Origin and history of boxing

To throw in the towel "admit defeat" (1915) is from boxing....

also knock-out, in fighting, 1887, from verbal phrase knock out "to stun by a blow for a 10-count" in boxing, short for to...

series of hits from one side to the other" in tennis, etc., is from 1881, earlier "series of back-and-forth blows in a boxing...

As a light weight class in boxing, it is attested from 1884, probably extended from the birds, which are small but aggressive...

To bob and weave in boxing is by 1928. Compare bob (n.2)....

Meaning "unconscious" is attested from 1898, originally in boxing from the notion of "defeated ('out') by failing to rise...

The boxing technical knock-out (one in which the loser is not knocked out) is recorded from 1921; abbreviation TKO is from...

Old English feohtan "to combat, contend with weapons, strive; attack; gain by fighting, win" (intransitive; class III strong verb; past tense feaht, past participle fohten), from Proto-Germanic *fe(u)hta (source also of Old High German fehtan, German fechten, Middle Dutch and Dut

early 13c., "what befalls one; state of affairs," from Old French cas "an event, happening, situation, quarrel, trial," from Latin casus "a chance, occasion, opportunity; accident, mishap," literally "a falling," from cas-, past-participle stem of cadere "to fall, sink, settle do

mid-15c., "engage in rivalry, compete," from Old French contendre and directly from Latin contendere "to stretch out; to shoot, hurl, throw; strive after mentally; measure or try one's strength with, fight, vie with," from assimilated form of com-, here perhaps an intensive prefi