英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

tinhorn (adj.)[tinhorn 词源字典]: "petty but flashy," 1857, from tin + horn (n.); originally of low-class gamblers, from the tin cans they used for shaking dice.[tinhorn etymology, tinhorn origin, 英语词源]
tink: late 14c. (v.); c. 1600 (n.), echoic.
tinker (n.): "mender of kettles, pots, pans, etc.," late 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), of uncertain origin. Some connect the word with the sound made by light hammering on metal. Tinker's damn "something slight and worthless" is from 1824, probably preserving tinkers' reputation for free and casual use of profanity; the plain and simple etymology is not good enough for some writers, and since 1877 an ingeniously elaborate but baseless derivation has been circulated claiming the second word is really dam.
tinker (v.): 1590s, "to work as a tinker," from tinker (n.). Meaning "work imperfectly, keep busy in a useless way," is first found 1650s. Related: Tinkered; tinkering.
tinkle (v.): "to make a gentle ringing sound," late 14c., possibly a frequentative form of tinken "to ring, jingle," perhaps of imitative origin. Meaning "to urinate" is recorded from 1960, from childish talk. Related: Tinkled; tinkling. As a noun from 1680s.
tinman (n.): "tinsmith," 1610s, from tin (n.) + man (n.).
tinnitus (n.): 1843, from Latin tinnitus "a ringing, jingling," from tinnire "to ring, tinkle" (see tintinnabulation).
tinny (adj.): 1550s, "of tin," from tin + -y (2). Used figuratively (of sounds, etc.) since 1877.
tinsel (n.): mid-15c., "a kind of cloth made with interwoven gold or silver thread," from Middle French estincelle "spark, spangle" (see stencil (n.)). "In 14-15th c. Fr., the s of es- had long been mute" [OED]. Meaning "very thin sheets or strips of shiny metal" is recorded from 1590s. Figurative sense of "anything showy with little real worth" is from 1650s, suggested from at least 1590s. First recorded use of Tinseltown for "Hollywood" is from 1972.
tinsmith (n.): 1785, from tin + smith (n.).
tint (n.): "color," 1717, alteration of tinct (c. 1600), from Latin tinctus "a dyeing," from tingere "to dye" (see tincture); influenced by Italian tinta "tint, hue," from Latin tinctus.
tint (v.): 1756 (implied in tinted), from tint (n.). Related: Tinting.
tintinnabulation (n.): "the ringing of bells," 1823, from Latin tintinnabulum "bell," from tintinnare "to ring, jingle" (reduplicated form of tinnire "to ring," from an imitative base) + instrumental suffix -bulum. Earlier forms in English were adjectives tintinnabulary (1787), tintinnabulatory (1827), and noun tintinnabulum "small bell" (late 14c.).
tiny (adj.): 1590s, from tyne "very small" (c. 1400, perhaps from tine) + -y (2).
Tioga: place in New York state, from Mohawk (Iroquoian) teyo:ke "junction, fork."
tip (v.1): c. 1300, "to knock down, overturn, topple, knock askew" (transitive), of uncertain origin, possibly from Scandinavian (compare Swedish tippa "to tip, dump"), or from a special use of tip (n.). Intransitive sense of "to fall over, be overturned" is from mid-15c. Related: Tipped; tipping. To tip the scales at "weigh (so much" is from 1879. Tipping point attested by 1972. To tip (one's) hand "reveal one's intentions" is from 1907, an image from poker-playing.
tip (n.1): c. 1400, "extreme end of something, top of something round or pointed, metal attachment to the end of something," from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch tip "utmost point, extremity, tip" (compare German zipfel, a diminutive formation); or from a Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse typpi).
tip (v.2): "give a small present of money to," c. 1600, originally "to give, hand, pass," thieves' cant, perhaps from tip (v.3) "to tap." The meaning "give a gratuity to" is first attested 1706. The noun in this sense is from 1755; the noun meaning "piece of confidential information" is from 1845; and the verb in the sense "give private information to" is from 1883.

The popularity of the tale of the word's supposed origin as an acronym in mid-18th century English taverns seems to be no older than Frederick W. Hackwood's 1909 book "Inns, Ales and Drinking Customs of Old England," where it was said to stand for To insure promptitude (in the form to insure promptness the anecdote is told from 1946). A reviewer of the book in the "Athenaeum" of Oct. 2, 1909, wrote, "We deprecate the careless repetition of popular etymologies such as the notion that "tip" originated from an abbreviated inscription on a box placed on the sideboard in old coaching-inns, the full meaning of which was "To Insure Promptitude." Also see here.
tip (v.3): c. 1200, "to strike, occur suddenly," of uncertain origin, possibly from Low German tippen "to poke, touch lightly," related to Middle Low German tip "end, point," and thus connected to tip (n.); or else related to tap (v.1). Meaning "strike sharply but lightly" is from 1560s. Sports sense is from 1816, originally in cricket. Related: Tipped; tipping.
tip (n.2): "a light, sharp blow or tap," mid-15c., from tip (v.3).