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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

Borrowed from French dignitaire.

From Old English bātswegen, literally "boat" plus "swain" (a Norse-derived word for "boy" or "servant").

From Ancient Greek Poseidon, the sea god equivalent to the Roman Neptune.

From "lodge" plus the suffix "-ing."

By surface analysis, board + -ing.

From re- ("back") plus call, likely shaped by the Latin revocare and French rappeler.

From Latin frūstrō, "to deceive, disappoint," via Middle English frustraten.

Likely from an English dialect verb meaning "to jerk or move suddenly," of uncertain deeper origin.

First recorded around 1890, probably blending "ruction" and "rumpus," both meaning a disturbance.

The sports-equipment sense probably comes from an old French or Arabic word for the palm of the hand; the noise/scheme senses developed separately in English slang.

From Old French constreinte, past participle of constreindre, "to constrain," from Latin constringere, "to bind tightly together."

From Middle English dwellynge, the noun form of "dwell," originally meaning "delay" or "abode."

From Old English brēċ, "leggings" or "underpants" — the same ancient root as "breech".

From Old French rasper, ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "to scrape."

From Latin lātrīna, a shortened form of lavātrīna ("washing place"), related to lavāre ("to wash").

From un- + conscious.

From Latin latēns, "lying hidden", from lateō ("to lie hidden").

A blend of "na(phthenic)" and "palm(itic)" acid — the two chemicals originally used to thicken the gasoline into a sticky gel.

Warm plus the agent suffix -er, "a thing that warms."

The Greek-style plural of "phenomenon," formed the same way as words like "criteria" (from "criterion").

From Latin ingrediens, "entering into," from ingredi, "to go into."

Formed from "photocopy" plus the agent suffix "-er," meaning "the machine that makes photocopies."

From Latin male ("badly") and volens ("wishing"), from velle ("to wish") — literally "wishing badly" on someone.

From train + -ee, the suffix marking someone who receives an action (compare "employee").