Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pushpin” come from?

pushpin (English) comes from English push, from Middle English pushen, from Middle French pousser, from Old French poulser, from Latin pulsare, from Latin pulso, from Latin pulsus, from Latin pellō — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.

pushpin (English): A thumbtack; An old children's game where pins...

Definitions

  1. A thumbtack; An old children's game where pins...

Ancestry of “pushpin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpushTo apply a force to such that it moves away from...
2Middle Englishpushen—
3Middle Frenchpousser—
4Old Frenchpoulser—
5Latinpulsarepresent active infinitive of pulsō; second-person...
6LatinpulsoI push, strike, beat, batter, hammer; knock on;...
7Latinpulsuspulse, impulse, beat, stroke; expelled, kicked...
8Latinpellō—
9Proto-Italicpelnōapproach, go to; bring close
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpelh₂-to approach
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →