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 Middle English ballok, from Old English bealluc, literally "little ball."

From Arabic šayḵ, meaning "elder." The now-dated "romantic lover" sense in English comes from the 1921 Hollywood film The Sheik.

From Old English welig, an ancient Germanic word for the tree, related to a root meaning "to twist or bend" — fitting, given how flexible willow branches are.

From Old English nīewlīċe, built from "new" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

From historical + -ly or historic + -ally.

Formed from total plus the adverb suffix -ly.

From Latin designatus, past participle of designare, "to mark out" — the same root as "design."

From "sanctimony" (an outward show of holiness) plus the adjective ending "-ous."

Probably formed from whim plus the noun ending -y; closely related to the older word whim-wham.

Coined around 1895 by American philosopher William James, blending "multiple" and "universe."

A compound of "farm" and "hand," the latter used in the old sense of "a worker" (as in "factory hand" or "all hands on deck").

From Middle English chesekake, a compound of cheese and cake.

From dis- + respectful.

Borrowed from French frivolité, ultimately from Latin frivolus ("silly, trifling").

From Middle English unsemli, from un- plus seemly, "fitting or proper."

Coined in the 1500s from Latin levitas ("lightness"), from levis ("light in weight") — related to "lever" and, more distantly, "light."

From French caricature, from Italian caricatura, ultimately from Latin carrus ("cart, load") — via the idea of "loading" or exaggerating someone's features. Not related to the word "character," despite the resemblance.

From a Northern English dialect word meaning "prattling, glib," related to the older sense of "flip" meaning to babble.

From Latin inhaerens, "closely attached to" — the same root as "adhere."

From Latin concurrere ("to run together, agree"), from con- ("together") plus currere ("to run").

From Old English wēriġ, a Germanic word for exhaustion, distantly related to words in Old Saxon and Old High German for "weary" or "drunken."

From "borrow" + "-er."

Variant of Waring.

From Middle English werynes, werinesse, from Old English wēriġnes (“weariness”), equivalent to weary + -ness.