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 Anglo-Norman recomendacion, from Medieval Latin recommendatio, built from "recommend" plus "-ation."

From craft plus man, literally "a man of skill/trade".

From "ecto-" ("outside") plus "-plasm" ("formed substance") — the spiritualist sense reflects the belief that this substance emerges from, and appears outside of, the medium's body.

From Old French tenement ("holding"), from Medieval Latin tenimentum, from Latin tenere ("to hold").

From tender + the noun-forming suffix -ness.

From Latin tenax ("holding fast, clinging"), from tenere ("to hold").

From Latin amputare, "to cut away, prune" — originally used for trimming trees before it took on its modern surgical sense.

Borrowed directly from German Wehrmacht, literally "defence force".

From un- + informed.

From Old French temptacion, from Latin temptatio, built on tempt + the noun-forming suffix -ation.

From Old French tempter, from Latin temptare ("to test, try, handle"), a frequentative form of tendere ("to stretch").

From by- + stander — literally "one who stands by" and watches.

From Latin alimonia ("nourishment, sustenance"), from alere ("to nourish") — the same root as "aliment".

A clipped, informal shortening — of "repossess" in the finance sense, or "repository" in the tech sense.

From dis- + reputable, the opposite of having a good reputation.

A shortening of "evaluate", used as both a programming keyword and informal shorthand for an evaluation or assessment.

From park + way — a road built with a park-like setting in mind.

From Old English oferdrīfan, "to drive over," from over- + drive.

Borrowed from French bidet, which originally meant a small pony — the fixture was named for the way a person straddles it much like sitting on a small horse.

From Old English brēġ ("eyelid"), a relative of the word "brow."

From sensitive + the noun-forming suffix -ity.

A learned borrowing from Greek perikardion, from peri- ("around") + kardia ("heart").

From Middle French tempérament, from Latin temperāmentum, related to the same root as "temper."

Formed from temperament plus the adjective ending -al.