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 par cheance, literally "by chance".

From "lone" plus the agent suffix "-er."

Formed from loan + the agent suffix -er.

From Terra ("Earth") + the adjective-forming suffix -an.

From Latin Iānus, the Roman god of doors and beginnings.

From Old Norse Loki, the name of the trickster figure in Norse mythology; its deeper origin is uncertain.

From over- + view.

A deverbal from clean up.

From Old English helpleas, meaning literally "without help" — "help" plus the suffix "-less."

From Old French brigand ("foot soldier"), from Italian briga ("trouble, strife").

From in- ("not") plus consistent.

From Latin augustus ("majestic, venerable").

From Latin praedicere, \"to say beforehand,\" from prae- (\"before\") plus dicere (\"to say\").

From under + hand.

From Italian prima, "first," from Latin prīma.

Borrowed from Italian primo, meaning "first."

From Old French precios, from Latin pretiosus (\"costly, valuable\"), from pretium, \"price\" — the same root as \"price\" itself.

From French garage, "shelter, keeping under cover," from garer, "to keep safe, dock" — ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "to defend or protect."

From Ancient Greek ἀνατολή (anatolḗ, "sunrise, the east"), because it lay east of Greece.

From Greek Hieronymos, from hieros ("sacred") and onyma ("name").

From chuck (an old word meaning \"to laugh\" or make a clucking sound) + the frequentative suffix -le.

From Old French rebellion, from Latin rebelliō, from rebel plus -iō, matching the English suffix -ion.

From under- + graduate — literally, someone below the rank of a graduate.

From under- + estimate.