Etymology

oestrum

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Today it means: A biting insect; a gadfly or botfly. Full definition →

First used 17th–19th c.Latin oestrum
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The story

  1. Latin · derived fromoestrum
  2. English todayoestrum

From Latin oestrum, variant of oestrus.

First known use, by meaning

  • 17th–19th c. A biting insect; a gadfly or botfly.
  • from 17th c. Something that stings or incites one to frenzy or action; an impulse or passion.
  • from 18th c. Estrus.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.