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 in- (\"not\") plus edible.

From full + back, describing the position furthest back on the field.

From Latin parentalis, from parens ("parent").

From "stress" plus the adjective suffix "-ful."

From Latin elusus, the past participle of eludere, "to dodge or trick" — the same root as "elude".

Formed from "blow" and "back," originally a mechanical term before being adopted for political fallout.

From the verb twist; the literal "bent out of shape" sense came first, and the "mentally disturbed" sense developed by the early 1800s.

From Latin lympha, "clear water", from Ancient Greek nymphe — the same root that gives us "nymph".

The past-tense form of "flabbergast," a word of uncertain origin first recorded in the 18th century, possibly blending "flabby" and "aghast."

From Middle English unruly, from un- plus rule plus -ly — literally "not following rule."

From Jock, a Scots pet form of "John," later generalized as a nickname for a Scotsman and eventually for athletes.

From "tickle" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ish."

Originally meant "to comb out flax with a heckle," a toothed tool for separating fibers. The word later shifted to mean tearing into a speaker's arguments the same way you'd comb through flax.

From Latin fossilis, "dug up," from fodere, "to dig" — fossils were originally just "things dug out of the ground."

From Late Latin bovinus, "relating to cattle," from Latin bos, "ox" — the same root that gives us "beef."

The archaic sense comes from Old English sith, "journey" or "occasion." The Star Wars sense was coined by George Lucas.

From emotion + the adjective suffix -al.

Built from "minimum" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-al."

Originally a nautical term describing a ship rolling violently in rough seas; its ultimate origin is unknown, though it may be linked to French lâcher ("to let go").

Old English · 1800

From Old English dumb, "unable to speak." The modern "stupid" sense spread widely in the 19th century, likely influenced by the similar-sounding German dumm and Dutch dom, which already meant "stupid."

From chaos + the adjective-forming ending -otic, via Late Latin chaoticus.

From French mural, from Latin muralis, from murus ("wall").

From cow + girl, the female counterpart of cowboy.

From American Spanish rancho, "small farm" or "group of farm huts" — originally referring to a group of people who ate together.