Word origin
[1595–1605; ‹ L
ossifraga sea eagle, lit., bone-breaker (n. use of fem. of
ossifragus bone-breaking), equiv. to
ossi- (comb. form of
os) bone +
frag-, var. s. of
frangere to
break +
-a nom. sing. fem. n. and adj. ending
]This word is first recorded in the period 1595–1605. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Creole, detail, option, slur, zero