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Origin and history of vesicant

vesicant(n.)

"a blistering agent," 1660s, from Medieval Latin vesicantem (nominative vesicans), present participle of vesicare, from vesica "a bladder, a blister," hence "a bag, a purse, etc." (see vesica).

From 1826 in modern use as an adjective, "producing a blister, causing blisters" (Chauliac, early 15c. also has it in this sense).

also from 1660s

Entries linking to vesicant

vesica(n.)

in anatomy, "a sac," especially the bladder, 1690s, from Latin vesica "bladder, urinary bladder; anything made from a bladder" (a purse, a football), a word of uncertain origin.

Watkins (2000) calls it "perhaps" a "taboo deformation" from PIE root *udero- "womb" (see uterus). De Vaan (2008) notes that "the 'bladder' is often referred to using words for 'to blow, inflate' in different languages, ... due to the fact that bladders were often recycled as balloons, lanterns or musical instruments involving air bags." He supports onomatopoeic origin from the sound of escaping air.

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    liberty
    late 14c., "free choice, freedom to do as one chooses," also "freedom from the bondage of sin," from Old French liberte "freedom, liberty, free will" (14c., Modern French liberté), from Latin libertatem (nominative libertas) "civil or political freedom, condition of a free man; a
    mean
    "intend, have in mind;" Middle English mēnen, from Old English mænan "intend (to do something), plan; indicate (a certain object) or convey (a certain sense) when using a word," from Proto-West Germanic *menjojanan (source also of Old Frisian mena "to signify," Old Saxon menian "
    undermine
    c. 1300, undermyne, "render unstable by digging at the foundation," from under + mine (v.1) "dig." The figurative sense "injure by invisible, secret, or dishonorable means" is attested from early 15c. Similar formation in Dutch ondermijnen, Danish underminere, German unterminiren
    dilettante
    1733, "an admirer of a fine art, literature, science, etc., one who cultivates an art or literature casually and for amusement," a borrowing of Italian dilettante "lover of music or painting," from dilettare "to delight," from Latin delectare "to allure, delight, charm, please,"
    charisma
    1875, "special spiritual gift or power divinely conferred, talent from God" (as on the early Christians in "Acts," etc.), Latinized form of Greek kharisma "favor, divine gift," from kharizesthai "to show favor to," from kharis "grace, beauty, kindness" (Charis was the name of one
    scarlet
    mid-13c. (late 12c. as a surname), "rich cloth" (often, but not necessarily, bright red), from a shortened form of Old French escarlate "scarlet (color), top-quality fabric" (12c., Modern French écarlate), which, with Medieval Latin scarlatum "scarlet, cloth of scarlet," Italian
    cripple
    Old English crypel, "one who creeps, halts, or limps, one partly or wholly deprived of the use of one or more limbs," related to cryppan "to crook, bend," from Proto-Germanic *krupilaz (source also of Old Frisian kreppel, Middle Dutch cropel, German krüppel, Old Norse kryppill).
    dapper
    mid-15c., "elegant, neat, trim," from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German dapper "bold, strong, sturdy," later "quick, nimble," from Proto-Germanic *dapraz (source also of Old High German tapfar "heavy," German tapfer "brave"), perhaps with ironical shift of meaning, from PIE root
    sibling
    "brother or sister," 1903, a modern revival (originally in anthropology) of Middle English and Old English sibling "relative, kinsman or kinswoman," from sibb "kinship, relationship; love, friendship, peace, happiness," from Proto-Germanic *sibja- "blood relation, relative," prop
    decorum
    1560s, "that which is proper or fitting in a literary or artistic composition;" 1580s, "propriety of speech, behavior, or dress; formal politeness," from Latin decorum "that which is seemly," noun use of neuter of adjective decorus "fit, proper," from decor "beauty, elegance, cha

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