Etymology

prestress

P3R1E1S1T1R1E1S1S1

Today it means: To apply stress to structural components in order to produce a tension that counteracts the loads to which the component is subjected in its designed use. Full definition →

English stress ← Middle English destresse ← Old French destrecier
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Latindistringō
  10. Old Frenchdestrecier
  11. Middle Englishdestresse
  12. Englishstress
  13. English todayprestress

From pre- + stress.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.