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late 14c., "descend from," from Old French deriver "to flow, pour out; derive, originate," from Latin derivare "to lead or draw off (a stream of water) from its source" (in Late Latin also "to derive"), from phrase de rivo (de "from" + rivus "stream," from PIE root *rei-...
Etymology Noun see derive Adjective see derive First Known Use Noun 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Time Traveler The first known use of derivative was in the 15th century See more words from the same century Phrase...