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 Late Latin indirectus, "not straight," from in- ("not") + directus ("direct").

From Latin diffundere, "to pour out in different directions," from dis- plus fundere, "to pour."

* As a Scottish surname, from the placename in Moray, Scotland, from Scottish Gaelic Cèith, meaning "wood" or "from the battleground," which is probably borrowed from Pictish *ᚉᚓᚈ (cēt) meaning "wood", or a forest, from Proto-Brythonic *koɨd. * As a German surname, from Middle High German kit (“sprout, offspring”) (compare kint).

From the verb "deem", ultimately from Old English dēman, "to judge".

From French Napoléon, ultimately from Italian Napoleone; often folk-explained as combining "Napoli" (Naples) and "leone" (lion), though the real origin is uncertain.

From back + the suffix -ed.

Borrowed from French Eugène, from Latin Eugenius, from Ancient Greek Εὐγένιος (Eugénios, “well born”), from εὖ (eû, “good, well”) + -γενής (-genḗs, “born a certain way”). Parallel to eugenics. Doublet of Yevgeny, Eugenius, and Owen.

From Latin Carolus, of Germanic origin — a doublet of Charles, Carl, and Karl.

From Middle English soly, built from sole ("only, single") plus -ly.

From Late Latin reflexio, from reflectere ("to bend back"). Spelling later influenced by "reflect."

From Middle English synful, senful, sunful, from Old English synful (“sinful, guilty, wicked, corrupt”), equivalent to sin + -ful. Compare Dutch zondevol (“sinful”), German sündevoll (“sinful”), Danish syndefuld (“sinful”), Swedish syndfull (“sinful”), Icelandic syndfullur (“sinful”).

Ultimately from Jeffrey, a variant of Geoffrey, from an Old French aristocratic name of Germanic origin.

From depraved, ultimately from Latin pravus, "crooked, bad."

Via Latin Grēgorius, from post-classical Ancient Greek Γρηγόριος (Grēgórios, “watchful, vigilant”), from Ancient Greek ἐγείρω (egeírō, “awaken, arouse”).

Borrowed from Italian Antonio and Spanish Antonio. Doublet of Anthony.

Formed from "Satan" plus the suffix "-ist," on the pattern of words like "Buddhist" or "Marxist."

The name comes from the Irish surname "Ó Ceallaigh." The color and drilling-pipe senses developed later as specialized uses of the name.

From Greek lethargikos, from lethargos, "forgetful, drowsy" — built from lethe, "forgetfulness," plus argos, "idle, inactive."

From Old French chalice, from Latin calix ("cup") — a distant relative of the word "calyx."

From Middle English prestly, formed from priest plus the adjective-forming suffix -ly.

Named after the Carib people, an indigenous group of the West Indies, plus -an.

From Latin luridus ("pale yellow, sallow"); the modern sense of "shockingly sensational" developed much later in English.

From Narcissus, a figure in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection.

From Latin rusticus, "of the countryside," from rus, "country" or "farmland."