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 the literal narrow neck of a bottle, extended to mean any point that restricts flow.

From an old word for thin, fluid mud — the idea of things running together messily gave rise to both "slurred speech" and "slur" as an insult that stains someone's reputation.

From Old French medlee, related to the verb "meddle" (to mix).

From Old French essample ("example"), from Latin exemplum — sample and example are doublets, two words descended from the very same Latin source.

Borrowed from French terrain, from Latin terrenum, "land, ground."

From Germanic "fridu" (peace) and "rihhi" (ruler).

From the Old English tribal name Hæstingas, "the people of Hæsta," later transferred to the town they settled.

An unadapted borrowing from French montage, "assembly" or "putting together."

Borrowed from Italian incognito, from Latin incognitus, "unknown," from in- ("not") + cognitus ("known").

Late Latin · 1667

Coined by the poet John Milton in Paradise Lost (1667) as the name of the capital of Hell, from Greek pan- ("all") + Late Latin daemonium ("demon") — literally "place of all demons." The word later came to mean any scene of chaos and uproar.

Probably from Middle French grommeler, itself from a Middle Dutch word meaning to murmur or grunt.

From post (mail) plus -al, shaped on the same pattern as the French word postal.

From "air" plus "line," on the model of older transport terms like "shipping line."

Traces back through Old French and Latin to Ancient Greek terebinthos, the name of the terebinth tree whose resin was originally used to make it.

From Old English annes, built from "one" plus the suffix "-ness."

From Old French unité, from Latin unitas ("oneness"), built on unus, "one" — the same root as "unite" and "union."

Borrowed from French cholestérol, built from Greek kholē ("bile") and stereos ("solid") — first identified in gallstones.

From French glacial, from Latin glacialis, from glacies ("ice").

From Latin efficientem, "bringing about, accomplishing" — from the same root as effect and effective.

From Latin restrictus, "drawn back tightly," from re- ("back") + stringere ("to pull tight") — the same root behind "stringent."

From in- ("not") + significant.

From Old French coustumier, "a toll-gatherer," from custom, "a tax or duty" — originally someone who collected customs duties, later shifted to mean a regular buyer.

From precise plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From Middle English charmynge, formed from charm plus the suffix -ing.