Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “breaststroke” come from?

breaststroke (English) comes from English stroke, from Middle English stroke, from Middle English strok, from Old English strāc, from Scots straik, from Proto-Germanic straikaz, from Proto-Indo-European streyg-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- — strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

breaststroke (English): A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face...

Definitions

  1. A swimming stroke in which the swimmer lies face...

Ancestry of “breaststroke”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstrokeAn act of stroking; A blow or hit; A single...
2Middle EnglishstrokeAny striking or hitting motion; The force of...
3Middle EnglishstrokAlternative form of stroke; Alternative form of...
4Old Englishstrācstroke
5ScotsstraikA stroke, a blow; To stroke
6Proto-GermanicstraikazA stroke, line, dash
7Proto-Indo-Europeanstreyg-to strike; to shear
8Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

Words derived from “breaststroke”

  • breaststroker
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →