1763]
plump (v.2): "to become plump," 1530s, from plump (adj.). Meaning "to plump (something) up, to cause to swell" is from 1530s. Related: Plumped; plumping.
plumpness (n.): 1540s, from plump (adj.) + -ness.
plunder (n.): "goods taken by force; act of plundering," 1640s, from plunder (v.).