George

Etymology

Name of an early saint, from Middle English George, from Latin Geōrgius, from Ancient Greek Γεώργῐος (Geṓrgĭos), from γεωργός (geōrgós, “farmer, earth worker”), from γῆ (gê, “earth”) (combining form γεω- (geō-)) + ἔργον (érgon, “work”) Doublet of Jorge and Geevarghese.

The aircraft autopilot sense is probably from George DeBeeson, who patented an early (1931) autopilot system, and/or a reference to the expression let George do it. The Pullman porter sense derives from George Pullman, who hired Black people to staff his sleeping cars, and the patrons of the service seeing the Black people as servants of George Porter, much like how an enslaved person was named after the enslaver.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dʒɔː(ɹ)dʒ/

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Audio (US):

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• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)dʒ

Noun

George

1. (World War II era, joint US/RAF) radiotelephony clear-code word for the letter G.

   Synonym: Golf

Proper noun

George (plural Georges)

1. A male given name from Ancient Greek
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 203:

     Our ancient word of courage faire saint George / Inspire vs with the spleene of fierie Dragons,

   • 1830, Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names::

     George and Charles are unlucky in this respect; they have no diminutives, and what a mouthful of monosyllables they are! names royal too, and therefore unshortened. A king must be of a very rare class who could afford to be called by shorthand;

   • 1977, Joyce Grenfell, Nursery School::

     George... don't do that!

2. An English and Welsh surname originating as a patronymic.
3. A French surname originating as a patronymic.
4. A German surname originating as a patronymic, a variant of Georg.
5. A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], an anglicization of Seoirse.
6. A diminutive of the female given names Georgina or Georgia; also used in the conjoined name George Ann(e).
   • 1925, [US state of] Georgia's Official Register, page 100:

     Roy Davis Stubbs, Eatonton, Judge. Son of Robert D. and Maud (Middleton) Stubbs. [...] Married Miss George Smith Feb. 14, 1918 in Knoxville, Tenn.

   • 2004, George Sargent Janes Leubuscher, Douglas W. Patton, A Girl Named George: My First Hundred Years
8. (aviation, slang) The autopilot of an aircraft.
   • 1956, Flying Magazine, volume 59, number 6, page 33:

     "'George rides in the back, aft of the baggage compartment,” said Aviation Sales Manager, John Brophy, with a smile as he climbed out. […] I switched on the autopilot and turned the turn knob to the left to get the turn-bank indicator to show a one-needle turn. Instantly, George rolled the Cessna into a smooth 10° bank to the left.

   • 1993, Flying, volume 120, page 73:

     I relied on "George" and "Fred"—the autopilot and the flight director—to fly the airplane while I worked my way through […]

10. (Canada, US, slang, dated) Generic name for a Pullman porter.
11. A city in Western Cape province, South Africa; named for George III of the United Kingdom.
12. A locale in the United States.
    1. A city in Lyon County, Iowa; named for the son of a railroad official.
    2. A minor city in Grant County, Washington; named for George Washington, 1st president of the United States.
    3. A ghost town in Franklin County, Missouri; named for postmaster Stephen H. George.

Noun

George (plural Georges)

1. (slang, archaic) A coin bearing King George's profile.
   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:

     Take the Georges, Pew, and don’t stand here squalling.

2. A jewelled figure of St George slaying the dragon, worn by Knights of the Garter.
   • 1908, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey, A History of the George Worn on the Scaffold by Charles I, page 93:

     […] the King appears to be wearing a George containing the motto inside the gems, as it is in the jewel at Windsor.

Further reading

• “George n.¹”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present
• “George n.³”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present

Etymology

Named after George III of the United Kingdom.

Proper noun

George

1. George (a city in Western Cape, South Africa)

Etymology

English George.

Proper noun

George

1. a male given name from English [in turn from Ancient Greek]