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Origin and history of produce

produce(v.)

early 15c., producen, "develop, proceed, extend, lengthen out," from Latin producere "lead or bring forth, draw out," figuratively "to promote, empower; stretch out, extend," from pro "before, forth" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, before, forth") + ducere "to bring, lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead").

The sense of "bring into being or existence" is from late 15c. That of "put (a play) on stage" is from 1580s. Of animals or plants, "generate, bear, bring forth, give birth to," 1520s. The meaning "cause, effect, or bring about by mental or physical labor" is from 1630s. In political economy, "create value; bring goods, manufactures, etc. into a state in which they will command a price," by 1827. Related: Produced; producing.

also from early 15c.

produce(n.)

"thing or things produced," 1690s, from produce (v.), and originally accented like it. Specific sense of "agricultural productions" (as distinguished from manufactured goods) is from 1745.

also from 1690s

Entries linking to produce

producer(n.)

1510s, "one who or that which produces;" agent noun from produce (v.). Of entertainments, from 1891; in political economy, "one who causes any article to have an exchangeable value" (opposed to consumer), by 1714 (John Locke).

product(n.)

early 15c., "mathematical quantity obtained by multiplication," from Medieval Latin productum, in classical Latin "something produced," noun use of neuter past participle of producere "bring forth" (see produce (v.)). General sense of "anything produced" is attested in English from 1570s; political economy sense of "what is produced commercially for sale" is by 1890.

  • production
  • productive
  • reproduce
  • *deuk-
  • *per-
  • See All Related Words (7)
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More to explore

production
c. 1400, produccioun, "a coming into being," from Old French production "production, exhibition" (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin productionem (nominative productio) "a prolonging, lengthening," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin producere "bring forth" (see
grow
Old English growan (of plants) "to flourish, increase, develop, get bigger" (class VII strong verb; past tense greow, past participle growen), from Proto-Germanic *gro- (source also of Old Norse groa "to grow" (of vegetation), Old Frisian groia, Dutch groeien, Old High German gru
develop
1650s, "unroll, unfold" (a sense now obsolete), from French développer. It replaced earlier English disvelop (1590s, from French desveloper); both French words are from Old French desveloper, desvoleper, desvoloper "unwrap, unfurl, unveil; reveal the meaning of, explain," from de
engender
"give birth to, beget, bear; cause, bring about," from Latin ingenerare "to implant, engender, produce," from in- "in" (from...PIE root *en "in") + generare "bring forth, beget, produce," from genus "race, kind" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth,...Meaning "cause, produce" is mid-14c. Related: Engendering....
puerperal
bearing a child" (as a noun, "woman in labor"), from puer "child, boy" (see puerility) + parire "to bring forth, bear, produce..., create; bring about, accomplish," from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, bring forth")....
parent
(nominative parens) "father or mother, ancestor," noun use of present participle of parire "bring forth, give birth to, produce...," from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, bring forth."...
repertory
reperire "to find, get, invent," from re-, here perhaps an intensive prefix (see re-), + parire, archaic form of paerere "produce..., bring forth" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure")....
render
late 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo
change
c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),
proof
c. 1200, preove "evidence and argumentation to establish the fact of (something) beyond reasonable doubt," from Anglo-French prove, preove, Old French proeve, prueve "proof, test, experience" (13c., Modern French preuve), from Late Latin proba "a proof," a back-formation from Lat

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Dictionary entries near produce
  • prodigality
  • prodigious
  • prodigy
  • prodromal
  • prodrome
  • produce
  • producer
  • product
  • production
  • productive
  • productivity
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