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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Borrowing from Burmese နတ် (nat).

From Middle French Inde, from Latin India.

An abbreviation formed from the initials of "diethanolamine."

Shortened from "generation."

From land + fill, describing waste used to fill in land.

From Middle English discernen, from Old French discerner, from Latin discernere ("to separate, distinguish"), from dis- ("apart") + cernere ("to distinguish").

From Latin resilire, "to spring back."

From Latin deterrere, "to frighten away" — from de- ("away") and terrere ("to frighten").

Built from coop (an earlier word for a cask) plus the agent suffix -er — literally "one who makes casks."

A learned borrowing from Latin sinus, meaning "a curve, fold, or hollow."

From Middle French prostate, borrowed from Medieval Latin prostata, ultimately from Ancient Greek prostátēs, "one who stands before/guardian."

From "newscast" plus the agent suffix "-er."

A blend of "news" and "broadcast."

From talk plus the agent suffix -er.

A blend of "sports" and "broadcaster."

From Latin salutatio, "a greeting," from salutare, "to wish someone health."

Formed from draw plus back, originally referring to a refund of import duty when goods were re-exported.

From Spanish ría ("inlet, estuary"), via Galician río ("river"), ultimately from Latin.

A shortened form of "detoxification".

From French pot-pourri, literally 'rotten pot,' a translation of the Spanish olla podrida — originally the name of a stew, later applied to a mixture of anything.

Literally "mile" plus "stone" — from the old practice of setting stone markers at mile intervals along roads.

Formed from the phrasal verb take off, in the sense of "lifting into the air."

Borrowed from Middle French révérend, from Latin reverendus, "that is to be respected" — the future passive form of revereor, "to revere".

A compound of ground and work, literally the work done on or forming the ground/foundation of something.