What word was shortened to coin the word gin ? as in
cotton gin?
Etymology, Etymology, and more Etymology
as well as grammar, usage, euphemism, slang, jargon, semantics (meaning), linguistics, neologism, idiom, word origin, syntax, dialect, lexicon (vocabulary), diction, pidgin, synonym, antonym, homonym, cant, argot, lingo, and redundancy.

The critically-acclaimed board game
MooT
consists of tough questions about the nuances of the English language.
Answer:
engine
The machine used to separate cotton from its seeds was
initially called a cotton engine. As that was a mouthful, it eventually came to
be called a cotton gin.
Please note that these are draft questions for the board game MooT.
If you spot an error or disagree with anything I've said here,
please let me know and I'll fix it.
(the Mootguy)
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