ogle

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈəʊɡl̩/ (UK); /ˈoʊɡl̩/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is probably borrowed from Low German oegeln, a frequentative of oegen “to look at”,^[2][3][4][5] from oog or oege “eye”.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} Random House derives it instead from Dutch.^[6] It is related to eye.^[3][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

To cast amorous or coquettish glances (1682–87).^[7][3][4][5] Etymonline calls it originally a cant word.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The transitive sense, to eye someone amorously, appeared in 1711,^[7] and the more neutral sense of simply looking at something by 1820.^[7][6] A noun ogle meant an eye in thieves' cant (1700)^[7][4] and an amorous glance from 1711.^[7][4]

Timeline

• 1682–87 – to glance amorously.^[7][3][5]
• 1700 – noun, an eye, in cant.^[7][4]
• 1711 – to eye amorously; noun, an amorous glance.^[7][4]
• 1820 – to keep one's eyes on.^[7]

Modern meaning

Verb

1. To stare at someone impertinently, flirtatiously or with desire.
2. To look at something with greedy interest.

Noun

1. An impertinent, flirtatious or amorous stare.

Word family

• ogler

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press