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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Borrowed directly from French pastis, the same word used for the drink.

From Old French provincial, from Latin provincialis, "belonging to a province" — built from provincia plus the adjective ending -ial.

From slaughter plus house.

A casual variant of "yeah," said with the lips snapping shut at the end.

From Spanish indio, "Indian," from the same historical confusion that gave rise to English "Indian" for the Americas.

From fox plus the adjective-forming suffix -y.

From Old French cohercion, from Latin coercitio, "restraint" — from the verb coercere, "to restrain" (see coerce).

From Middle English whele ("boil"), from Old English, related to an old word meaning "to fester or ulcerate."

Borrowed from Japanese sudoku, itself shortened from a longer phrase meaning "the numbers must be single" (i.e. each digit appears only once).

From Latin eruptio, "a bursting out," from the verb ērumpere — the same root as "erupt."

From Latin ēruptus, past participle of ērumpere, "to burst out," from e- ("out") plus rumpere ("to break").

Formed from mold plus the adjective suffix -y.

From Old Norse *slahtr, related to the verb slay — literally the same root that gives "laughter" its ending.

From un- ("not") plus ethical.

A back-formation from "pedlar" (someone who sells goods while traveling), the way "burgle" was formed from "burglar."

From "un-" + "manned."

Borrowed from French petite, the feminine form of petit, "small."

A worn-down form of "drivel," which originally meant much the same thing.

From Latin perspirare, "to breathe through," from per- ("through") + spirare ("to breathe").

From Old French petit, "small" — the same root that gives English "petty" and "petite."

The past-participle form of the verb man, "to staff or crew," from Old English mannian.

From "fit" (verb) plus "-ing."

From Latin negotiatio, "the carrying on of business," from negotiari, "to do business."

From the Hebrew name Binyamin, meaning "son of the right hand."