Electrocute
/ɪˈlɛktroʊˌkjuːt/noun
To injure or kill by electric shock.
Did you know?Electrocute was coined in 1889 in the U.S. as a blend of electricity and execute, originally tied to the new electric chair, so the word itself was born in a ritual of modern state killing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁éḱwos
“horse”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἤλεκτρον (ēlektron)
“amber, the resin that produces static electricity when rubbed”
Late Latin
Latin
electrum
“amber; a pale alloy”
17th Century
English
electric
“relating to amber or the force observed in amber”
1889
English
electrocute
“to kill with electricity; originally coined for execution by electric chair”
Modern English
English
electrocute
“to injure or kill by electric shock”