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Origin and history of contractile

contractile(adj.)

"susceptible of contraction," 1706, from French contractile, from Latin contract-, past participle stem of contrahere "to draw several objects together; draw in, shorten," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + trahere "to draw" (see tract (n.1)). Related: Contractility.

also from 1706

Entries linking to contractile

tract(n.1)

[area], mid-15c., "extent, continued passage or duration," in phrase tract of time "period or lapse of time" (now obsolete), from Latin tractus "course, progress, movement, a train or course, a space drawn out, duration," etymologically "a drawing out or pulling," from stem of trahere "to pull, draw." This is said [Watkins] to be from a PIE root *tragh- "to draw, drag, move" (source also of Slovenian trag "trace, track," Middle Irish tragud "ebb;" perhaps with a variant form *dhragh-; see drag (v.)). Compare trait and trace (n.1).

The meaning "territory, region of indefinite extent, stretch of land or water" in English is recorded by 1550s. Latin tractus also had a sense of "territory, district, region of land." The specific U.S. sense of "plot of land for development" is recorded from 1912; tract housing is attested by 1953.

Also by 1680s in anatomy, in reference to regions of the body having particular functions (digestive, respiratory, etc.).

con-

word-forming element meaning "together, with," sometimes merely intensive; it is the form of com- used in Latin before consonants except -b-, -p-, -l-, -m-, or -r-. In native English formations (such as costar), co- tends to be used where Latin would use con-.

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    sphincter
    in anatomy, "contractile muscle enclosing an aperture," 1570s, from French sphincter, from Late Latin sphincter "contractile...muscle," from Greek sphinktēr "band, lace, contractile muscle, anything that binds tight," from sphingein "to squeeze, bind...
    please
    c. 1300, plesen, "to please or satisfy (a deity), propitiate, appease," from Old French plaisir "to please, give pleasure to, satisfy" (11c., Modern French plaire, the form of which is perhaps due to analogy of faire), from Latin placere "to be acceptable, be liked, be approved,"
    prophet
    late 12c., "person who speaks for God; one who foretells, inspired preacher," from Old French prophete, profete "prophet, soothsayer" (11c., Modern French prophète) and directly from Latin propheta, from Greek prophētēs (Doric prophatēs) "an interpreter, spokesman, proclaimer; a
    supplication
    late 14c., supplicacioun, "earnest request, entreaty, plea," from Old French suplicacion "humble request" and directly from Latin supplicationem (nominative supplicatio) "a public prayer, thanksgiving day," noun of action from past-participle stem of supplicare "to beg humbly" (i
    prodigal
    c. 1500, of persons, "given to extravagant expenditure, lavish, wasteful," a back-formation from prodigality, or else from French prodigal and directly from Late Latin prodigalis, from Latin prodigus "wasteful," from prodigere "drive away, waste," from pro "forth" (from PIE root
    coffee
    "drink made from the ground and roasted seeds of a tree originally native to Arabia and Abyssinia," c. 1600, from Dutch koffie, from Turkish kahveh, from Arabic qahwah "coffee," which Arab etymologists connected with a word meaning "wine," but it is perhaps rather from the Kaffa
    prevent
    early 15c., preventen, "act in anticipation of, act sooner or more quickly than (another)," from Latin praeventus, past participle of praevenire "come before, anticipate, hinder," in Late Latin also "to prevent," from prae "before" (see pre-) + venire "to come" (from a suffixed f
    staple
    late 13c., stapel, "bent piece of metal with pointed ends," from Old English stapol, stapel "post, pillar, trunk of a tree, steps to a house," from Proto-Germanic *stapulaz "pillar" (source also of Old Norse stopull "tower," Old Saxon stapal "candle, small tub," Old Frisian stapu
    log
    unshaped large piece of tree, early 14c., of unknown origin. Old Norse had lag "felled tree" (from stem of liggja "to lie," hence "a tree that lies prostrate"), but many etymologists deny on phonological grounds that this can be the root of English log. Instead, they suggest an i
    insidious
    1540s, from French insidieux "insidious" (15c.) or directly from Latin insidiosus "deceitful, cunning, artful, treacherous," from insidiae (plural) "plot, snare, ambush," from insidere "sit on, occupy," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + sedere "to sit," from PIE root *sed-

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