"D" Word Origins

downpour

Origin

From down- plus pour.

downright

Middle English

From Middle English dounright, from doun ("down") plus right, originally meaning "straight down" before shifting to mean "utterly" or "plainly."

downrightly

Origin

From downright + -ly.

downriver

Origin

From down- plus river.

downside

Origin

A compound of down plus side.

downsizing

Origin

From downsize plus -ing.

downsome

Origin

From down + -some.

downstairs

Origin

From down- plus stairs.

downstream

Origin

From down- + stream, describing motion with the current.

downswing

Origin

From down- + swing.

downtime

Origin

From down (in the sense "out of service") + time.

downtown

Origin

From down + town, originally describing the lower, older part of a city (as in Manhattan).

downtrodden

Middle English

From Middle English dountreden, "to tread down" — literally trampled underfoot.

downturn

Origin

From down + turn — a "turning downward" of a trend.

downward

Origin

From down + -ward, a suffix meaning "in the direction of."

downwards

Origin

From down + -wards.

downwind

Origin

From down- + wind.

downy

Origin

From down ("soft fine feathers") + -y.

dowry

Latin

From Anglo-Norman dowarie, ultimately from Latin dos ("gift, dowry"); a doublet of "dower."

dowse

Origin

Unknown; originally a dialectal term from southern England.

dox

English

An alteration of docs, short for documents, from the practice of releasing documents about a person online. Also spelled doxx.

doxology

Origin

From Medieval Latin doxologia, from Ancient Greek δοξολογία (doxología, “a praising”), from δοξολόγος (doxológos, “giving or uttering praise”), from δόξα (dóxa, “glory, honor, repute”), from δοκέω (dokéō, “to think, expect”).

doxy

Origin

Perhaps from Middle Dutch *doketje, diminutive of Middle Dutch docke (“a doll”), from Proto-Germanic *dokko (“something round”), related to *dukkǭ (“muscle, strength”). Cognate with Low German dokke (“doll”), Saterland Frisian dok, dokke (“a doll”), Swedish docka (“doll, puppet”).

doy

Origin

Unknown. Possibly related to doylem (“a stupid person; an idiot”).

doyen

Origin

Borrowed from French doyen, from Late Latin decānus, from Latin decem. Compare the doublet dean.

Doyle

Irish

From the Irish surname Doyle, itself from Ó Dubhghaill, though the slang insult sense arose independently as playground/informal usage.

doze

Old Norse

From Old Norse dúsa, "to doze, rest" — related to the word "dizzy."

dozen

Latin

From Old French dozaine, "a group of twelve," from Latin duodecim ("twelve").

dozer

Origin

From doze + -er.

dozy

Origin

From doze + -y.

DR

Latin

Probably from Latin debere, "to owe."

drab

Old French

Probably from Old French drap ("cloth"), the colour sense coming from the natural, undyed shade of the fabric.

drachm

Origin

Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French dragme (modern French drachme), from Late Latin dragma. Doublet of dirham.

drachma

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin drachma and its etymon Doric Greek δρᾰχμᾱ́ (drăkhmā́). Doublet of dram, diram, dirham, dirhem, adarme, and dam.

draco

Ancient Greek

From Latin Draco, borrowed from Ancient Greek Drakōn, "dragon" or "serpent."

draconian

Origin

Named after Draco, an ancient Athenian lawmaker famous for punishing even minor offences with death.

draconine

Origin

From the stem of Latin dracō (“dragon”) + -ine.

dracontine

Origin

From Ancient Greek δρᾰ́κοντ- (drắkont-, “dragon”) + -ine.

Dracula

Romanian

Named after Vlad III, known as Vlad Dracula, whose father belonged to the Order of the Dragon (Romanian "dracul").

dracunculus

Origin

Borrowed from Latin dracunculus, diminutive of draco (“dragon”).

draff

Origin

From Middle English draf, likely from an unrecorded Old English *dræf, from Proto-Germanic *drabaz.

draft

Old English

A phonetic respelling of "draught," from Old English dreaht, related to "draw."

drafter

Origin

From draft + -er.

drafty

Origin

From earlier "draughty," from draft/draught + -y.

drag

Old English

From Old English dragan and Old Norse draga, both meaning "to draw or pull," from a common Proto-Germanic root.

dragger

Origin

From drag + -er.

dragging

Origin

From drag + -ing.

draggy

Origin

From drag + -y.