Online Etymology Dictionary

technophobe (n.): by 1952, perhaps by 1946, from techno- + -phobe.
If the reader will consult such a book as Recent Economic Changes, by David A. Wells, published in 1889, he will find passages that, except for the dates and absolute amounts involves, might have been writen by our technophobes (if I may coin a needed word) of today. [Henry Hazlitt, "Economics in One Lesson," 1952 edition]
tectonic (adj.): 1650s, "of or relating to building," from Late Latin tectonicus, from Greek tektonikos "pertaining to building," from tekton (genitive tektonos) "builder, carpenter," from PIE root *tek- "to make" (see texture). The geological sense is recorded from 1894.
tectonics (n.): 1899 in the geological sense, from tectonic (also see -ics); earlier it meant "building or constructive arts in general" (1850).
ted (v.): "to spread," 15c., probably from an unrecorded Old English *teddan, related to Old Norse teðja.
Teddy: pet form of masc. proper names Edward, Edmund, and Theodore; meaning "women's undergarment" (with lower-case t-) is recorded from 1924, of unknown origin, perhaps from some fancied resemblance to a teddy bear (q.v.), a theory that dates to 1929. In British slang phrase teddy boy (1954) it is short for Edward, from the preference of such youths for Edwardian styles (1901-10). Teddies (probably from Teddy Roosevelt) was one of the names given to U.S. troops in France in 1917.
teddy bear (n.): 1906, named for U.S. president Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, a noted big-game hunter, whose conservationist fervor inspired a comic illustrated poem in the "New York Times" of Jan. 7, 1906, about two bears named Teddy, whose names were transferred to two bears presented to the Bronx Zoo that year. The name was picked up by toy dealers in 1907 for a line of "Roosevelt bears" imported from Germany. Meaning "big, lovable person" first attested 1957, from the song popularized by Elvis Presley.
tedesco (n.): "Teutonic influence in the arts," 1814, from Italian, literally "German," from Medieval Latin theodiscus (see Dutch).
tedious (adj.): early 15c., from Old French tedieus, from Late Latin taediosus "wearisome, irksome, tedious," from Latin taedium (see tedium).
tedium (n.): 1660s, from Latin taedium "weariness, disgust," related to taedet "it is wearisome," and to taedere "to weary." Possible cognates are Old Church Slavonic tezo, Lithuanian tingiu "to be dull, be listless."
tee (n.): in golf, 1721, back-formation from teaz (1673), taken as a plural; a Scottish word of uncertain origin. The original form was a little heap of sand. The verb meaning "place a ball on a golf tee" is recorded from 1673; figurative sense of "to make ready" (usually with up) is recorded from 1938. Teed off in the figurative sense of "angry, annoyed" is first recorded 1953, probably as a euphemism for p(iss)ed off.
tee-hee: imitative of derisive laughter at least since Chaucer (cf. "The Miller's Tale").
teem (v.1): "abound, swarm," Old English teman (Mercian), tieman (West Saxon) "give birth to, produce," from Proto-Germanic *taumijanan, from PIE *deuk- "to lead" (see duke (n.)). Related to team in its now-obsolete Old English sense of "family, brood of young animals." The meaning "be fertile, abound, swarm" is first recorded 1590s. Related: Teemed; teeming.
teem (v.2): "to flow copiously," c.1300, from Old Norse toema "to empty," from tomr "empty," cognate with Old English tom "empty." The original notion is of "to empty a vessel," thus "to pour out." Related: Teemed; teeming.
teeming (adj.): "swarming," 1715, present participle adjective from teem (v.1).
teen (n.): "teen-aged person," 1818 (but rare before 20c.), from -teen. As an adjective meaning "of or for teen-agers," from 1947.
teenage (adj.): also teen age, teen-age; 1911, formed from -teen as a separate word + age (n.). Originally in reference to Sunday School classes. Teen-aged (adj.) is from 1922.
teenager (n.): also teen ager, teen-ager; derived noun from teenage (q.v.), 1922. The earlier word for this was teener, attested in American English from 1894, and teen had been used as a noun to mean "teen-aged person" in 1818, though this was not common before 20c.
teens (n.): 1670s (plural), "teen-age years of a person," formed from -teen taken as a separate word. As "decade of years comprising numbers ending in -teen," from 1889.
teeny (adj.): 1825, alteration of tiny. Alternative form teensy is attested from 1899.
teeny-bopper (n.): 1966, from teen (n.) but also felt as influenced by teeny. For second element, see bop.
teeter (v.): 1843, "to seesaw," alteration of Middle English titter "move unsteadily," probably from Old Norse titra "to shake, shiver, totter," related to German zittern "to tremble." Noun teeter-totter "see-saw" is attested from 1905.
teeth (n.): plural of tooth (n.).
teethe (v.): early 15c., probably from an unrecorded Old English verb *teþan, from toþ (see tooth). Related: Teethed; teething.
teething (n.): 1724, verbal noun from teethe (v.).
teetotal (v.): "pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drink," 1834, possibly formed from total (adj.) with a reduplication of the initial T- for emphasis (T-totally "totally," though not in an abstinence sense, is recorded in Kentucky dialect from 1832 and is possibly older in Irish-English).

