Where does “O-ring” come from?

O-ring (English) comes from English ring, from Middle English ryng, from Old English hring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

O-ring (English): A circular gasket, usually made of rubber

Definitions

  1. A circular gasket, usually made of rubber

Ancestry of “O-ring”, step by step

O-ring traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ring

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishringA solid object in the shape of a circle; A group...
2Middle Englishryngring
3Old Englishhringring
4Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
5Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
6Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
8Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

via English O

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOA blood type that lacks A or B antigens and may...
2Middle EnglishO
3Old Englishoever, always
4LatinoThe name of the letter "O"; o!; oh!
5Etruscan𐌏
6Ancient GreekοLower-case omicron (ὂ μικρόν), the 15th letter of the ancient Greek alphabet. It represented the close-mid back rounded vowel. It is preceded by ξ and followed by π
7Phoenician𐤏ayin; ʿayin
8Egyptian𓁹
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-