"undulating sandy ground," 1728, from Scottish/Northumbrian link "sandy, rolling ground near seashore, a crook or winding of a river," from Old English hlinc "rising ground, ridge;" perhaps from the same Proto-Germanic root as lean (v.). The Scottish word for the type of landscape where golf was born; the word has been part of the names of golf courses at least since 1728. The southern form of the word was Middle English linch "rising ground, especially between plowed fields or along a chalk down," which persisted in dialect.

early 15c., "one of a series of rings or loops which form a chain; section of a cord," probably from Old Norse *hlenkr or a similar Scandinavian source (compare Old Norse hlekkr "link," in plural, "chain;" Old Swedish lænker "chain, link," Norwegian lenke "a link," Danish lænke "a chain," German Gelenk "articulation, a joint of the body; a link, ring"), from Proto-Germanic *khlink- (source also of German lenken "to bend, turn, lead"), from PIE root *kleng- "to bend, turn." Related to lank, flank, flinch.

The noun is not found in Old English, where it is represented by lank "the hip" ("turn of the body"), hlencan (plural) "armor." Meaning "a division of a sausage made in a continuous chain" is from mid-15c. Meaning "anything serving to connect one thing or part with another" is from 1540s. Sense of "means of telecommunication between two points" is from 1911. Missing link between man and apes dates to 1880.

"undulating sandy ground," especially in a golf course; see links.

"to bind, fasten, couple, unite as if by links," late 14c., believed to be from link (n.1), though it is attested earlier. Intransitive sense "become connected, join in marriage" is from 1530s. Related: Linked; linking.

"torch of tow, pitch, etc.," 1520s, of uncertain origin, possibly from Medieval Latin linchinus, from lichinus "wick," from Greek lykhnos "portable light, lamp," from PIE root *leuk- "light, brightness."

also chain saw, chainsaw; 1818 as a surgical apparatus (for amputations) consisting of a chain, the links of which have serated edges; 1835 in the saw mill sense, "power-driven saw consisting of a chain with cutting points attached to the links;" from chain (n.) + saw (n.).

"system of combined links," 1874, originally in mechanical engineering, from link (v.) + -age.

To understand the principle of Peaucellier's link-work, it is convenient to consider previously certain properties of a linkage, (to coin a new and useful word of general application), consisting of an arrangement of six links, obtained in the following manner ... (etc.). ["Recent Discoveries in Mechanical Conservation of Motion," in "Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine," vol. xi, July-December 1874]

c. 1600, "state of being linked together," from Late Latin concatenationem (nominative concatenatio) "a linking together," noun of action from past participle stem of concatenare "to link together," from com "with, together" (see con-) + catenare, from catena "a chain" (see chain (n.)). As "a series of things united like links in a chain" from 1726.

1969, from hyper- "over, above" + text (n.).

In place of the verbal connectives that are used in normal text, such as topic or transition sentences, hypertext connects nodes ... through links. The primary purpose of a link is to connect one card, node or frame and another card, frame or node that enables the user to jump from one to another. [David H. Jonassen, "Hypertext/hypermedia," 1989]

"work an office job from home by means of phone connections, data links, etc.," by 1974 (as a hypothetical experience), from tele- + commute (v.). Related: Telecommuted; telecommuter (by 1975). Compare telecommuting.