Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “lithoclast” come from?

lithoclast (English) comes from English clast, from English clastic, from Ancient Greek κλαστός, from Ancient Greek κλάω, from Ancient Greek κλαίω, from Ancient Greek κλείω, from Proto-Hellenic klāyyō, from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂uyeti — nail, pin, hook - instruments, of old use for...

lithoclast (English): A now obsolete surgical instrument for crushing...

Definitions

  1. A now obsolete surgical instrument for crushing...

Ancestry of “lithoclast”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishclasta fragment of rock that was broken from a larger...
2EnglishclasticMade up of parts that are easily removable; Made...
3Ancient Greekκλαστόςbroken
4Ancient Greekκλάωto break, to break off, to break into pieces; to...
5Ancient Greekκλαίωcry, weep; first-person singular future...
6Ancient Greekκλείωshut, close, bar; enclose, shut in; Epic form of...
7Proto-Hellenicklāyyō—
8Proto-Indo-Europeankleh₂uyeti—
9Proto-Indo-Europeankleh₂u-nail, pin, hook - instruments, of old use for...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂u- →