Where does “torpedo” come from?

Torpedo comes from Latin torpēdō, derived from Latin torpēre meaning to be stiff or numb, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ster- meaning stiff or rigid.

torpedo (English): An electric ray of the genus "Torpedo"; A...

Definitions

  1. An electric ray of the genus "Torpedo"; A...

Ancestry of “torpedo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintorpēdōlethargy, inertness, sluggishness
2Latintorpeōto be stiff, numb, torpid or motionless
3Proto-Indo-Europeanterp-to satisfy

Words derived from “torpedo”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European terp- →Every word from Latin torpeō →Every word from Latin torpēdō →