Etymology

ket

K5E1T1

Today it means: A column vector, in Hilbert space, especially as representing the state of a quantum mechanical system; the complex conjugate transpose of a bra (a row vector); a ket vector. Symbolised by |...〉. Full definition →

Proto-Germanic *ketwą
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ket · noun1

From bra-ket notation invented by Paul Dirac, from bracket.

ket · noun2

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*ketwą
  2. English todayket

Probably of Old Norse origin like kjǫt (“meat”), from Proto-Germanic *ketwą. Compare Icelandic kjöt (“flesh”); akin to Swedish kött, Danish kød, and Norwegian kjøtt. The use of the term ket for "candy" or "sweets" probably derived from its use to describe sweet meats or as a deterrent to children.

ket · noun3

Clipping of ketamine.

Ket · noun, proper noun4

  1. ket · learned borrowing fromкеʼт“human being”
  2. English todayKet

Learned borrowing from Ket кеʼт (keˀt, “human being”), via Russian.

Ket · noun5

  1. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*kitte
  2. Middle Dutch · derived from*kitte
  3. Dutch · derived fromket
  4. Dutch · borrowed fromKet
  5. English todayKet

Borrowed from Dutch Ket, derived from Dutch ket, Middle Dutch *kitte, Proto-West Germanic *kitte.

Words from the same roots

Middle Dutch*kitte all →

kitkite

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.