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 Middle English scope/schoupe, borrowed from Middle Dutch words for a bucket or shovel used for bailing water, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut or scrape."

From low plus down, originally meaning "humble," later shifting to slang for secret/inside information by the early 1900s.

From Dutch kabuis/kombuis ("ship's galley"), which also gave German Low German Kabüüs — the train sense grew from the idea of a small onboard kitchen.

From Greek pneumon, "lung," combined with a suffix meaning "disease of."

From Old English morgen, the same root that gave us "morning" and "morrow."

Medieval Latin · 1600

From Medieval Latin piratia, ultimately from Greek peirateia. English extended the word from actual sea robbery to unauthorized copying in the late 1600s, when the Crown's printing monopolies made unlicensed book printers seem like "pirates" attacking legitimate trade — a sense that later carried over naturally to music, film, and software.

A contraction of the phrase "go to", adopted as a keyword in early programming languages.

From Old French matrone, from Latin mātrōna, "married woman," from māter, "mother."

Named after Félix Kir, a mayor of Dijon, France, who popularized the drink.

From "push" plus the adjective suffix "-y."

A modern blend of "aroma" and "therapy".

From Middle English satet, satyt, saded. Equivalent to sate + -ed.

A noun formed from the phrasal verb "log in."

From peter ("a safe," 17th-century slang) + man.

First recorded in the 1890s; possibly linked to "the woollies" (an old dialect term for the itchy, uneasy feeling of wearing wool), though some trace it to the Wilis — ghostly spirits in the ballet Giselle.

From the clipping of William + -s (hypocoristic suffix).

It was recorded in the 17th century in England. Most probably a feminine form of Samuel, possibly influenced by Anthea. Other suggestions include Aramaic ܫܡܥܢܬܐ (šemʿanta, “listener”, noun), from ܫܡܥ. In India, Samantha can be interpreted as a variant spelling of Samanta, from Sanskrit समन्त (samanta, “universal, adjacent”).

From Old French refrener, from Latin refrenare ("to bridle, hold back"), from re- plus frenum ("a bridle").

From beleaguer ("to besiege," from Dutch belegeren, "to lay siege to") plus the adjective-forming suffix -ed.

Likely of West African or Creole origin, related to words for "witchcraft" or "medicine man" in Gullah and Fula.

From Middle French modifier, from Latin modificare ("to regulate, moderate"), from modus ("measure") plus facere ("to make").

A compound of "dim" and "wit".

From Old English hogg, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to a Germanic root meaning "to cut" (an old hog was originally a castrated pig), or possibly borrowed from an early Celtic word for pig.

From Old French soliciter, from Latin sollicitāre ("to stir up, disturb, urge"), from sollicitus ("agitated, anxious").