*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of benny

Etymology tree English ben(zedrine) Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English benny From ben(zedrine) + -y.

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To take amphetamines.

noun

An amphetamine tablet.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree English ben(zedrine) Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English benny From ben(zedrine) + -y.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative letter-case form of Benny (“tantrum”). · Alternative letter-case form of Benny (“one-hundred-dollar bill”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Benny.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A benefit.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Abbreviation of benefit.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

An overcoat. · A straw hat.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown or disputed. Attested from the late 19th century. Possibly from benjamin, slang from the early 19th century for a type of greatcoat. Possibly in reference to Uncle Benny or Uncle Ben (“a pawnbroker”), who might accept coats during the warm summer months, though the latter slang term does not appear to be attested before 1920.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

Synonym of eggs Benedict.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of eggs Benedict.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for benny →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmVubnk