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 charité, ultimately from Latin caritas, meaning dearness or affection — the same root that gives us "cherish."

Cognate with duff, which see (origin is uncertain).

From Old French traitis, "treatise, account" — related to "treat" and "treaty."

From Middle English stiborne, of uncertain origin; possibly related to Old English stybb ("stump"), suggesting something as immovable as a tree stump.

From implement + -ation.

From arguable plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly; arguable itself comes from argue, from Latin arguere.

From Old French legacie and Medieval Latin lēgātia, ultimately from Latin lēgātum, "something bequeathed."

From Ecclesiastical Latin scandalum, "stumbling block, cause of offence," from Greek skándalon, originally meaning a trap set for an enemy.

From load + the suffix -ed.

From Middle English mayne londe, equivalent to main + land.

Probably borrowed from a West Flemish or Dutch word for a chunk or lump, related to "hump."

From Latin barbaricus, from Greek barbarikos, from barbaros ("barbarian, foreigner").

Likely a frequentative form of an older Scottish/Northern English word skite, meaning to move suddenly and lightly.

From Sanskrit नमस्ते (namaste), literally "a salutation to you."

From Old French peonier, "foot soldier," which developed the sense of someone who goes ahead to clear the way.

From Latin intrīcātus, "entangled," the past participle of intricāre.

From Old French baptiser, from Late Latin baptizāre, from Greek baptizein ("to dip, immerse").

From Latin ardor, "a burning, heat, passion," from ardere, "to burn."

Late Latin · 1500

In use since the 1500s; usually traced to Late Latin lilium ("lily").

From "assert" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ive", via Medieval Latin assertivus.

From im- ("not") + plausible.

Coined by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver's Travels (1726) as the name for a race of crude, brutish humanoids.

Formed from sunder plus the suffix -land.

From Ancient Greek ἰωνικός (iōnikós, “related to Ionians”).