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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

A compound of sun and block.

From Latin congregare, "to herd together into a flock" — from con- + grex ("flock, herd").

From country + side.

A compound noun formed from the phrasal verb "round up."

From Old English beorc (“birch”) + leah (“meadow, leigh”). Equivalent to birch + -ley (“lea”).

From Middle French convenir, from Latin convenire ("to come together"), from con- ("together") plus venire ("to come").

From German Graf ("count").

From fore- + ground.

Origin unclear — the word surfaces in 1850s America meaning a shelter or ramshackle building, likely influenced by "shebeen" (an unlicensed Irish drinking house); the computing sense is unrelated and much later.

Formed from dive plus the agent suffix -er, "one who dives."

A shortening of improvisation.

From store plus house.

From Middle English blunderen, ultimately related to Old Norse blunda ("to doze"), suggesting a mistake made through carelessness or inattention.

From Pashto tālibān, meaning "students," the plural of tālib ("seeker" or "student"), itself from Arabic.

From Arabic سُورَة (sura, "chapter of the Quran").

From Arabic sakīna, "God-given peace of mind."

Borrowed directly from Arabic رَبّ (rabb), meaning "lord" or "master."

From single plus the suffix -ton, likely modelled on "simpleton."

From "Moghul," an old term for the Mongol-descended rulers of the Mughal Empire in India, whose legendary wealth gave the word its modern sense of a powerful magnate.

From Medieval Latin registrārius, "keeper of records," built from registrum ("register") plus the agent suffix -ārius.

A shortening of "application" (as in application software), popularized with the rise of smartphones.

From Arabic المدينة (al-madīna, "the city").

From Arabic mahdiyy, "guided one".

From Arabic "iman," itself from a verb meaning "to believe" or "to trust."