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Origin and history of torque

torque(n.)

"rotating force," 1882, from Latin torquere "to twist, turn, turn about, twist awry, distort, torture" (from PIE *torkw-eyo-, causative of root *terkw- "to twist"). Torque-wrench is attested from 1941.

Since 1834 the word also is used by antiquarians and others for the twisted circular metal ornament forming a necklace or collar worn anciently by Gauls, Britons, Germans, and other barbarians, from Latin torques "collar of twisted metal," from torquere. Earlier it had been called in English torques (1690s).

torque(v.)

"apply torque to," by 1954, from torque (n.). Torqued is attested from 1570s as "twisted, convoluted," and from 1857 in reference to metal work twisted like a rope.

also from 1954

Entries linking to torque

contort(v.)

"to twist or wrench out of shape," early 15c. (in medical use, Chauliac, implied in contorted), from Latin contortus, past participle of contorquere "to whirl, twist together," from assimilated form of com- "with, together," here perhaps an intensive prefix (see com-) + torquere "to twist" (see torque (n.)). Related: Contorting.

distort(v.)

1580s, "twist the true meaning, pervert the truth regarding," from Latin distortus, past participle of distorquere "to twist different ways, distort," from dis- "completely" (see dis-) + torquere "to twist" (see torque (n.)). In English the literal sense of "to twist or wrest out of shape, change from the proper to an improper or unnatural shape" is attested from 1630s. Related: Distorted; distorting.

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Trends of torque

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

More to explore

torsion
early 15c., "wringing pain in the bowels," from Old French torsion "colic" (early 14c.), from Late Latin torsionem (nominative torsio) "a wringing or gripping," from Latin tortionem (nominative tortio) "torture, torment," noun of action from past-participle stem of torquere "to t
force
c. 1300, "physical strength," from Old French force "force, strength; courage, fortitude; violence, power, compulsion" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fortia (source also of Old Spanish forzo, Spanish fuerza, Italian forza), noun use of neuter plural of Latin fortis "strong, mighty; f
factor
early 15c., "commercial agent, deputy, one who buys or sells for another," from French facteur "agent, representative" (Old French factor, faitor "doer, author, creator"), from Latin factor "doer, maker, performer," in Medieval Latin, "agent," agent noun from past participle stem
rise
Middle English risen, from Old English risan "to rise from sleep, get out of bed; stand up, rise to one's feet; get up from table; rise together; be fit, be proper" (typically gerisan, arisan; a class I strong verb; past tense ras, past participle risen), from Proto-Germanic *us-
gentile
"one who is not a Jew," c. 1400; earlier "one who is not a Christian, a pagan" (late 14c.), from Late Latin noun use of Latin gentilis "of the same family or clan, of or belonging to a Roman gens," from gens (genitive gentis) "race, clan" (from PIE root *gene- "give birth, beget,
subtle
c. 1300 (mid-13c. as a surname), sotil, "penetrating; ingenious; refined" (of the mind); "sophisticated, intricate, abstruse" (of arguments), from Old French sotil, soutil, subtil "adept, adroit; cunning, wise; detailed; well-crafted" (12c., Modern French subtil), from Latin subt
ordeal
Old English ordel, ordal, "trial by physical test," literally "judgment, verdict," from Proto-Germanic noun *uz-dailjam "a portioning out, judgment" (source also of Old Saxon urdeli, Old Frisian urdel, Dutch oordeel, German urteil "judgment"), literally "that which is dealt out"
Viking
Scandinavian pirate, 1801, vikingr, in "The History of the Anglo-Saxons" by English historian Sharon H. Turner; he suggested the second element might be connected to king: But this later was dismissed as incorrect. The form viking is attested in 1820, in Jamieson's notes to "The
hope
Old English hopian "have the theological virtue of Hope; hope for (salvation, mercy), trust in (God's word)," also "to have trust, have confidence; assume confidently or trust" (that something is or will be so), a word of unknown origin. Not the usual Germanic term for this, but
technology
1610s, "a discourse or treatise on an art or the arts," from Latinized form of Greek tekhnologia "systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique," originally referring to grammar, from tekhno-, combining form of tekhnē "art, skill, craft in work; method, system, an art, a sy

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Dictionary entries near torque
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