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Origin and history of trifid

trifid(adj.)

in botany and zoology, "divided into three lobes," 1620s, from Latin trifidus "cleft in three," from tri- "three" (see tri-) + -fid. This adjective might have inspired the name of the three-legged walking poisonous plants in John Wyndham's novel "The Day of the Triffids" (1951).

also from 1620s

Entries linking to trifid

-fid

word-forming element meaning "split, divided into parts," from Latin -fidus, related to findere "to split" (from PIE root *bheid- "to split").

tri-

word-forming element of Latin and Greek origin meaning "three, having three, once every three," from Latin tres (neuter tria) or Greek trias, treis "three" (see three). "The i, etymologically short in Greek and Latin, was in Latin sometimes lengthened, esp. in numerals" [OED, 1989].

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    Trends of trifid

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

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    enterprise
    early 15c., "an undertaking," formerly also enterprize, from Old French enterprise "an undertaking," noun use of fem. past participle of entreprendre "undertake, take in hand" (12c.), from entre- "between" (see entre-) + prendre "to take," contraction of prehendere "to catch hold
    expose
    early 15c., "to leave without shelter or defense," from Old French esposer, exposer "lay open, set forth, speak one's mind, explain" (13c.), from Latin exponere "set forth, lay open, exhibit, reveal, publish," from ex "from, forth" (see ex-) + ponere "to put, place" (see position
    watershed
    "line separating waters flowing into different rivers," 1803, from water (n.1) + shed in a topographical sense of "ridge of high ground between two valleys or lower ground, a divide," for which see shed (n.2). Perhaps a loan-translation of German Wasser-scheide. Figurative sense
    seminal
    late 14c., "of or pertaining to seed or semen, of the elements of reproduction," from Old French seminal (14c.) and directly from Latin seminalis "of or belonging to seed; good for seed," from semen (genitive seminis) "seed" (from PIE root *sē- "to sow"). Figurative sense ("havin
    box
    "rectangular wooden container," usually with a lid, Old English box, also the name of a type of shrub, from Late Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis "boxwood," pyxion "writing table, box," made of boxwood, from pyxos "box tree," which is of uncertain origin. Beekes suggests a loan-word
    guilt
    Old English gylt "crime, sin, moral defect, failure of duty," of unknown origin, though some suspect a connection to Old English gieldan "to pay for, debt," but OED editors find this "inadmissible phonologically." The -u- is an unetymological insertion. In law, "That state of a m
    social
    early 15c., "devoted to or relating to home life;" 1560s as "living with others," from French social (14c.) and directly from Latin socialis "of companionship, of allies; united, living with others; of marriage, conjugal," from socius "companion, ally," probably originally "follo
    betray
    early 13c., bitraien, "prove false, violate by unfaithfulness;" c. 1300, "deliver or expose to the power of an enemy by treachery," also "mislead, deceive, delude," from be- + obsolete Middle English tray, from Old French traine "betrayal, deception, deceit," from trair (Modern F
    cybernetics
    "theory or study of communication and control," coined 1948 by U.S. mathematician Norbert Wiener (1894-1964), with -ics + Latinized form of Greek kybernetes "steersman" (metaphorically "guide, governor"), from kybernan "to steer or pilot a ship, direct as a pilot," figuratively "
    ketchup
    1680s, also spelled catsup which form first appeared in Jonathan Swift's 1730 poem A Panegyrick on the D--n.  This spelling is still in use in U.S., influenced by cat and sup. In some of the earliest uses described as an East Indian sauce made with fruits and spices, with sp

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