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 Old French valeriane or Medieval Latin valeriana, likely linked to Latin valere ("to be strong") or the Roman family name Valerius.

From symbiosis + the adjective ending -tic, tracing back to Greek syn- ("with") + bios ("life").

From Latin lichen, from Ancient Greek leikhḗn, related to leíkhō, "to lick" — the name likely comes from how the growths seem to "lick" or spread across a surface.

From Middle French lamentable, from Latin lamentabilis, "full of sorrow," from lamentor, "to lament."

From up + town; usage varies by city — in Manhattan it means north, but in some cities (like Charlotte) it refers to the downtown core itself.

From Middle English uptaken, "to take up" — built from up + take.

From up- + stream.

From motor + bike.

From "infringe" + the noun-forming suffix "-ment."

From Middle English upstarten, "to spring up" — built from up + start, since an upstart seems to appear suddenly from nowhere.

A back-formation from "liaison," itself from French liaison ("binding, connection").

Traced back to jynx, an old word for a charm or spell, itself from the wryneck bird once used in folk magic.

A loan-translation of Dutch oproer or German Aufruhr, reshaped in English as up + roar.

The given name Barnaby comes from Barnabas, ultimately from Aramaic bar nəḇiyyā, "son of a prophet."

From an old French word for "thrown" or "projecting", describing a structure that juts out from a building or shoreline.

From Old English rihtwīs, a blend of right and wise ("manner"), later reshaped to end in -eous like other moral adjectives.

From up- + lift.

First recorded in 1597, built from upholster plus the suffix -y.

From "second" plus "hand" — the idea of passing through a second owner's hands.

From up + hill.

From Middle English upbringinge, from upbring plus -ing.

From Middle English "boweman," a straightforward compound of "bow" and "man."

From up- + river.

Formed from sun + screen — something that "screens" or shields the skin from the sun.