Where does “gravity well” come from?

gravity well (English) comes from English gravity, from French gravité, from Latin gravitās, from Latin -tās, from Proto-Indo-European -teh₂ts, from Proto-Indo-European -teh₂, from Proto-Indo-European -tós — Creates verbal adjectives from verb stems.

gravity well (English): The area of space around a celestial body that is dominated by the body's gravitational field

Definitions

  1. The area of space around a celestial body that is dominated by the body's gravitational field

Ancestry of “gravity well”, step by step

gravity well traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English gravity

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgravityThe state or condition of having weight; weight;...
2Frenchgravitégravity
3Latingravitāsweight, heaviness
4Latin-tāsty, -dom, -hood, -ness, -ship
5Proto-Indo-European-teh₂tsUsed to form nouns representing state of being
6Proto-Indo-European-teh₂Used to form nouns representing state of being
7Proto-Indo-European-tósCreates verbal adjectives from verb stems

via English well

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwellAccurately, competently, satisfactorily;...
2Middle Englishwellento boil, to bubble
3Old Englishweallanto well
4Proto-Germanicwallanąto well up, spring out, bubble forth
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanwēlH-to roll, to undulate
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwelH-to turn, to wind
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tósEvery word from Latin -tāsEvery word from Latin gravitās