Etymology

boycott

B3O1Y4C3O1T1T1

Today it means: To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest. Full definition →

Middle English Boicote ← Old English Bōia cot
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boycott · verb, noun1

From Charles Boycott, an English evicting land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. For the surname see Boycott.

Boycott · proper noun2

  1. Old English · inherited fromBōia cot“Bōia's cottage”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromBoicote
  3. English todayBoycott

From Middle English Boicote, probably from Old English Bōia cot (“Bōia's cottage”). The first element was a common Germanic name of obscure meaning, with parallels in Old Norse and Franconian dialects. Some proposed connections include bugan (“bent”), buan (“live”), or the root of modern bully.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.