1905, "of an indefinite number," originally Morse code slang for "dash," influenced by association with numerals such as twenty, thirty, etc.
by 1907, popularized in World War I army slang, from umpty + -teen. Related: Umpteenth.
updated on September 29, 2010
英语词源词典收录了45867条英语词源词条，基本涵盖了全部常用英语词汇的起源、历史，是研究英语词汇或通过词源学英语的必备工具。