Origin and history of expression

expression(n.)

early 15c., expressioun, "action of pressing out;" later "action of manifesting a feeling;" "a putting into words" (mid-15c.); from Late Latin expressionem (nominative expressio) "expression, vividness," in classical Latin "a pressing out, a projection," noun of action from past-participle stem of exprimere "represent, describe," literally "press out" (see express (v.)). Meaning "an action or creation that expresses feelings" is from 1620s. Of the face, from 1774. Occasionally the word also was used literally, for "the action of squeezing out." Related: Expressional.

also from early 15c.

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Entries linking to expression

express(v.1)

late 14c., "represent in visual arts; put into words," from Old French espresser, expresser "press, squeeze out; speak one's mind" (Modern French exprimer), Medieval Latin expressare, frequentative of Latin exprimere "represent, describe, portray, imitate, translate," literally "to press out" (source also of Italian espresso); the sense evolution here perhaps is via an intermediary sense such as "clay, etc., that under pressure takes the form of an image," from ex "out" (see ex-) + pressare "to press, push," from Latin premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress" (from PIE root *per- (4) "to strike"). Related: Expressed; expresses; expressing; expressible.

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expressionist(adj.)

1850 in reference to an artist who seeks to portray the emotional experience of the subject, from expression (which was used in the fine arts by 1715 with a sense "way of expressing") + -ist. Modern sense is from 1914, from expressionism (from 1908 as an artistic style or movement). As a noun from 1880. Related: Expressionistic.

expressionless(adj.)

1831, "giving no expression," from expression + -less. Shelley used it with a sense of "unexpressed" (1819).

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    construction
    late 14c., construccioun, "act of construing; manner of understanding the arrangement of words in translation" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin constructionem (nominative constructio) "a putting or placing together, a building," noun of action from past-participle stem of const
    formula
    1630s, "words used in a ceremony or ritual" (earlier as a Latin word in English), from Latin formula "form, draft, contract, regulation;" in law, "a rule, method;" literally "small form," diminutive of forma "form" (see form (n.)). Modern sense is colored by Carlyle's use (1837)
    manifestation
    early 15c., manifestacioun, "action of disclosing what is secret, obscure, or unseen; exhibition, demonstration," from Late Latin manifestationem (nominative manifestatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin manifestare "to discover, disclose, betray" (see manifest
    compliment
    "act or expression of civility, respect, or regard" (or, as Johnson defines it, "An act, or expression of civility, usually...sense shifted in English after c. 1650 to compliment, via French compliment (17c.), which is from Italian complimento "expression...By early 19c. the meaning had been extended to "an expression of praise or admiration....
    elocution
    literary style," from Late Latin elocutionem (nominative elocutio) "voice production, a speaking out, utterance, manner of expression...," in classical Latin especially "rhetorical utterance, oratorical expression," noun of action from past-participle stem...
    bust
    Phrase ______ or bust as an emphatic expression attested by 1851 in British depictions of Western U.S. dialect....Probably from earlier expression bust (one's) boiler, by late 1840s, a reference to steamboat boilers exploding when driven...
    snafu
    mix-up," especially a big and complicated one, 1943, World War II U.S. military slang, from the acronym (attested as an expression...by 1941) for situation normal, all fucked up, "an expression conveying the common soldier's laconic acceptance of the disorder...
    leer
    1520s, "to look obliquely" (since 18c. usually implying a lustful, wolfish, malicious intent), probably from Middle English noun ler "cheek," from Old English hleor "the cheek, the face," from Proto-Germanic *hleuza- "near the ear," from *hleuso- "ear," from PIE root *kleu- "to h
    reel
    "cylinder or frame turning on an axis," especially one on which thread, yarn, string, etc. is wound after being spun, Middle English rele, from late Old English reol, hreol "reel for winding thread," from Proto-Germanic *hrehulaz; probably related to hrægel "garment," and Old Nor
    squeeze
    c. 1600, "press forcibly" (transitive), perhaps an alteration of quease (Middle English quisen), from Old English cwysan "to squeeze," a word of unknown origin, perhaps imitative (compare German quetschen "to squeeze"). It perhaps also has been altered by influence of many words
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    Dictionary entries near expression