po

po · noun¹

1. Latin · derived frompāvō
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*pāwô“peacock”
3. Old English · inherited frompāwa
4. Middle English · inherited frompo
5. English todaypo

From Middle English po (found also in pocock), from Old English pāwa, pēa (“peacock”), from Proto-Germanic *pāwô (“peacock”), from Latin pāvō. Cognate with Dutch pauw, German Pfau. See also peacock.

po · noun²

A diminutive of pot.

po · noun³

Clipping of police.

po · adjective⁴

1. Hokkien · borrowed from薄“weak”
2. English todaypo

From Hokkien 薄 (po̍h / po̍k, “weak”).

Po · proper noun⁵

1. Latin · derived fromPadus
2. Italian · borrowed fromPo
3. English todayPo

From Italian Po, from Latin Padus.

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• 8th–19th c. A peacock.
• from 19th c. A chamberpot.