einstein

einstein · noun¹

Photochemistry sense named in honor of Albert Einstein, who explained the photoelectric effect. Informal sense from the widespread perception that Albert Einstein was a great genius.

einstein · noun²

From German ein Stein, "one stone", coined by scientists in recent decades, but with tongue-in-cheek tacit acknowledgment of the homonymy with einstein and Einstein; "a pun playing with the famous scientist's name and the German term "ein Stein" for "one stone".

Einstein · proper noun, noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European*ís?
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁óynos
3. Proto-Germanic*ainaz
4. Proto-West Germanic*ain
5. Old High Germanein
6. Middle High Germanein
7. Germanein
8. Germaneines
9. Germaneins
10. Germanein-
11. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
12. Proto-Indo-European*steyh₂-
13. Proto-Indo-European*stóyh₂nos
14. Proto-Germanic*stainaz
15. Proto-West Germanic*stain
16. Old High Germanstein
17. Middle High Germanstein
18. GermanStein
19. Germanein
20. GermanStein
21. GermanEinstein
22. English todayEinstein

Borrowed from German Einstein. * The common noun is an eponym of Albert Einstein.

Words from the same roots