English
torpids
From torpid + -s, since the boats used were slower than those in other races.
Formed from torpid + -s
Proto-Indo-European *terp- ‘to satisfy’
Proto-Indo-European *tr̥péh₁yeti
Proto-Italic *torpēō
Latin torpeō ‘to be stiff, numb, torpid or motionless’
Latin torpidus ‘tired, numb’
English torpid
Today it means
noun A series of annual boat races held at Oxford University in Hilary Term.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “torpids”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / torpids