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Origin and history of thrust

thrust(v.)

c. 1200, thristen, thruste, thrist, "push, jostle, shove; stab with a weapon," transitive and intransitive, from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse þrysta "to thrust, force, press," from Proto-Germanic *thrustijanan, perhaps (Watkins) from PIE *treud- "push, press" (see threat), but OED (1989) finds this derivation doubtful. Related: Thrusting.

thrust(n.)

1510s, "act of pressing," from thrust (v.). Meaning "act of thrusting" (in the modern sense) is from 1580s. Meaning "propulsive force" is from 1708. Figurative sense of "principal theme, aim, point, purpose" is recorded from 1968.

also from 1510s

Entries linking to thrust

threat(n.)

Middle English thret, threte, Northern thrat, from Old English þreat "crowd, troop, multitude" (senses now obsolete), also "oppression, coercion, menace," related to þreotan "to trouble, weary," from Proto-Germanic *thrautam (source also of Dutch verdrieten, German verdrießen "to vex").

According to Watkins this is from PIE *treud- "to push, press squeeze" (source also of Latin trudere "to press, thrust," Old Church Slavonic trudu "oppression," Middle Irish trott "quarrel, conflict," Middle Welsh cythrud "torture, torment, afflict").

From Middle English especially "a verbal menace." The sense of "conditional declaration of hostile intention" was in Old English.

out-thrust(adj.)

"to extend or project outward," 1820, from out- + thrust (v.). Related: Out-thrusting.

thruster(n.)

"one who or that which thrusts" in any sense, c. 1400, thristere, "one who pushes against restraints;" agent noun from thrust (v.). By 1610s as "a swordsman;" by 1962 as a type of rocket engine.

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    hurl
    early 13c., hurlen, "to run against (each other), come into collision," later "throw forcibly" (c. 1300); "rush violently" (late 14c.); perhaps related to Low German hurreln "to throw, to dash," and East Frisian hurreln "to roar, to bluster." OED suggests all are from an imitativ
    stuff
    early 14c., stuffe, "quilted material worn under chain mail," from Old French estoffe "quilted material, furniture, provisions" (Modern French étoffe), from estoffer "to equip or stock," which is of obscure origin; according to French sources it is from Old High German stopfon "t
    shove
    "push along by direct, continuous strength; attempt to move by pushing," Middle English shouven, from Old English scufan, sceofan "push away, thrust, push with violence" (class II strong verb; past tense sceaf, past participle scoven), from Proto-Germanic *skūbanan (source also o
    intrude
    possession of (a prebend) not rightfully one's own," a back-formation from intrusion, or else from Latin intrudere "to thrust...in, force in," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + trudere "to thrust, push," from PIE *treud- "to press, push, squeeze...From 1560s in a physical sense of "thrust in" (transitive or intransitive); meaning "enter unbidden and without welcome"...is from 1570s; that of "thrust or bring in without necessity or right" is from 1580s....
    pierce
    c. 1300 (c. 1200 as a surname), percen, "make a hole in; force one's way through; thrust through with or as with a sharp...French percer), probably from Vulgar Latin *pertusiare, frequentative of Latin pertusus, past participle of pertundere "to thrust...forward," hence "through") + tundere "to beat, pound," from PIE *tund-, from root *(s)teu- "to push, strike, knock, beat, thrust...
    eliminate
    1560s, "to thrust out, remove, throw out of doors," from Latin eliminatus, past participle of eliminare "thrust out of doors...
    rebut
    c. 1300, rebouten, "to thrust back," from Old French reboter, rebuter "to thrust back," from re- "back" (see re-) + boter...
    prod
    1530s, "to poke with a stick," of uncertain origin; possibly [Barnhart, Century Dictionary] a variant of brod, from Middle English brodden "to goad," from Old Norse broddr "shaft, spike" (see brad), or perhaps imitative [OED]. Compare dialectal prog "pointed instrument for poking
    drop
    Middle English drope, from Old English dropa "a small, spherical mass of liquid," from Proto-Germanic *drupon (source also of Old Saxon dropo, Old Norse dropi, Dutch drop, Old High German tropfo, German Tropfen (n.)); see drop (v.). Sense of "minute quantity of anything, least po
    horn
    Old English horn "horn of an animal; projection, pinnacle," also "wind instrument" (originally one made from animal horns), from Proto-Germanic *hurni- (source also of German Horn, Dutch horen, Old Frisian horn, Gothic haurn), from PIE root *ker- (1) "horn; head." Late 14c. as "o

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