英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

tercet (n.)[tercet 词源字典]: "three successive lines rhyming together," 1590s, from Italian terzetto, diminutive of terzo "third," from Latin tertius (see third). Spelling influenced by French tercet, from the Italian.[tercet etymology, tercet origin, 英语词源]
terebinth (n.): Mediterranean tree, a member of the sumac family, late 14c., from Old French therebint (13c.), from Latin terebinthus (Pliny), from Greek terebinthos, earlier terminthos, probably from a non-Indo-European language (Klein suggests Creto-Minoic). The tree is the source of Chian turpentine. Related: Terebinthine; terebinthaceous.
tergiversate (v.): 1650s, back-formation from tergiversation, or else from Latin tergiversatus, past participle of tergiversari "be evasive," literally "to turn one's back." Related: Tergiversated; tergiversating.
tergiversation (n.): turning dishonestly from a straightforward action or statement; shifting, shuffling, equivocation, 1560s, from Latin tergiversationem (nominative tergiversatio) "a shifting, evasion, declining, refusing," from past participle stem of tergiversari "turn one's back on, evade," from tergum "the back" (of unknown origin) + versare "to spin, turn" (see versus).
teriyaki: 1962, from Japanese, from teri "gloss, luster" + yaki "roast."
term (n.): c. 1200, terme "limit in time, set or appointed period," from Old French terme "limit of time or place, date, appointed time, duration" (11c.), from Latin terminus "end, boundary line," in Medieval Latin "expression, definition," related to termen "boundary, end" (see terminus). Old English had termen "term, end," from Latin. Sense of "period of time during which something happens" first recorded c. 1300, especially of a school or law court session (mid-15c.).

The meaning "word or phrase used in a limited or precise sense" is first recorded late 14c., from Medieval Latin use of terminus to render Greek horos "boundary," employed in mathematics and logic. Hence in terms of "in the language or phraseology peculiar to." Meaning "completion of the period of pregnancy" is from 1844. Term-paper in U.S. educational sense is recorded from 1931.
term (v.): "to give a particular name to," 1550s, from term (n.). Related: Termed; terming.
termagant (n.): c. 1500, "violent, overbearing person" (especially of women), from Teruagant, Teruagaunt (c. 1200), name of a fictitious Muslim deity appearing in medieval morality plays, from Old French Tervagant, a proper name in Chanson de Roland (c. 1100), of uncertain origin. As an adjective from 1590s.
terminable (adj.): early 15c., from Latin stem of terminate (v.) + -able.
terminal (adj.): mid-15c., "relating to or marking boundaries," from Latin terminalis "pertaining to a boundary or end, final," from terminus "end, boundary line" (see terminus). Meaning "fatal" (terminal illness) is first recorded 1891. Sense of "situated at the extreme end" (of something) is from 1805. Slang meaning "extreme" first recorded 1983. Related: Termninally.
terminal (n.): "end point of a railway line," 1888, from terminal (adj.); sense of "device for communicating with a computer" is first recorded 1954. Earlier "final part of a word" (1831).
terminate (v.): early 15c., "bring to an end," from Latin terminatus, past participle of terminare "to limit, set bounds, end" (see terminus). Intransitive sense of "to come to an end" is recorded from 1640s; meaning "dismiss from a job" is recorded from 1973; that of "to assassinate" is from 1975. Related: Terminated; terminating.
termination (n.): late 14c., "authoritative resolution of a matter," from Old French terminacion (13c.) and directly from Latin terminationem (nominative terminatio) "a fixing of boundaries, a bounding, determining," noun of action from past participle stem of terminare "to limit, end" (see terminus). Meaning "end of a person's employment" is recorded from 1961; meaning "artificial end of a pregnancy" is attested from 1969; sense of "assasination" is recorded from 1975.
terminator (n.): 1770, "line of separation between the bright and dark parts of a moon or planet," from Late Latin terminator "he who sets bounds," agent noun from terminare (see terminus). Meaning "one who terminates" (something) is attested from 1846.
terminer (n.): "a determining," legal term, from French terminer "to end," in Old French "to decide, rule on," from Latin terminare (see terminus; also see oyer).
terminology (n.): 1770, from German Terminologie, a hybrid coined by Christian Gottfried Schütz (1747-1832), professor of poetry and rhetoric at Jena, from Medieval Latin terminus "word, expression" (see terminus) + Greek -logia "a dealing with, a speaking of" (see -logy). Related: Terminological.
Decandolle and others use the term Glossology instead of Terminology, to avoid the blemish of a word compounded of two parts taken from different languages. The convenience of treating the termination ology (and a few other parts of compounds) as not restricted to Greek combinations, is so great, that I shall venture, in these cases, to disregard this philological scruple. [William Whewell, "The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences," 1847]
terminus (n.): 1550s, "goal, end, final point," from Latin terminus (plural termini) "end, boundary line," from PIE *ter-men-, from root *ter-, base of words meaning "peg, post, boundary, marker, goal" (cognates: Sanskrit tarati "passes over, crosses over," tarantah "sea;" Hittite tarmaizzi "he limits;" Greek terma "boundary, end, limit;" Gothic þairh, Old English þurh "through;" Old English þyrel "hole;" Old Norse þrömr "edge, chip, splinter").

In ancient Rome, Terminus was the name of the deity who presided over boundaries and landmarks, focus of the important Roman festival of Terminalia (held Feb. 23, the end of the old Roman year). Meaning "either end of a transportation line" is first recorded 1836.
termite (n.): 1849, back-formation from plural form termites (1781), from Modern Latin termites (three syllables), plural of termes (genitive termitis), a special use of Late Latin termes "woodworm, white ant," altered (by influence of Latin terere "to rub, wear, erode") from earlier Latin tarmes. Their nest is a terminarium (1863). Earlier in English known as wood ant or white ant.
terms (n.): "limiting conditions," early 14c.; see term (n.). Hence expressions such as come to terms, make terms, on any terms, etc. Meaning "standing, footing, mutual relations," as in expression on good terms (with someone), is recorded from 1540s.
tern (n.): gull-like shore bird (subfamily Sterninae), 1670s, via East Anglian dialect, from a Scandinavian source (compare Danish terne, Swedish tärna, Færoese terna) related to Old Norse þerna "tern" (also "maid-servant"), cognate with Old English stearn.