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 severe + the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Borrowed in the 1700s from French pique-nique, a word of uncertain origin describing a meal to which guests each contributed a dish.

Related to "scuffle," originally a form of "shove."

The "attack a nominee" sense comes directly from Robert Bork, whose 1987 U.S. Supreme Court nomination was defeated after a fierce public campaign against him; the "break/damage" sense (mainly used about computers) developed later as unrelated slang.

From un- + decided.

From Middle English undauntid, from un- + daunted (from Old French danter, "to tame").

From un- + damaged.

From Middle English uncutte, from un- + cut.

From un- + covered.

unconsciousness

From unconscious + -ness.

From Anglo-Norman contributour, ultimately from Latin contribuere; built from contribute plus -or.

Named after Jaffa, a port city in what is now Israel, historically famous for its orange groves.

From Medieval Latin prōtēctīvus, built on the root of protect.

From un- + conscionable ("in line with conscience"), itself from conscience.

From "skill" plus the "-ed" ending.

From un- + connected.

From Latin thorax, itself from Greek thōrax, meaning "breastplate" — the body part was named after the armor that covers it.

From un- + confirmed.

From Anglo-Norman caroigne, tracing back to Latin caro ("flesh") — the same root that gives us "carnivore" and "incarnate."

From un- + conditional.

From Old English anfilte, built from "on" + a Germanic root meaning "beaten" — literally something metal is beaten on.

From fiddlestick, originally meaning a violin bow, later used as a dismissive exclamation from around 1600.

From hyper- + space.

Formed from bar plus tender, in the sense of "one who tends or looks after" something.