English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

"U" Word Origins

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

“U” Word Origins

From "un-" + "lucky."

From un- + magical.

From Middle English unmaken; equivalent to un- + make.

From "un-" + "manned."

From "un-" + "marked."

From "un-" + "married."

From un- + marshal.

From un- + masculine.

From "un-" + "mask."

From un- + material.

From un- + measurable.

Victorian Era euphemism, specifically the category of euphemism known as indirection (compare privates, behind, sleep together). First intended meaning was "trousers", attested from 1823. Meaning "underwear" is recorded from 1910.

From un- + mergeable.

From un- + mind.

From Middle English unmyndefull; equivalent to un- + mindful.

From un- + misleading.

From "un-" + "mistake" + "-able."

From "un-" + "mitigated" (softened or lessened).

From un- + mix.

From un- + mixed.

From un- + moor.

From un- + mount.

From un- + moveable.

From "un-" + "moved."

From un- + murder.

From un- + murdered.

From un- + musical.

From un- (\"not\") plus named.

From Middle English unnatural, built from un- + natural.

From Middle English unnaturelly, equivalent to unnatural + -ly and/or un- + naturally.

From unnecessary + -ly.

From un- + necessary.

Borrowed from Korean 언니 (eonni), meaning an older sister of a woman.

From un- + notatable.

From un- + notated.

From un- + noticed.

From un- + numberable.

From Middle English unnoumbird, unnoumbrid, un-nowmbyrde, unnowmyrd; equivalent to un- + numbered.

From un- + numerous.

From Spanish uno, meaning \"one\" — the number a player is left holding when they call it out.

From un- + obeying.

From un- + obliging.

From un- + observing.

From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + obtrusive.

From unobvious + -ly.

From un- + occupied.

From un- + official.

From unofficial + -ly.