Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “deb” come from?

deb (English) comes from English débutante, from French débutante, from French débutant, from French débuter, from French but, from French boire, from Middle French boire, from Old French boivre — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

deb (English): Clipping of debutante; Debutante ball or debut

Definitions

  1. Clipping of debutante; Debutante ball or debut

Ancestry of “deb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdébutanteA female who débuts
2FrenchdébutanteA debutante
3Frenchdébutantpresent participle of débuter; debutant, newbie,...
4Frenchdébuterto start; to debut, to make one's debut
5Frenchbutaim; goal; third-person singular past historic of...
6Frenchboireto drink
7Middle Frenchboireto drink
8Old Frenchboivreto drink; a drink
9Latinbiberethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
10Latinbibō—
11Latin-ilis-ile
12Proto-Italic-elis—
13Proto-Indo-European-elis—
14Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “deb”

  • debby
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →