ogle
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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
- To stare at someone impertinently, flirtatiously or with desire.
- To look at something with greedy interest.
Noun
- An impertinent, flirtatious or amorous stare.
Word family
- ogler
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ 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