[1590–1600; ‹ L ancīle, traditionally said to be equiv. to an- (var. of ambi- ambi- before c-) + -cīle (-cīd- comb. form of caed(ere) to cut (cf. -cide) + *-sl- n. suffix + -e, earlier *-i, s. vowel for compounds), referring to the deep indentations in the waist of theshield]This word is first recorded in the period 1590–1600. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Byzantine, dummy, mission, radius, tube