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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Originally meant "full of seeds," but by the 1700s came to describe someone worn-out or shabby — like a plant that has gone to seed and lost its bloom.

From Old French trembler, going back to Latin tremulare and the verb tremere, "to shake" — the same root behind tremor and tremendous.

From Latin tremor, "a trembling," from the verb tremere, "to shake" — related to tremble and tremendous.

From engrave + -ing.

From un- ("not") plus said.

Borrowed from Latin vulva, "womb," related to volvo, "to turn, wrap around" — the same root behind "evolve" and "revolve."

From Old French souduire, ultimately from Latin subdūcō ("to draw away, withdraw"), likely blended in meaning with subdō ("to subject, subdue").

* As a German surname, from German Blume. * As a Swedish surname, variant of Blom.

From Latin suavis ("sweet, pleasant"), the same root that gives English "sweet" — first used in English in the early 1400s.

From Old French gobelet, a diminutive related to the verb gober ("to swallow").

From Old French prolonguer, from Latin prōlongāre — pro- ("forward") plus longus ("long"). A doublet of purloin.

From Middle English pille, ultimately from Latin pila/pilula, "little ball."

Coined in the 1900s from contra- ("against") plus conceptive, echoing contraception.

From Latin con- ("together") + vergere ("to bend, incline") — literally "to bend toward one another."

From Old English hryċġ (\"back, spine, ridge\"), the same root that gives German Rücken (\"back\").

From Old English eting, from eat.

From Old English gewitnes, built from wit ("knowledge") plus -ness.

From Latin urna, "vessel."

From Old French certefier ("to confirm, make certain").

From Old French certificat, ultimately from Medieval Latin certificatum, related to certify.

First recorded in the US in the 1910s, likely from German or Yiddish dialect words for "nothing" combined with "wit."

From Latin vestibulum, "entrance court", combining vestire, "to clothe", with a suffix meaning "place".

From Middle French embrouderie, from embrouder + -erie. By surface analysis, embroider + -y.

Built from anti- ("against") and freeze.