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 lean plus -ing.

Built from mark (a target) plus man — literally someone who consistently hits the mark.

From Ancient Greek sunonumos, built from syn- ("together, alike") and onoma ("name").

Scottish Gaelic

Spelling pronunciation of Scots MacKenȝie with the letter ⟨ȝ⟩ confused with ⟨z⟩. Ultimately from Scottish Gaelic MacCoinnich, itself from mac (“son, descendant”) + Coinnich (“of Coinneach”).

From Latin proficere, "to advance, make progress" — from pro- ("forward") and facere ("to make, do").

From flag + staff, a pole for a flag.

From Middle English Frenshman, a straightforward compound of "French" and "man."

From Late Latin infestatio, built on the verb infest.

From Latin fervor, "boiling heat, passion," from fervere, "to boil, be hot."

From Greek prísma, "something sawn," via Late Latin prisma.

From Old English gastlic, "spiritual" — built from ghost plus the suffix -ly. It originally meant spiritual or holy before narrowing to its modern "spooky, spectral" sense.

Built from "spectre/spectrum" plus the adjective ending "-al."

From Medieval Latin characterizo, from Ancient Greek kharaktērizō, "to mark with a distinguishing feature", from kharaktēr ("character").

From re- ("again") plus born.

From Ancient Greek spora, "seed," related to speirō, "to sow."

From French publicité, ultimately from Latin publicus, "public."

From Old French detenir, from Latin detinere, "to hold back" — from de- and tenere ("to hold").

Inherited from Middle English clener, clenere, equivalent to clean + -er (agent noun suffix).

From un- + paid.

From Middle Dutch "plomp", meaning blunt or thick.

Old English · 1900

From the Old English phrase wel faran, "to fare well" — literally to travel or get along successfully. It later narrowed to mean government support for people in need, a sense first recorded in the early twentieth century.

From Old French descontinuer, built from dis- plus continue.

From Old Norse skvala, "to cry out", likely influenced by "squeal" and "bawl."

From un- ("not") plus realistic.