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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From terrible + the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From Portuguese moreia, from Latin murēna, "sea eel," from Ancient Greek smúraina.

The past participle of elevate, used as an adjective.

From Middle English egernesse, egrenesse; equivalent to eager + -ness.

An American variant of "champ" (to chew noisily), from Middle English champen.

From Old French saveur, from Latin sapor, "taste, flavour."

Borrowed directly from Latin fīcus, meaning "fig."

Formed from "raze" plus the agent suffix "-er."

From the same Germanic root as "borough" and "-burg" place names such as Hamburg, meaning a fortified town.

From Latin emissarius, "agent" or "spy," from emittere, "to send out."

An invented word that simply imitates the rushing sound of fast movement.

From Anglo-Norman enroller, built from en- ("into") plus roll — literally "to put into a roll," since names were once recorded on a rolled parchment list.

Borrowed from French bandage, itself formed from bande ("band, strip").

From Middle French immensité, built on "immense" plus "-ity."

From a British dialect word "wanky," itself from Old English wancol, "unstable, shaky."

Built in English from peri- ("around") + -scope ("instrument for viewing").

A straightforward compound of "letter" and "box."

From "unlawful" + "-ly."

From "lawful" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

From Old French cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista ("box"), from Greek kiste.

From New Latin differentiatus, based on Latin differentia, "difference."

From Middle English grounded, i-grounded, equivalent to ground + -ed.

A blend of "camera" and "recorder," first popularized around 1982.

From air + speed, a technical aviation term distinguishing motion through air from motion over the ground.