Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “upshot” come from?

Upshot comes from Middle English up- combined with shot, derived from Old English ūp meaning "up," expressing the final result or outcome of something.

upshot (English): A concise summary; The final result, or outcome...

Definitions

  1. A concise summary; The final result, or outcome...

Ancestry of “upshot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshotWorn out or broken; Woven from warp and weft...
2Middle Englishschot—
3Old EnglishScotScot
4Old Norseskot—
5Proto-Germanicskutąshot
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kewd-to advance, push; to drive, propel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewd- →