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 Latin genitalis ("of birth or generation"), from gignere ("to beget").

From Old French convertible, from Late Latin convertibilis (“interchangeable”), from Latin convertere (“to turn back, to turn over, to turn around, to turn upside down”), from con- (“with, together”) + vertere (“to turn”), + -ibilis (“-ible: able to”). Equivalent to convert + -ible.

Formed by adding the adjective ending -al to "bacteria."

Formed from grump plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

From Old English clawu, related to German Klaue and Dutch klauw — a very old Germanic word.

From "synthesis" plus "-ize," first recorded in this verb form around 1830.

From Middle French "transcription," ultimately from Latin "transcriptio."

From Old French maligne, from Latin malignus, formed from malus ("bad") and genus ("kind, sort"). Compare "benign," its opposite.

From Old English flegel, an old Germanic farm-tool word, related to German Flegel; possibly ultimately linked to Latin flagellum, "whip."

From the Old Norse name Hrólfr, related to Rudolph; brought to England by the Normans and later revived as a given name.

From "envy" plus the suffix "-able," meaning "capable of causing" it.

From Old English crincgan/crenċan, "to yield or bend," ultimately from a root meaning "to turn" — the same origin as "crinkle."

Origin uncertain, but likely from French tiré, "drawn out" — describing how the loops are pulled up from the base weave during manufacture.

From French "tolérant" or directly from Latin "tolerans," the present participle of "tolerō" ("to endure").

From Anglo-Norman receivour, later reshaped as receive plus -er.

From Latin laxus, "loose, slack" — the same root that gives us "relax" and "laxative."

From Middle English "letters patent," open documents granting a right or privilege, ultimately from Latin patens, "lying open."

From Latin lēnīre, "to soften or soothe," from lēnis, "soft, mild."

From Latin sincerus ("clean, genuine, pure"). A popular but false story claims it comes from "without wax" (sine cera), but this is a myth — linguists trace it instead to roots meaning roughly "one whole growth."

From Old French desclore, "to unclose, uncover" — built from dis- plus Latin claudere, "to close."

From Middle English swētere, built from "sweat" plus the "-er" ending — originally clothing worn to induce sweating during exercise.

Borrowed via Italian and Ottoman Turkish from Classical Persian dulband — the same root that gave English "tulip."

From Old French meschief, "misfortune," from mes- (\"badly\") + chever (\"to come to a head\"), ultimately tracing back to Latin caput, "head."

From Middle French surpasser, from sur- ("beyond") + passer ("to pass").