Etymologize

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Etymologize \Et`y*mol"o*gize\ (-j[imac]z), v. t. [Cf. F.
     ['e]tymologiser.]
     To give the etymology of; to trace to the root or primitive,
     as a word. --Camden
     [1913 Webster]



From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Etymologize \Et`y*mol"o*gize\, v. t.
     To search into the origin of words; to deduce words from
     their simple roots.
     [1913 Webster]
  
           How perilous it is to etymologize at random. --Trench.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  etymologize
       v 1: give the etymology or derivation or suggest an etymology
            (for a word); "The linguist probably etymologized the
            words incorrectly"; "Although he is not trained in this,
            his hobby is etymologizing" [syn: {etymologise}]
       2: construct the history of words [syn: {etymologise}]