英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

moronic (adj.)[moronic 词源字典]: 1911, from moron + -ic. Related: Moronically.[moronic etymology, moronic origin, 英语词源]
morose (adj.): 1530s "gloomy," from Latin morosus "morose, peevish, hypercritical, fastidious," from mos (genitive moris) "habit, custom" (see moral (adj.)). In English, manners by itself means "(good) manners," but here the implication in Latin is "(bad) manners." Related: Morosity.
morosely (adv.): 1650s, from morose + -ly (2).
moroseness (n.): 1660s, from morose + -ness. Earlier in the same sense was morosity (1530s), from Middle French morosité, from Latin morositas.
morph: as a noun, in biology, 1955; as a verb, in cinematic special effects, c. 1987, short for metamorphosis. Related: Morphed; morphing. Earlier it was a slang shortening of morphine (1912).
morpheme (n.): "smallest meaningful unit in a language," 1896, from German morpheme, coined 1895 by Polish-born linguist Jan Baudouin de Courtenay (1845-1929), from Greek morphe "form, shape" (see Morpheus), on analogy of phonème.
Morpheus: name for the god of dreams in Ovid, son of Sleep, literally "the maker of shapes," from Greek morphe "form, shape, figure," especially "a fine figure, a beautiful form; beauty, fashion, outward appearance," perhaps from PIE *merph-, a possible Greek root meaning "form." Related: Morphean. Morpho was an epithet of Aphrodite, literally "shapely."
morphic (adj.): 1826, from Greek morphe "form, shape" (see Morpheus) + -ic.
morphine (n.): chief alkaloid of opium, 1828, from French morphine or German Morphin (1816), name coined by German apothecary Friedrich Sertürner (1783-1840) in reference to Latin Morpheus, Ovid's name for the god of dreams, from Greek morphe "form, shape, beauty, outward appearance," perhaps from PIE *merph-, a possible Greek root meaning "form," of unknown origin. So called because of the drug's sleep-inducing properties.
morphinomania (n.): "mad craving for morphine," 1882; see morphine + mania.
morpho-: before vowels morph-, word-forming element meaning "form, shape," from comb. form of Greek morphe "form, shape; beauty, outward appearance" (see Morpheus).
morphodite (n.): 1839, colloquial mangling of hermaphrodite. An earlier mangling was mophrodite (1706); also see dyke.
morphogenesis (n.): 1863 in biology; 1958 in geology; from morpho- + -genesis "birth, origin, creation." Related: Morphogenetic.
morphology (n.): 1824 in biology (from German Morphologie, 1817); 1869 in philology; from morpho- + -logy. Related: Morphological; morphologist. Related: Morphologist.
morphosis (n.): "mode of formation," Modern Latin, from Greek morphosis "a forming, shaping," from morphe "form, shape; outward appearance" (see Morpheus).
Morris: surname and masc. proper name, in some cases representing Maurice (common form Morice, or a nickname, Moorish, for onme who is swarthy. As a style of furniture, wallpaper, etc., 1880, in reference to poet and craftsman William Morris (1834-1896).
morris dance (n.): mid-15c., moreys daunce "Moorish dance," from Flemish mooriske dans, from Old French morois "Moorish, Arab, black," from More "Moor" (see Moor). Unknown why the English dance was called this, unless in reference to fantastic dancing or costumes (compare Italian Moresco, a related dance, literally "Moorish;" German moriskentanz, French moresque).
morrow (n.): mid-13c., morewe-; c. 1300, morwe, shortened variation of morewen "morrow" (see morn).
Morse code (n.): 1867, earlier Morse key (1858), in honor of Samuel F.B. Morse (1791-1872), U.S. inventor who produced a system of telegraphic communication 1836. He invented both the recording telegraph and the alphabet of dots and dashes.
morsel (n.): late 13c., "a bite, mouthful; small piece, fragment," from Old French morsel (Modern French morceau) "small bite, portion, helping," diminutive of mors "a bite," from Latin morsus "biting, a bite," neuter past participle of mordere "to bite" (see mordant).