tantrum

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈtæn.tɹʌm/^[1]

Etymology

Of unknown origin.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}

Earliest recorded meaning

A burst of ill humour; a fit of temper.^[4][7] It is first recorded in the form tanterum.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It is often used in the plural, and is now often used specifically of a young child's fit of bad temper.^[7][1]

Timeline

• 1714 – tanterum;^[4][7][5] Barnhart gives 1748 and RHWU 1740–50.^[3][6]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A fit or display of bad temper, often a childish one.

Verb

1. To throw a tantrum.

Word family

• temper tantrum

References

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