George
English
Etymology
Name of an early saint, from Middle English George, from Latin Geōrgius, from Ancient Greek Γεώργῐος (Geṓrgios), from γεωργός (geōrgós, “farmer, earth worker”), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) (combining form γεω- (geō-)) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”) Doublet of Jorge.
The aircraft autopilot sense is probably from George DeBeeson, who patented an early (1931) autopilot system, and/or a reference to the expression let George do it.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /dʒɔː(ɹ)dʒ/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)dʒ
Proper noun
George
- A male given name from Ancient Greek
- c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene iii], page 203:
- Our ancient word of courage faire saint George / Inspire vs with the spleene of fierie Dragons,
- 1830 Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names:
- George and Charles are unlucky in this respect; they have no diminutives, and what a mouthful of monosyllables they are! names royal too, and therefore unshortened. A king must be of a very rare class who could afford to be called by shorthand;
- 1977 Joyce Grenfell, Nursery School:
- George... don't do that!
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- An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic.
- A French surname originating as a patronymic.
- A German surname originating as a patronymic, a variant of Georg.
- A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], an anglicization of Seoirse.
- A diminutive of the female given names Georgina or Georgia; also used in the conjoined name George Ann(e).
- 1925, [US state of] Georgia's Official Register, page 100:
- Roy Davis Stubbs, Eatonton, Judge. Son of Robert D. and Maud (Middleton) Stubbs. [...] Married Miss George Smith Feb. 14, 1918 in Knoxville, Tenn.
- 2004, George Sargent Janes Leubuscher, Douglas W. Patton, A Girl Named George: My First Hundred Years
- 1925, [US state of] Georgia's Official Register, page 100:
- (aviation, slang) The autopilot of an aircraft.
- 1956, Flying Magazine (volume 59, number 6, page 33)
- "'George rides in the back, aft of the baggage compartment,” said Aviation Sales Manager, John Brophy, with a smile as he climbed out. […] I switched on the autopilot and turned the turn knob to the left to get the turn-bank indicator to show a one-needle turn. Instantly, George rolled the Cessna into a smooth 10° bank to the left.
- 1993, Flying (volume 120, page 73)
- I relied on "George" and "Fred"—the autopilot and the flight director—to fly the airplane while I worked my way through […]
- 1956, Flying Magazine (volume 59, number 6, page 33)
- (Canada, US, slang, dated) Generic name for a Pullman porter.
- A town in Western Cape, South Africa; named for George III of the United Kingdom.
- A locale in the United States.
- A city in Iowa; named for the son of a railroad official.
- A city in Washington; named for George Washington, 1st president of the United States.
- A ghost town in Missouri; named for postmaster Stephen H. George.
Derived terms
- Fort George
- George County
- George Cross
- George Foreman grill
- Georgeson
- George Town
- George Washington
- George West
- Georgia
- Georgian
- Georgiana
- Georgie
- Georgina
- GW
- GWB
- King George
- King George County
- King George whiting
- let George do it
- Middleton St George
- Prince George
- Prince George County
- Prince George's County
- Saint George
- St. George's
- St George, St. George
Descendants
Translations
male given name
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Noun
George (plural Georges)
- (slang, archaic) A coin bearing King George's profile.
- 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, OCLC 702939134:
- Take the Georges, Pew, and don’t stand here squalling.
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- A jewelled figure of St George slaying the dragon, worn by Knights of the Garter.
- 1908, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, A History of the George Worn on the Scaffold by Charles I (page 93)
- […] the King appears to be wearing a George containing the motto inside the gems, as it is in the jewel at Windsor.
- 1908, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, A History of the George Worn on the Scaffold by Charles I (page 93)
Derived terms
- George plateroon (a counterfeit coin)
Further reading
- Jonathon Green (2023), “George n.1”, in Green's Dictionary of Slang
- Jonathon Green (2023), “George n.3”, in Green's Dictionary of Slang
Afrikaans
Etymology
Named after George III of the United Kingdom.
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɔrd͡ʒ/, /ˈd͡ʒord͡ʒ/[1]
- Rhymes: -ɔrdʒ, -ordʒ
Romanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdʒe̯ordʒe/
Scots
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdʒɔr(d)ʒ/, /ˈdʒor(d)ʒ/
Swedish
Etymology
From English George. Variant of the standard Swedish Georg. Both names ultimately derive from Ancient Greek Γεώργιος (Geṓrgios), name of a legendary dragon-slaying saint.
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