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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A blend of "malicious" and "software."

From sign + the collective suffix -age.

From "un-" + "just."

From French "pacifiste," built from "pacific" plus "-ist."

From French parer, "to fend off," from Latin parare, "to prepare, ward off."

From Old English hemlic or hymlice, of uncertain deeper origin — the poisonous plant and the unrelated hemlock tree just happen to share the same English name.

From French grenade, originally meaning "pomegranate" — early grenades were named for their shape and for bursting into fragments like pomegranate seeds. It shares this root with the word "garnet."

From Old English tōþlēas, built from "tooth" plus the suffix "-less" meaning "without".

From "ice" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y".

A clipped form of "toxic" or "toxicology."

From "liable" + -ity, ultimately from Latin ligare ("to bind"), the same root that gives us "ligament" and "oblige."

A compound of "tooth" and "pick" — literally a tool for picking at your teeth.

Origin unclear, possibly from an Old French word for soft, fluffy wool or down.

A compound of tea and time.

From tear (the eye-fluid word) plus the suffix "-ful."

A compound of tear (the eye-fluid sense) and drop.

A straightforward compound of team and work.

A simple compound of tea and cup.

From Ancient Greek Phoinix, "Phoenician," which entered English by way of Middle English phenicienes.

From Old English pottere, meaning pot-maker, formed from pot plus the agent suffix -er.

From German schneiden, "to cut."

From pre- ("before") plus nuptial ("relating to marriage").

From Middle English chalengere, from Old French chalenger ("to challenge").

A straightforward combination of tax and payer, first used in this compound sense in the 18th century.