entry
innocuous
/ɪˈnɒkjuəs/Harmless; unlikely to cause offense or harm
From Latin in (not) + Latin noc (to harm).
from Latin innocuus "harmless; innocent; inoffensive,"
+1 more sourceWord Ancestry
from Latin innocuus "harmless; innocent; inoffensive,"
+1 more sourceBack in the 1590s, English borrowed a neat little Latin package: innocuus, which basically means “not harmful.” It’s built from in- (“not”) plus nocere, “to hurt,” the same nasty little family that gives us innocent, nocent, and noxious — all words orbiting the idea of damage or blame. So innocent and innocuous are cousins, but not twins: one leans toward guiltlessness, the other toward harmlessness. Say it aloud and you can almost hear the smile of relief in the word itself — nothing dangerous here, move along.
The Story
Back in the 1590s, English borrowed a neat little Latin package: innocuus, which basically means “not harmful.” It’s built from in- (“not”) plus nocere, “to hurt,” the same nasty little family that gives us innocent, nocent, and noxious — all words orbiting the idea of damage or blame. So innocent and innocuous are cousins, but not twins: one leans toward guiltlessness, the other toward harmlessness. Say it aloud and you can almost hear the smile of relief in the word itself — nothing dangerous here, move along.
Kin & Kindred
From 'in'·not
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'noc'·to harm, injure
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Free Dictionary
Urban Dictionary