Etymology

elastic

elas·tic
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Today it means: Capable of stretching; particularly, capable of stretching so as to return to an original shape or size when force is released. Full definition →

French élastique ← New Latin elasticu ← Ancient Greek ἐλᾰστός (elăstós)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁elh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁l̥h₂-tós
  3. Ancient Greekἐλᾰστός (elăstós)
  4. New Latinelasticu
  5. Frenchélastique
  6. English todayelastic

From French élastique, from New Latin elasticus (“elastic”), from Ancient Greek ἐλαστός (elastós), alternative form of ἐλατός (elatós, “ductile”) (cf. ἐλατήρ (elatḗr, “a driver, hurler”)), from ἐλαύνω (elaúnō, “to drive, set in motion, push, strike, beat out”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.