Where does “ramrod” come from?
Rod comes from Middle English rodde, Old English rūm, and Proto-Indo-European rem(w)-, rowə-, and rewh₁-, originally meaning to stretch or extend.
ramrod (English): Device used with muzzleloaders to push the...
Definitions
- Device used with muzzleloaders to push the...
Ancestry of “ramrod”, step by step
ramrod traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English rod
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | rod | A straight, round stick, shaft, bar, cane, or... |
| 2 | English | Rodney | A small Newfoundland wooden boat typically used by one person |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |
via English Ram
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Ram | someone connected with Derby County Football... |
| 2 | Middle English | ram | male sheep, ram; Aries; pile driver, battering... |
| 3 | Old English | ramm | ram; battering ram |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *ramm | strong |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | rammaz | strong; overbearing; acrid; rank; A male sheep;... |
Words derived from “ramrod”