Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Force has 24 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Verb · Proper Noun
(physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity
"force equals mass times acceleration"
physical energy or intensity
"he hit with all the force he could muster"
"it was destroyed by the strength of the gale"
"a government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man"
a unit that is part of some military service
"he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men"
a group of people having the power of effective action
"he joined forces with a band of adventurers"
a putout of a base runner who is required to run; the putout is accomplished by holding the ball while touching the base to which the runner must advance before the runner reaches that base
"the shortstop got the runner at second on a force"
Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.
"The sheer force of the river crashed over the rocks, creating a mist that soaked everyone standing below."
A waterfall or cascade.
In plain English: Force is the push or pull that makes things move, stop, or change shape.
"The sudden gust of wind forced the door to slam shut."
Usage: Do not use "force" to mean a waterfall; that specific definition belongs to the word "cascade." Instead, reserve "force" as a noun for physical power, coercion, or a military unit.
To violate (a woman); to rape.
"The baker complained that the recipe called for too much sugar, which would only force the cake to be overly sweet and cloying."
To stuff; to lard; to farce.
In plain English: To force something means to make someone do it even though they don't want to.
"She carefully force-fed the baby a spoonful of pureed vegetables."
Usage: Use "force" to mean compelling someone to act against their will or making something happen with great effort. Do not use it to describe stuffing food or adding ingredients, which belongs to the obsolete term "farce."
Falls. used in place names.
"My neighbor, Mr. Force, invited us all over for his famous apple pie yesterday."
A surname.
The word "force" entered English from Old French, where it originally meant strength or power. Its roots trace back to the Latin word for "strong," which itself comes from an ancient Indo-European term meaning "to rise" or "high."