"R" Word Origins

redux

Latin

From Latin redux 'brought back, returning', from reducere 'to lead back'. It entered English as a postpositive adjective and remains almost entirely confined to that position, especially in titles.

redwood

Origin

From red plus wood, referring to the tree's reddish bark and timber.

ree

Old English

From Old English hreoh, \"rough, wild, stormy,\" related to raw.

Reece

Welsh

From Welsh Rhys.

reed

Old English

From Old English hreod, referring to the wetland plant.

reedy

Origin

From Middle English reedy, reedi, reeddy, equivalent to reed + -y.

reef

Old Norse

From Old Norse rif, \"rib, reef,\" the same root that gives us rib.

reefer

Origin · 1900

From reef plus -er; the jacket and clothing sense comes from sailors who reefed sails, while the marijuana sense arose independently in 20th-century slang.

reek

Old English

From Old English rec, \"smoke,\" related to German Rauch.

reel

Old English

From Old English hreol, related to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning \"to weave or beat.\"

reelection

Origin

Simply re- ("again") plus election.

reenact

Origin

From re- ("again") plus enact.

reenactment

Origin

From re- ("again") plus enact plus the noun-forming suffix -ment.

Reese

Welsh

As a surname and given name, from Welsh Rhys ("ardor, passion"); the well-known candy brand comes from its founder's surname.

reestablish

Origin

From re- ("again") plus establish.

reeve

Old English

From Old English gerefa ("official, officer"), a word that mostly died out in England once "bailiff" took over, though it survives in Canadian local government.

Reeves

Origin

A variant of Reeve with an added -s, from the medieval English office of "reeve."

reexperience

Origin

From re- + experience.

ref

Origin

A shortened, clipped form of referee.

refaction

Origin

See refection.

refection

Origin

From French réfection, from Latin refectiōnem, accusative singular of refectiō (“recovery, refection”), from reficiō (“restore, renew”).

refer

Latin

From Old French referer, from Latin referre ("to carry back, report"). A doublet of relate.

referee

Latin

From Old French referer ("to relate, refer"), from Latin referre — literally, the person to whom a decision is "referred."

reference

Medieval Latin

From Medieval Latin referentia, ultimately from Latin referre ("to carry back, report").

referendum

Latin

From Latin referendum, literally "that which must be brought back [to the people]," from refero ("to announce").

referent

Origin

From refer + -ent.

referral

Origin

From refer plus the noun-forming suffix -al.

refill

Origin

From re- ("again") plus fill.

refine

Origin

From re- plus fine, in the sense "to make fine or pure."

refinement

Origin

From refine plus the noun-forming suffix -ment.

refinery

Origin

From refine plus the place-noun suffix -ry.

refinisher

Origin

From refinish + -er.

reflect

Latin

From Latin reflectere ("to bend back"), from re- ("back") plus flectere ("to bend").

reflection

Late Latin

From Late Latin reflexio, from reflectere ("to bend back"). Spelling later influenced by "reflect."

reflective

Origin

From reflect plus the adjective-forming suffix -ive.

reflector

Origin

From reflect plus the agent suffix -or.

reflex

Late Latin

From Late Latin reflexus ("a bending back"), from reflectere ("to bend back").

reflexion

Origin

From Middle English reflexion, reflexioun, from Middle French reflexion and its etymon Late Latin reflexiō; the variant spelling reflection is due to influence from correction.

reflexive

Origin

From Medieval Latin reflexīvus, from Latin reflexus, equivalent to reflex + -ive.

refocus

Origin

From re- ("again") plus focus.

reform

Latin

From Old French reformer, from Latin reformare ("to shape again"), from re- plus formare ("to form").

reformation

Latin · 1500

From Latin reformatio, from reformare ("to reshape"). Historically capitalized when referring to the 16th-century religious movement.

reformer

Origin

From reform plus the agent suffix -er.

reformist

Origin

From reform + -ist. Originated around the end of the 16th century.

refraction

Latin

From Latin refractus, past participle of refringere "to break up", from re- "back" and frangere "to break".

refractor

Origin

From refract + -or.

refractory

Origin

From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refrāctus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory.

refrain

Latin

From Old French refrener, from Latin refrenare ("to bridle, hold back"), from re- plus frenum ("a bridle").