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 Old English ræstleas, formed from ræst ("rest") plus the suffix -leas, meaning "without" — literally "without rest."

From Latin inceptio, from incipiō, "to begin."

From care + -er.

Formed from orbit plus the agent suffix -er.

An abbreviation of "denial of service."

From Middle English stalkere, built from "stalk" plus the agent suffix -er.

A clipped form of "proper," from phrases like "proper respect" or "proper recognition," plus the plural -s.

* As an English surname, variant of Haigh. * As an Irish surname, variant of Haig.

Formed from wizard plus the suffix -ry, the same pattern seen in words like "rivalry" or "revelry".

Formed from thanks + giving — literally the act of giving thanks.

From thank + -less, "without thanks."

Formed from air + liner, on the model of "ocean liner" — a large passenger vessel that runs a scheduled route.

From Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, based on posterus ('coming after'), itself from post ('after').

Likely of Scandinavian origin, related to Danish and Norwegian words for stumbling or falling by chance — the same family that gives us the sense of collapsing suddenly.

Coined by its Russian creator Alexey Pajitnov by blending the Greek prefix "tetra-" (referring to the four-square pieces) with "tennis", his favourite sport.

From "five" plus the suffix "-er," used for units of money.

A modified pinyin romanization of 呂/吕 (Lǚ), using "v" as a keyboard substitute for the ü character.

An imitative word mimicking the sound of a light knock or collision, related to "bang" and "bump."

From Anglo-Norman carpenterie, related to "carpenter" — ultimately from Latin carpentarius.

From un- (\"not\") plus toward, originally meaning heading in the wrong direction.

Borrowed from Spanish palomino, from paloma ("dove") plus a diminutive ending — a nod to the horse's pale, dove-like coloring.

As a slang term, popularized in the 2010s from the given name Karen, which was especially common among women born in the mid-20th century; the mocking usage spread widely through African-American Vernacular English and internet culture.

From Anglo-Norman decevour, formed from "deceive" + "-er."

Shortened from the scientific genus name Tetragonopterus, built from Greek tetragonos, "four-sided", and pteron, "fin".