Where does “weedeater” come from?

weedeater (English) comes from English eater, from English -er, from Middle English -er, from Old French -er, from Latin -āre, from Proto-Italic -āō, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti — he, she.

weedeater (English): A string trimmer

Definitions

  1. A string trimmer

Ancestry of “weedeater”, step by step

weedeater traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English eater

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglisheaterOne who eats; An eating apple; One who performs...
2English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
3Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
4Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
5Latin-ārefirst conjugation
6Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
7Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
8Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
10Chichewaiyehe, she

via English weed

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishweedAny plant regarded as unwanted at the place...
2Middle Englishweed
3Old Englishwēodweed
4Proto-West Germanic*weudweed (unwanted plant)

Words derived from “weedeater

Every word from Chichewa iye