- refuse (v.)
- c.1300, from Old French refuser (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *refusare, frequentative of past participle stem of Latin refundere "pour back, give back" (see refund). Related: Refused; refusing. Refusenik "Soviet Jew who has been refused permission to emigrate to Israel" (1975) is a partial translation of Russian otkaznik, from otkazat "to refuse."
- refuse (n.)
- late 14c., "a rejected thing; waste material, trash," from Old French refus "waste product, rubbish," a back-formation from the past participle of refuser (see refuse (v.)). As an adjective from early 15c.