英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

enfeeble (v.)[enfeeble 词源字典]: "to cause to weaken, deprive of strength," mid-14c., from Old French enfeblir "become weak," from en- (see en- (1)) + feble (see feeble). Related: Enfeebled; enfeebling; enfeeblement.[enfeeble etymology, enfeeble origin, 英语词源]
enfeoff (v.): c. 1400, based on Old French enfeffer, from en- "in" (see en- (1)) + feoff, variant of fief (n.). Related: Enfeoffment.
Enfield (n.): type of rifle, 1854, named for government works in Enfield, Middlesex, England, where it was manufactured.
enfilade (n.): 1706, a string of things in a straight line, from French enfilade, from Old French enfiler (13c.) "to thread (a needle) on a string; pierce from end to end," from en- "put on" (see en- (1)) + fil "thread" (see file (v.1)). Used of rows of apartments and lines of trees before military sense came to predominate: "a firing with a straight passage down ranks of men, channels in fortifications, etc." (1796). As a verb from 1706 in the military sense, "rake with shot through the full length." Related: Enfiladed; enfilading. The Old French verb was borrowed in Middle English as enfile "to put (something) on a thread or string."
enflame (v.): mid-14c.; see inflame. Related: Enflamed; enflaming.
enfold (v.): also infold, early 15c., from en- (1) "make, put in" + fold (n.). Related: Enfolded; enfolding.
enforce (v.): mid-14c., "to drive by physical force; to try, attempt, strive; to fortify, strengthen a place;" late 14c. as "exert force, compel; make stronger, reinforce; strengthen an argument; grow stronger, become violent," from Old French enforcier "strengthen, reinforce; use force (on), offer violence (to); oppress; violate, rape" (12c.) or a native formation from en- (1) "make, put in" + force (n.). Meaning "compel obedience to (a law, etc.) is from 1640s. Related: Enforced; enforcing.
enforceable (adj.): 1580s, from enforce + -able. Related: Enforceability (1851).
enforcement (n.): late 15c., "constraint, compulsion," from Old French enforcement "strengthening, fortification; rape; compulsion, coercion;" from enforcier; see enforce + -ment. Meaning "compelling of obedience to a law, etc." is from 1680s.
enforcer (n.): 1570s, "one who compels, constrains, or urges," agent noun from enforce. Underworld slang meaning "violent intimidator" is from 1934, U.S. underworld slang.
enfranchise (v.): early 15c., "grant (someone) the status or privilege of citizenship, admit to membership in a town," from Old French enfranchiss-, present participle stem of enfranchir "to set or make free; grant a franchise to;" from en- "make, put in" (see en- (1)) + franc "free" (see franchise (n.)). Generally with reference to voting privileges after c. 1700. Related: Enfranchised; enfranchisement.
engage (v.): early 15c., "to pledge" (something, as security for payment), from Old French engagier "bind (by promise or oath), pledge; pawn" (12c.), from phrase en gage "under pledge," from en "in" (see en- (1)) + gage "pledge," through Frankish from Proto-Germanic *wadiare "pledge" (see wed). It shows the common evolution of Germanic -w- to central French -g- (see gu-). Meaning "attract and occupy the attention of" is from 1640s; that of "employ, secure for aid, employment or use" is from 1640s, from notion of "binding as by a pledge;" meaning "enter into combat or contest with" is from 1640s. Specific sense of "promise to marry" is 1610s (implied in engaged). Machinery sense is from 1884. Also from the French word are German engagiren, Dutch engageren, Danish engagere.
engaged (adj.): "affianced, betrothed," 1610s, past participle adjective from engage. Of telephone lines from 1891.
engagement (n.): 1620s, "formal promise," from engage + -ment. Meaning "a battle or fight between armies or fleets" is from 1660s; sense of "state of having entered into a promise of marriage" is from 1742; meaning "appointment" is from 1806. Engagement ring attested by 1863.
engaging (adj.): "interesting, winning, attractive," 1670s, present participle adjective from engage. Related: Engagingly.
engender (v.): early 14c., "beget, procreate," from Old French engendrer (12c.) "give birth to, beget, bear; cause, bring about," from Latin ingenerare "to implant, engender, produce," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + generare "beget, create" (see generation). With euphonious -d- in French. Also from early 14c. engendered was used in a theological sense, with reference to Jesus, "derived (from God)." Meaning "cause, produce" is mid-14c. Related: Engendering.
engine (n.): c. 1300, "mechanical device," especially one used in war; "manner of construction," also "skill, craft, innate ability; deceitfulness, trickery," from Old French engin "skill, wit, cleverness," also "trick, deceit, stratagem; war machine" (12c.), from Latin ingenium "inborn qualities, talent" (see ingenious), in Late Latin "a war engine, battering ram" (Tertullian, Isidore of Seville). Sense of "device that converts energy to mechanical power" is 18c.; in 19c. especially of steam engines.
engineer (n.): mid-14c., enginour, "constructor of military engines," from Old French engigneor "engineer, architect, maker of war-engines; schemer" (12c.), from Late Latin ingeniare (see engine); general sense of "inventor, designer" is recorded from early 15c.; civil sense, in reference to public works, is recorded from c. 1600 but not the common meaning of the word until 19c (hence lingering distinction as civil engineer). Meaning "locomotive driver" is first attested 1832, American English. A "maker of engines" in ancient Greece was a mekhanopoios.
engineer (v.): 1818, "act as an engineer," from engineer (n.). Figurative sense of "arrange, contrive, guide or manage (via ingenuity or tact)" is attested from 1864, originally in a political context. Related: Engineered. Middle English had a verb engine "contrive, construct" (late 14c.), also "seduce, trick, deceive" (c. 1300) and "put to torture."
engineering (n.): 1720, "work done by an engineer," from engineer (n.). As a field of study, attested from 1792. An earlier word was engineership (1640s); engineery was attempted in 1793, but it did not stick.