Lost
/lɔst/noun
No longer in the possession of, place of, or direction toward something; unable to be found.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from a Germanic root meaning “to loosen, destroy, or let go,” so being “lost” was once tied to the idea of something falling apart or being undone.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“To loosen, split apart, or break up.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*lausaz
“Loose, free, or released.”
Old English
Eng
lōst
“Lost; ruined; destroyed.”
Middle English
Eng
lost
“Lost; no longer to be found or recovered.”
Modern English
Eng
lost
“No longer in the possession of, place of, or direction toward something; unable to be found.”