jettison

jettison
\ \ [15] Etymologically, to jettison something is to ‘throw’ it overboard. Like jet, as in ‘jet engine’, the word comes from Latin jactārethrow’. The abstract noun derived from this was jactātiō, which entered English via Anglo-Norman getteson. It was used for the ‘action of throwing cargo overboard, especially in order to lighten a ship’, but it was not converted to its familiar modern role, as a verb, until as recently as the 19th century. The contracted form jetson, later jetsam, emerged in the 16th century, and later came to be used for such jettisoned material washed ashore.
\ \ Cf.JET, JCTSAM

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Jettison — may refer to: * A verb meaning to or eject from a ship, aircraft or vehicle; or discard or abandon; see marine debris * Jettison (record label), a Chicago based indie record label * Jettison (band), a punk band from the 1980s * Jettison (book), a …   Wikipedia

  • jettison — jet‧ti‧son [ˈdʒetsn, zn] verb [transitive] to get rid of something quickly or completely because it is not good enough: • Some Wall Street firms will jettison unprofitable businesses. * * * jettison UK US /ˈdʒetɪsən/ verb [T] ► to get rid of… …   Financial and business terms

  • jettison — (v.) 1848, from jettison (n.) act of throwing overboard to lighten a ship. This noun was an 18c. Marine Insurance writers restoration of the earlier form and original sense of the 15c. word that had become JETSAM (Cf. jetsam), probably because… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Jettison — Jet ti*son n. [See {Jetsam}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Mar. Law) The throwing overboard of goods from necessity, in order to lighten a vessel in danger of wreck. [1913 Webster] 2. See {Jetsam}, 1. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • jettison — I verb cast overboard, discard, dispense with, dispose of, eject, eliminate, expel, get rid of, part with, rid oneself of, slough, throw away, throw overboard, toss out, toss overboard II index abandon (relinquish), disown (refuse to ackno …   Law dictionary

  • jettison — in current use is a verb meaning ‘to discard’ and refers to physical things as well as abstract (e.g. ideas). Its origins are as a noun in maritime law, meaning ‘the action of throwing goods overboard, especially to lighten a ship in distress’.… …   Modern English usage

  • jettison — [v] eject; throw overboard abandon, abdicate, cashier*, cast, cast off, deep six*, discard, dump, expel, heave, hurl, junk*, maroon, reject, scrap*, shed, slough, throw away, unload*; concepts 180,222 Ant. take in, take on …   New thesaurus

  • jettison — ► VERB 1) throw or drop from an aircraft or ship. 2) abandon or discard. ORIGIN Old French getaison, from Latin jacere to throw …   English terms dictionary

  • jettison — [jet′ə sən, jet′əzən] n. [ME jetteson < Anglo Fr getteson < OFr getaison, a throwing, jetsam < L jactatio, a throwing < jactare, to throw: see JET1] 1. a throwing overboard of goods to lighten a ship, airplane, etc. in an emergency 2 …   English World dictionary

  • jettison — UK [ˈdʒetɪs(ə)n] / US verb [transitive] Word forms jettison : present tense I/you/we/they jettison he/she/it jettisons present participle jettisoning past tense jettisoned past participle jettisoned 1) to get rid of something that is not useful… …   English dictionary

  • jettison — I. noun Etymology: Middle English jetteson, from Anglo French geteson, literally, action of throwing, from Latin jactation , jactatio, from jactare more at jet Date: 15th century a voluntary sacrifice of cargo to lighten a ship s load in time of… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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