English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Etymology — The origins of English words

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.

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An altered form of inwards.

From Latin dominium, "ownership, lordship," from dominus, "lord, master" — the same root as "dominate" and "domain."

From Old English belgan, "to swell with rage," part of the same ancient root family as "bulge" and "billow" — the common thread being something swelling up before it bursts out.

From drag + -ing.

From seize plus the -ing ending.

From Latin praesumptuosus, built on praesumere ("to take beforehand, to assume").

A compound of meat and head; popularized in the 1970s by the sitcom All in the Family, where Archie Bunker used it as a nickname for his son-in-law.

A deverbal noun formed from the phrasal verb "take down."

Originally a literal gardening term for a bed of soil heated by rotting manure to help seeds sprout early; the figurative sense of "breeding ground" grew from that image.

From Medieval Latin inventōrium, from Latin inveniō, "to find out."

From Middle English fonne, the same root that gave us "fun."

From Middle English [Term?], perhaps from Scots podlok.

From Middle French bataillon, ultimately from the same root as "battle."

A short form of Christina or any name ending in "-tina", such as Martina.

A clipped, informal form of "suspicious" or "suspect," popularized through slang and online gaming culture (especially the game Among Us).

From "jog" (to move at a slow, steady trot) plus the "-ing" ending.

From jog + the agent suffix -er.

See crack. The origin of the slang sense “skilled (at a game)” is disputed, but may derive from the much older term crack shot (“one who is skilled at shooting”). Compare cracking, crackerjack.

From Old French conjurer, from Latin coniurare, "to swear together, conspire" — from con- + iurare ("to swear an oath").

From Old French crevace, from crever, "to burst", from Latin crepare, "to crack" — a doublet of "crevasse".

From bully + the suffix -ing, forming the noun for the ongoing behavior.

From Old French cortoiier, related to "court" plus the agent suffix -ier.

From kneel plus the -ing ending, tracing back to Middle English knelinge.

From Latin constituere, "to set up, establish," from con- ("together") + statuere ("to set up").