The use in temperance jargon was first noted September 1833 in a speech advocating total abstinence (from beer as well as wine and liquor) by Richard "Dicky" Turner, a working-man from Preston, England. Also said to have been introduced in 1827 in a New York temperance society which recorded a T after the signature of those who had pledged total abstinence, but contemporary evidence for this is wanting, and Webster (1847) calls teetotaler "a cant word formed in England."
teetotaler (n.): also teetotaller; agent noun from teetotal (q.v.).
tefillin: 1610s, from Rabbinical Hebrew t'phillim, plural of t'phillah "prayer."
Teflon (n.): commercially important synthetic polymer, 1945, proprietary name registered in U.S. by du Pont, from chemical name (poly)te(tra)fl(uoroethylene) + arbitrary ending -on; popularized as a coating of non-stick pans in 1960s; metaphoric extension, especially in reference to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, is attested from an Aug. 2, 1983, speech on the floor of Congress by Pat Schroeder.
teg (n.): sheep in its second year, 1520s, of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Scandinavian source (cf. Swedish tacka "ewe").
tegument (n.): mid-15c., from Latin tegumentum "a covering, a cover," from tegere "to cover," from PIE root *(s)teg- "to cover" (see stegosaurus).
Tejano: "native or inhabitant of Texas," 1925, from American Spanish, formerly Texano "a Texan" (see Texas).
tektite (n.): small roundish glass bodies, probably of meteoric origin, 1909, from German tektit (1900), from Greek tektos "molten," from tekein "to melt."
telangiectasia (n.): 1831, Modern Latin, from Greek telos "end" (see tele-), + angeion "vessel" (see angio-), + ektasis "a stretching out, extension, dilation."
tele-: word-forming element meaning "far, far off," from Greek tele-, combining form of tele "far off, afar, at or to a distance," related to teleos (genitive telos) "end, goal, result, consummation, perfection," literally "completion of a cycle," from PIE *kwel-es- (cf. Sanskrit caramah "the last," Breton pell "far off," Welsh pellaf "uttermost"), from root *kwel- (see cycle).
telecast (n.): 1937, from tele(vision) + (broad)cast. The verb is recorded from 1940.
telecom (n.): abbreviation of telecommunication, attested by 1963.
telecommunication (n.): 1932, from French télécommunication (see tele- + communication). Related: Telecommunications.
telecommute (v.): by 1974 (as a hypothetical experience), from tele- + commute. Related: Telecommuted. Cf. telecommuting.
telecommuting (n.): by 1975, as a hypothetical workplace set-up; verbal noun from telecommute. Said to have been coined by Jack Niles of USC.
teleconference (n.): 1952, originally a proprietary name, from tele- + conference. Not in common use until c.1974.
telegenic (adj.): 1939, from television + ending from photogenic.
Judith Barrett, pretty and blonde actress, is the first Telegenic Girl to go on record. In other words, she is the perfect type of beauty for television. ... She is slated for the first television motion picture. [Baltimore "Sun," Oct. 16, 1939]
telegram (n.): "telegraphic dispatch," 1852, coined by E.P. Smith of Rochester, N.Y., from tele-, as in telegraph + -gram, and introduced in the Albany "Evening Journal" of April 6, 1852. Purists pointed out that this is an erroneous formation, and the correct word would be telegrapheme (which is close to the Modern Greek word).
May I suggest to such as are not contented with 'Telegraphic Dispatch' the rightly constructed word 'telegrapheme'? I do not want it, but ... I protest against such a barbarism as 'telegram.' [Richard Shilleto, Cambridge Greek scholar, in the London "Times," Oct. 15, 1857]
telegraph (n.): 1794, "semaphor apparatus" (hence the Telegraph Hill in many cities), literally "that which writes at a distance," from French télégraphe, from télé- "far" (from Greek tele-; see tele-) + -graphe (see -graphy). The signaling device had been invented in France in 1791 by the brothers Chappe, who had called it tachygraphe, literally "that which writes fast," but the better name was suggested to them by French diplomat Comte André-François Miot de Mélito (1762-1841). First applied 1797 to an experimental electric telegraph (designed by Dr. Don Francisco Salva at Barcelona); the practical version was developed 1830s by Samuel Morse.
telegraph (v.): 1805, from telegraph (n.). Figurative meaning "to signal one's intentions" is first attested 1925, originally in boxing. Related: Telegraphed; telegraphing.
telegraphic (adj.): 1794, originally of semaphor, etc.; from telegraph + -ic. Electric telegraph sense is from 1823.
telekinesis (n.): 1890, said to have been coined by Alexander N. Aksakof (1832-1903) Imperial Councilor to the Czar, in Modern Latin, literally "motion at a distance," from tele- + Greek kinesis "movement, motion," from PIE root *kei- "to move to and fro" (see cite). Translates German Fernwirkung.
telemarketing (n.): 1970, from tele(phone) + marketing. Related: Telemarketer (1984).
telemeter (n.): 1860, a rangefinder for surveying and artillery, from French télémètre (1852), from télé- "far" (see tele-) + mètre "meter" (see -meter). Used from 1953 for a pay-as-you-watch TV system with a coin box attached to the set.
teleology (n.): "study of final causes," 1740, from Modern Latin teleologia, coined 1728 by German philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff (1679-1754) from Greek teleos "entire, perfect, complete," properly genitive of telos "end, goal, result" (see tele-), + -logia (see -logy).
telepathy (n.): 1882, coined (along with telæsthesia) by English psychologist Frederic Myers (1843-1901), from tele- + -pathy. Telepathic is first recorded 1884. The noun telepath is a 1907 back-formation.