[1655–65; ‹ L rōborant- (s. of rōborāns), prp. of rōborāre to strengthen, equiv. to rōbor- (s. of rōbur) oak, hardness + -ant- -ant]This word is first recorded in the period 1655–65. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: contour, loaded, mechanism, minimum, neutralize-ant is a suffix forming adjectives and nouns from verbs, occurring originally in Frenchand Latin loanwords (pleasant; constant; servant) and productive in English on this model; -ant has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that namedby the stem (ascendant; pretendant), esp. in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or otherformal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant). In general, -ant can be added only to bases of Latin origin, with a very few exceptions, as coolant