英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

brick [brick 词源字典]: brick: [15] For what is today such a common phenomenon, the word brick made a surprisingly late entry into the English language. But of course until the later Middle Ages, bricks were very little used in Britain. It was not until the mid-15th century that they were introduced by Flemish builders, and they appear to have brought the word, Middle Dutch bricke, with them. The ultimate source of the word is not clear, although some have tried to link it with break.
[brick etymology, brick origin, 英语词源]
occur: occur: [16] Etymologically, occur means ‘run towards’. It was borrowed from Latin occurrere, a compound verb formed from the prefix ob- ‘towards’ and currere ‘run’ (source of English course, current, etc). This had the sense ‘run to meet’, hence simply ‘meet’, which survived into English: ‘The whole multitude might freely move … with very little occurring or interfering’, Richard Bentley, Boyle Lectures 1692. But ‘meeting’ also passed into ‘presenting itself’, ‘appearing’, and hence ‘happening’ – from which the main present-day meaning of English occur comes.
=> course, current
cybernetics (n.): coined 1948 by U.S. mathematician Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) from Greek kybernetes "steersman" (metaphorically "guide, governor") + -ics; perhaps based on 1830s French cybernétique "the art of governing."
The future offers very little hope for those who expect that our new mechanical slaves will offer us a world in which we may rest from thinking. Help us they may, but at the cost of supreme demands upon our honesty and our intelligence. [Norbert Wiener, "God and Golem, Inc.," 1964]
minuteman (n.): U.S. history, one of a class of militia available for immediate service (i.e. "ready in a matter of minutes"), 1774. As the name of a type of ICBM, from 1961, so called because they could be launched with very little preparation.
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]