push
UK[pʊʃ]US[pʊʃ]
v
to use force to move something or someone away from you or from their current position
v
to press a button or switch
n
an act of pushing something or someone
n
a determined effort to achieve something
Etymology
The verb 'push' entered Middle English from Old French 'pousser' or 'poulser', meaning to thrust or shove. These Old French terms ultimately derive from the Latin verb 'pulsare', a frequentative form of 'pellere', meaning 'to drive, strike, or push'. The Latin root 'pellere' can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root pel-, which carried the sense of 'to thrust, strike, or drive'. The semantic core of applying force to move an object has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient origins through its journey via Latin and French into the modern English word, which retains this fundamental meaning while also extending to more abstract senses of determined effort.
Analysis
The word 'push' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
Please push the door to open it.
He pushed the button to call the elevator.
The company is making a big push to enter new markets.