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 zone plus the noun-forming suffix -ing.

Formed from "mix" plus the agent suffix "-er," originally meaning simply "one that mixes."

From "blend" plus "-er."

From "flatter" + "-ing."

From Old English swētnes, built from "sweet" plus the "-ness" ending.

From house + warming.

Traced to several possible roots, including a Hebrew variant of Eva, an anglicized form of the Irish name Aoife, and an older Germanic name element.

From Spanish puta, tracing back through Vulgar Latin to a root meaning simply "girl" or "young woman," which later took on a derogatory sense.

A plain compound of "day" and "break" — the moment daylight "breaks" through the darkness.

From Latin prosecutus, the past participle of prosequor ("to follow, pursue"). A doublet of "pursue."

From short + stop.

From Middle English there-aboutes, built from there plus about plus an old adverb-forming -s ending.

From ground plus the "-er" suffix.

From theory plus the agent suffix -ist.

From theoretical plus the adverb ending -ly.

From Old French trufle, related to truffe ("deception"); the origin beyond that is uncertain.

From worry + "-some," a suffix meaning "tending to."

From partner plus the suffix -ship, denoting a state or condition.

From zoom plus the noun-forming suffix -ing.

From Latin mediocritās, from mediocris ("middling, moderate").

From Italian balcone, originally meaning "scaffold," from a Germanic word for "beam."

Partly from Dutch "noordsch" and partly from Danish "norsk," both ultimately related to "north."

From sad + the noun-forming suffix -ness.

A shortened form of prenuptial (agreement).