# When did  " tech " begin to mean...well..." tech " ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 9, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093 "2010-11-09T21:38:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![flano1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f14d63/32.png) [@flano1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flano1)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093/1 "2010-11-09T21:38:40Z")

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As it says on the box.

I’m usually lax in remembering when buzz words first appeared so bear with me.

I first noticed the preponderence of the word " tech " in Dollhouse, but I know its use predates the Whedonverse.

First use in its current form?

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093/2 "2010-11-09T22:00:42Z")

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Tech has had a lot of uses. From [etymonline.com](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=tech&searchmode=none):

> [@](#):
>
> tech
> 
> 1906 as short for technical college (or institute, etc.), Amer.Eng; 1942 as short for technician.
> 
> technology
> 
> 1610s, “discourse or treatise on an art or the arts,” from Gk. tekhnologia “systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique,” originally referring to grammar, from tekhno- (see techno-) + -logia (see -logy). The meaning “science of the mechanical and industrial arts” is first recorded 1859. High technology attested from 1964; short form high-tech is from 1972.

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093/3 "2010-11-09T22:05:02Z")

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Yes, what do you mean by tech? Technology? Technician? Technical? Something else?

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**Author:** ![flano1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f14d63/32.png) [@flano1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flano1)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093/4 "2010-11-09T22:06:55Z")

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What I mean is its use as a piece of equipment.

e.g. " This piece of alien tech completely baffles me! ".

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [November 9, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-tech-begin-to-mean-well-tech/560093/5 "2010-11-09T22:32:20Z")

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> [@flano1](#):
>
> What I mean is its use as a piece of equipment.
> 
> e.g. " This piece of alien tech completely baffles me! ".

In that case it’s just a contraction of technology, and dates from 1859 as per **Exapno Mapcase** ’s reference.

If you want a specific reference where somebody used it as a synonym for “piece of equipment”, that’s going to be hard to track down. It was certainly common enough by the late 80s for it to be used regularly in science fiction writing.