Where does “toothpicker” come from?

toothpicker (English) comes from English tooth, from Middle English toth, from Old English tōþ, from Proto-Germanic tanþs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- — to eat.

toothpicker (English): A toothpick

Definitions

  1. A toothpick

Ancestry of “toothpicker”, step by step

toothpicker traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tooth

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoothA hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth...
2Middle EnglishtothAlternative form of tothe
3Old Englishtōþtooth
4Proto-Germanictanþstooth
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

via English picker

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpickerAgent noun of pick; one who picks; Any user...
2Yiddishפּיקןpeck
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- →