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Origin and history of anorexia

anorexia(n.)

1590s, "morbid want of appetite," Modern Latin, from Greek anorexia, from an- "without" (see an- (1)) + orexis "appetite, desire," from oregein "to desire, long for," literally "reach out (one's hand), stretch oneself, stretch out for" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line") + abstract noun ending -ia. In current use, often short for anorexia nervosa.

also from 1590s

Entries linking to anorexia

anorexia nervosa(n.)

"emaciation as a result of severe emotional disturbance," coined 1873 by William W. Gull, who also offered as an alternative apepsia hysterica as a name for it. See anorexia.

anorectic(adj.)

"characterized by want of appetite," 1832, medical Latin, from Greek anorektos "without appetite," from an- "not, without" (see an- (1)) + orektos, verbal adjective of oregein "to long for, desire" (see anorexia). As a noun, attested from 1913.

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factor
early 15c., "commercial agent, deputy, one who buys or sells for another," from French facteur "agent, representative" (Old French factor, faitor "doer, author, creator"), from Latin factor "doer, maker, performer," in Medieval Latin, "agent," agent noun from past participle stem
overcome
Old English ofercuman "to reach, overtake, move or pass over," also "to conquer, prevail over, defeat in combat" (the Devil, evil spirits, sin, temptation, etc.), from ofer (see over) + cuman "to come" (see come (v.)). A common Germanic compound (Middle Dutch overkomen, Old High
Viking
Scandinavian pirate, 1801, vikingr, in "The History of the Anglo-Saxons" by English historian Sharon H. Turner; he suggested the second element might be connected to king: But this later was dismissed as incorrect. The form viking is attested in 1820, in Jamieson's notes to "The
boggle
1590s, "to start with fright (as a startled horse does), shy, take alarm," from Middle English bugge "specter" (among other things, supposed to scare horses at night); see bug (n.); also compare bogey (n.1), boggart. The meaning " hesitate, stop as if afraid to proceed in fear of
canteen
1744 (in a recollection from c. 1710), "store in a military camp," from French cantine "sutler's shop" (17c.), from Italian cantina "wine cellar, vault," diminutive of canto "a side, corner, angle." Thus it is perhaps another descendant of the many meanings that were attached to
sycophant
1530s (in Latin form sycophanta), "informer, talebearer, slanderer" (a sense now obsolete), from French sycophante and directly from Latin sycophanta, from Greek sykophantēs "false accuser, slanderer," literally "one who shows the fig," from sykon "fig" (see fig (n.1)) + phainein
dandy
"man who draws attention by unusual finery of dress and fastidiousness manners, a fop," c. 1780, of uncertain origin; attested earliest in a Scottish border ballad: I've heard my granny crack O' sixty twa years back When there were sic a stock of Dandies O etc. In that regi
turpitude
"depravity, infamy, inherent baseness or vileness," late 15c., from Old French turpitude (early 15c.), from Latin turpitudinem (nominative turpitudo) "baseness," from turpis "vile, foul, physically ugly, base, unsightly," figuratively "morally ugly, scandalous, shameful," a word
risk
1660s, risque, "hazard, danger, peril, exposure to mischance or harm," from French risque (16c.), from Italian risco, riscio (modern rischio), from riscare "run into danger," a word of uncertain origin. The Englished spelling is recorded by 1728. Spanish riesgo and German Risiko
shibboleth
late 14c., in Bible translations, the Hebrew word shibboleth, meaning "flood, stream," also "ear of corn," as used in Judges xii.4-6. During the slaughter at the fords of Jordan, the Gileadites took it as a password to distinguish their men from fleeing Ephraimites, because Ephra

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