hex

hex · verb, noun¹

1. German · derived fromhexen
2. Pennsylvania German · borrowed fromhexe“to practice witchcraft”
3. English todayhex

First attested about 1830, from Pennsylvania German hexe (“to practice witchcraft”), from German hexen (compare Hexe (“witch”)). The noun appeared later, in the 1850s. Cognate to Norwegian Bokmål heks (“witch”) and Dutch heks (“witch”), Dutch beheksen (“to bewitch”), Old English hægtesse (“witch, hag”). Doublet of hag.

hex · noun, verb²

Short for hexadecimal.

hex · noun³

Short for hexagon.

hex · noun⁴

Short for hexafluoride.