English word origin

Etymology of rep

Clippings of various words beginning with rep.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 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 ↗

noun

Clipping of reputation. · Clipping of repetition. · Clipping of representative. · Clipping of representation.

verb

To represent; to act as a representative for. · To display as a representative example. · Abbreviation of repeat. · To lift for multiple reps.

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

Clippings of various words beginning with rep.

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Clipping of reputation.",
        "Clipping of repetition.",
        "Clipping of representative.",
        "Clipping of representation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "clipping",
        "countable",
        "informal",
        "uncountable"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 232776
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To represent; to act as a representative for.",
        "To display as a representative example.",
        "Abbreviation of repeat.",
        "To lift for multiple reps."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "informal",
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "transitive"
      ],
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A fabric made of silk or wool, or of silk and wool, and having a transversely corded or ribbed surface.

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

Back-formation from reps, misinterpreted as a plural.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "back-form",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "reps"
      },
      "expansion": "Back-formation from reps"
    }
  ],
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    [
      "reps",
      "reps#English"
    ]
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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A fabric made of silk or wool, or of silk and wool, and having a transversely corded or ribbed surface."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
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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 rep →

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-cmVw