英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

tenure (n.)[tenure 词源字典]: early 15c., "holding of a tenement," from Anglo-French and Old French tenure "a tenure, estate in land" (13c.), from Old French tenir "to hold," from Vulgar Latin *tenire, from Latin tenere "to hold" (see tenet). The sense of "condition or fact of holding a status, position, or occupation" is first attested 1590s. Meaning "guaranteed tenure of office" (usually at a university or school) is recorded from 1957. Related: Tenured (1961).[tenure etymology, tenure origin, 英语词源]
teocalli (n.): place of worship of ancient Mexicans, 1570s, from American Spanish, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) teohcalli "temple, church," literally "god-house," from teotl "god" + calli "house."
teonanacatl (n.): native name for a hallucinogenic fungi (Psilocybe mexicana) found in Central America, 1875, from Nahuatl (Aztecan), from teotl "god" + nancatl "mushroom."
tepee (n.): 1743, ti pee, from Dakota (Siouan) thipi "dwelling, house."
tephromancy (n.): 1650s, "divination by means of ashes," from Modern Latin tephromantia, from comb. form of Greek tephra "ashes" + manteia "divination," from mantis "prophet" (see mania).
tepid (adj.): c. 1400, from Latin tepidus "lukewarm," from tepere "be moderately warm," from PIE root *tep- "to be hot" (cognates: Sanskrit tapati "makes warm, heats, burns," tapas "heat, austerity;" Avestan tafnush "fever;" Old Church Slavonic topiti "to warm," teplu "warm;" Old Irish tene "fire;" Welsh tes "heat"). Related: Tepidly; tepidity.
tequila (n.): Mexican brandy, 1849 (from 1841 as vino de Tequila), from American Spanish tequila, from Tequila, name of a district in central Mexico noted for the fine quality of its tequila. Tequila sunrise is attested by 1965.
ter-: word-forming element meaning "thrice, three times," from Latin ter "thrice," from *tris-, from root of three. Compare Latin tertius "third."
tera-: prefix meaning "trillion," used in forming large units of measure (such as terabyte), officially adopted 1947, from Greek teras "marvel, monster" (see terato-).
terabyte (n.): by 1982, from tera- + byte.
terato-: before vowels terat-, word-forming element meaning "marvel, monster," from comb. form of Greek teras (genitive teratos) "marvel, sign, wonder, monster," from PIE *kewr-es-, from root *kwer- "to make, form" (cognates: Sanskrit krta- "make, do, perform," Lithuanian keras "charm," Old Church Slavonic čaru "charm").
teratogen (n.): 1959, from terato- "marvel, monster" + -gen.
teratogenic (adj.): "causing the formation of monsters," 1873, from teratogeny + -ic; probably based on German teratogenic (by 1856).
teratogeny (n.): "the production of monsters," 1855, from terato- + -geny. Related: Teratogenesis.
teratology (n.): "study of marvels and monstrosities," 1842, from terato- + -logy. Earlier it meant "marvelous narrative" (1670s), from Greek teratologia "a telling of marvels." Related: Teratological; teratologist.
teratoscopy (n.): "augury from prodigies," 1660s; see terato- + -scopy.
terbium (n.): 1843, from Latinized form of Ytterby, Swedish town near the place where mineral containing the element was found (see Ytterbium) + -ium.
tercel (n.): "male falcon," late 14c., from Old French tercel (c. 1200), from Medieval Latin tertiolus, from Latin tertius "third, a third," from root of tres "three" (see three). Various theories as to why it is called this; one says it's because the males are a third smaller than the females, another because a third egg in the nest (smaller than the other two) is believed always to produce a male bird.
tercentenary (adj.): 1832, "pertaining to a period of 300 years," from ter- "three times" + centenary. As a noun from 1835. Related: Tercentennial (1862 as an adjective; 1872 as a noun).
terceroon (n.): offspring of a white and a mulatto, 1760, from Spanish *terceron, from tercero "a third (person)," from tercio "third," from Latin tertius "a third," from root of tres "three" (see three). So called from being third in descent from a Negro.