send (v.)

Middle English senden, from Old English sendan "dispatch (as a messenger, on an errand); order or cause to go or pass (from one place to another);" also "send forth, emit; throw, propel, cause to be delivered or conveyed."

This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *sond- "make to go" (source also of Old Saxon sendian, Old Norse senda, Old Frisian senda, Middle Low German and Middle Dutch senden, Dutch zenden, German senden, Gothic sandjan), causative form of *sinþan "to go, journey" (source of Old English sið "way, journey," Old Norse sinn, Gothic sinþs "going, walk, time"). This in turn is from the PIE root *sent- "to head for, go" (source also of Lithuanian siųsti "send"), for which see sense (n.). For the linguistic connection of "go" and "sense," compare German sinnen (past tense sann) "go over in the mind, review, reflect upon."

The meaning cause (someone) to go into some specified state (send to sleep, etc.) is by 1831. The slang sense of "to transport with emotion, delight" is by 1932, in American English jazz slang. To send word "transmit or dispatch a message" (to someone) is from c. 1200. To send for "summon, send a message or messenger for" is by late 14c.

Entries linking to send

sense (n.)

late 14c., "meaning, signification, interpretation" (especially of Holy Scripture); c. 1400, "the faculty of perception;" from Old French sens "one of the five senses; meaning; wit, understanding" (12c.) and directly from Latin sensus "perception, feeling, undertaking, meaning," from sentire "perceive, feel, know."

This probably is a figurative use of a literal meaning "find one's way," or "go mentally." According to Watkins and others, this is from a PIE root *sent- "to go" (source also of Old High German sinnan "to go, travel, strive after, have in mind, perceive," German Sinn "sense, mind," Old English sið "way, journey," Old Irish set, Welsh hynt "way").

The application to any one of the external or outward senses (touch, sight, hearing, any special faculty of sensation connected with a bodily organ) in English is recorded from 1520s. They usually are reckoned as five; sometimes a "muscular sense" and "inner (common) sense" are added (perhaps to make the perfect seven), hence the old phrase the seven senses, sometimes meaning "consciousness in its totality." For the meaning "consciousness, mind generally," see senses.

The meaning "that which is wise, judicious, sensible, or intelligent" is from c. 1600. The meaning "capacity for perception and appreciation" also is from c. 1600 (as in sense of humor, attested by 1783, sense of shame, 1640s). The meaning "a vague consciousness or feeling" is from 1590s.

godsend (n.)

"unlooked-for acquisition or good fortune," 1812, earlier "a shipwreck" (from the perspective of people living along the coast), by 1806, from Middle English Godes sonde (c. 1200) "God's messenger; what God sends, gift from God, happening caused by God," from God + send (n.) "a message, a message," literally "that which is sent," from Middle English sonde, from Old English sand, the noun associated with sendan (see send (v.)). The spelling was conformed to the verb in later Middle English.

The common people in Cornwall call, as impiously as inhumanely, a shipwreck on their shores, "a Godsend." [Rev. William Lisle Bowles, footnote in "The Works of Alexander Pope," London, 1806]

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Trends of send

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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send-up

"a spoof; action of mocking or teasing," by 1958, slang, from the verbal phrase send up "to mock, make fun of" (1931); see send (v.) + up (adv.). This is perhaps a transferred use of the public school colloquial phrase for "to send a boy to the headmaster" (usually for punishment

widdershins

1510s, chiefly Scottish, originally "contrary to the course of the sun or a clock" (movement in this direction being considered unlucky), probably from Middle Low German weddersinnes, literally "against the way" (i.e. "in the opposite direction"), from widersinnen "to go against,

transport

late 14c., transporten, "convey from one place to another," from Old French transporter "carry or convey across; overwhelm (emotionally)" (14c.) or directly from Latin transportare "carry over, take across, convey, remove," from trans "beyond, across" (see trans-) + portare "to c

remand

mid-15c., remaunden, "to send (something) back," from Anglo-French remaunder, Old French remander "send for again" (12c.)...or directly from Late Latin remandare "to send back word, repeat a command," from Latin re- "back" (see re-) + mandare "...Specifically in law, "send back (a prisoner) on refusing his application for discharge," by 1640s....

remit

late 14c., remitten, "to forgive, pardon," from Latin remittere "send back, slacken, let go back, abate," from re- "back"...(see re-) + mittere "to send" (see mission)....From c. 1400 as "refer for consideration or performance from one person or group to another;" early 15c. as "send to prison...Meaning "send money (to someone) in payment" is recorded from 1630s. Related: Remitted; remitting....

dismiss

late 15c., "remove from office, service, or employment," apparently from Latin dimissus, past participle of dimittere "send...away, send different ways; break up, discharge; renounce, abandon," from dis- "apart, away" (see dis-) + mittere "send,...Meaning "send away, order or give permission to depart" is from 1540s....

relegate

1590s "to banish (someone), send to an obscure or remote place, send away or out of the way," from Latin relegatus, past...participle of relegare "remove, dismiss, banish, send away, schedule, put aside," from re- "back" (see re-) + legare "send...as a deputy, send with a commission, charge, bequeath," which is possibly literally "engage by contract" and related to...All senses are from a specific meaning in Roman law: "send into exile, cause to move a certain distance from Rome for a certain...

cast

c. 1200, "throw, throw violently, fling, hurl," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse kasta "to throw" (cognate with Swedish kasta, Danish kaste, North Frisian kastin), a word of uncertain origin. The meaning "to form in a mold" is late 15c. In the sense of "to throw" it r

commit

late 14c., "to give in charge, entrust," from Latin committere "to unite, connect, combine; to bring together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + mittere "to release, let go; send, throw" (see mission). The evolution of the modern range of meanings in English is not entirely

station

late 13c., stacioun, "a place one normally occupies," from Old French stacion, estacion "site, location; station of the Cross; stop, standstill," from Latin stationem (nominative statio) "a standing, standing firm; a post, job, position; military post; a watch, guard, sentinel; a

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updated on May 03, 2022

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Dictionary entries near send

sempiternal

*sen-

senate

senator

senatorial

send

sended

sender

send-off

send-up

Seneca