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 compound of "side" and "car".

From Middle English blaren, likely an imitative word echoing a loud, bellowing sound.

Borrowed from Latin statim, meaning "immediately."

From "side" plus old slang "kick", meaning a front trouser pocket — considered the safest place to keep valuables, so a "sidekick" was one's closest, most trusted companion.

From elector + -al.

A compound of "age" + the suffix "-less," meaning "without."

An anglicized spelling of the Northern Irish pronunciation of Seán, tracing back through Old French Jehan and Latin Johannes to the Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious" — making it a relative of John and Jack.

From Old English clāthian, "to clothe," from the same root as "cloth."

Traces back through Arabic and Italian soda, originally referring to a plant used to produce sodium carbonate.

From Old French sorcier, ultimately from Latin sors ("fate, lot") — the same root that gives us "sorcery."

From Old French devocion, from Latin dēvōtiō, from dēvovēre, "to vow or dedicate."

From loose plus the verb-forming suffix -en, meaning "to make loose."

From alphabetical + -ly.

From atmosphere + -ic.

From Old French contenance, ultimately related to Latin continentia — a distant relative of "continence."

From French lacque, from Portuguese laca, tracing back to Sanskrit lākṣā — a doublet of "lac."

From Middle English dressing, dressinge, dressynge, equivalent to dress + -ing.

From Brazilian Portuguese capoeira; its ultimate origin is uncertain.

From Latin hospitalitas, built from hospes, meaning both "host" and "guest."

From Latin hallucinatus, related to a verb meaning "to wander in the mind" or "to dream."

A straightforward compound of "breath" and "taking" — literally something so striking it takes your breath away.

From "secretary" plus the adjective suffix "-al."

Borrowed from French "secrétariat."