Etymology

repulse

re·pulse
R1E1P3U1L1S1E1

Today it means: To repel or drive back. Full definition →

Middle English repulsen
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repulse · verb1

  1. Middle English · inherited fromrepulsen
  2. Middle English · inherited fromrepulsen
  3. English todayrepulse

Inherited from Middle English repulsen, a learned borrowing from Latin repulsus, from repellō. For spelling, as in pulse, the -e (on -lse) is so the end is pronounced /ls/, rather than /lz/ as in pulls, and does not change the vowel (‘u’). Compare else, false, convulse.

repulse · noun2

  1. Middle English · inherited fromrepulse
  2. Middle English · inherited fromrepulse
  3. English todayrepulse

Inherited from Middle English repulse, borrowed from Old French repulse, from Latin repulsa (petītiō), from repellō.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.