Where does “dock” come from?

Dock comes from Middle English dock, from Middle Dutch docke, from Old English docce, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰew-.

dock (English): Any of the genus "Rumex" of coarse weedy plants...

Definitions

  1. Any of the genus "Rumex" of coarse weedy plants...

Ancestry of “dock”, step by step

dock traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch dok

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchdokdock
2Middle Dutchdockea doll; channel
3Italiandocciashower; drainpipe; plaster cast
4Italiandoccionespout (for water); gargoyle
5Latinductiōleading (away)
6Latin-tiōtion, -ation, -ing
7Latindissertātiō(spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble

via Old Norse dǫkk

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsedǫkk
2Proto-Germanicdankwazdark
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰengʷ-o-

via Middle English dock

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdockmud channel

Words derived from “dock

Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