More in Eponyms
'Boycott' was a man's surname
Captain Charles Boycott was ostracised by Irish tenants in 1880. Within months newspapers used his name as a verb.
'Silhouette' mocked a finance minister
Étienne de Silhouette imposed harsh austerity in 1759, so cheap shadow portraits took his name as an insult.
'Diesel' was an engineer
Rudolf Diesel patented his compression ignition engine in 1892, and his surname became the fuel it burned.