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 Middle French regaigner, formed from re- plus gain.

From Latin resuscitare, "to rouse again," from re- + sub- + citare ("to summon").

Swedish · 1849

From "alcohol" plus "-ism"; the term was coined in 1849 by the Swedish physician Magnus Huss.

From Greek anthrax, "coal" or "boil" — a reference to the dark, coal-like skin sores the disease can cause.

From Greek kirrhos ("tawny", describing the diseased liver's colour) plus the medical suffix "-osis".

From Latin insignia, plural of insigne ("emblem, mark"). A doublet of ensign.

From Latin competitus (past participle of competere) plus the adjective ending -ive.

From Old French gable, from Old Norse gafl.

From Middle English mone ("shall, must"), from Old Norse munu, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to intend" or "to be about to."

From Medieval Latin "bursarius," related to "bursa" ("purse") — the same root as the English word "purse."

A softened way of saying "Jesus," used to avoid swearing directly.

A 16th-century respelling of "clench" — originally about hammering a nail flat so it can't work loose, later widened to mean "make firm" or "settle for good."

From leather plus the adjective suffix -y.

A straightforward compound of "road" + "block," first used for physical traffic barriers before being extended to mean any obstacle.

methamphetamine

Formed from meth- (methyl) + amphetamine, coined in the 1940s.

From Latin iniquitas, "unfairness," from iniquus, "unequal or unjust" — literally in- ("not") plus aequus ("equal, fair").

From Middle French douagere, from douage ("dower"), ultimately from Latin dōs ("dowry").

Borrowed directly from French provocateur, "one who provokes," from the verb provoquer.

A blend of "fork" and "spoon."

From Old French blestre, tracing back to a Germanic word for a swelling.

From the phrasal verb "shake down" — originally referring to shaking straw into a makeshift bed.

Borrowed directly from German Kindergarten, literally "children's garden," coined by educator Friedrich Fröbel in 1840 to describe his new style of early-years school.

From railroad signalling, where a raised ("high") ball-shaped signal meant "go ahead at full speed" — the sense later carried over to exaggerated estimates and to the tall drink named for its glass.

Originally "buttonhold" — a loop that held a button in place — later reshaped by folk etymology to end in "hole."