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 Old English, formed by adding "-ed" to "hair" to describe something possessing hair.

An American coinage used since the 1970s, possibly based on the male name Brennan or Brendan.

From un- + noticed.

From Old French vendage, "grape harvest," from Latin vindēmia, from vīnum ("wine") + dēmere ("to take away").

A compound of "water" and "mark" — originally referring to the faint mark left by water, later adopted for the paper-printing technique.

From bust ("breast, chest") plus -y.

From Middle English, equivalent to crust + -y.

From chatter + box, on the pattern of other informal compound nicknames like "know-it-all".

Possibly related to Middle English parren, "to enclose," referring to the bar-like markings on the fish's sides.

Unknown, possibly from obsolete Middle English gawren (“to stare”) which is of uncertain origin, probably from Old Norse gá (“to watch, heed”) or gaurr (“rough fellow”) (Proto-Indo-European *gʰow-rós, from *gʰew- (“to be angry”)). Compare with English gaw.

From Old French estanche, "watertight," related to estanchier, "to stop a flow of liquid" — the same root gives us "stanch."

From palate (roof of the mouth, hence "taste") plus the suffix -able.

From in- plus field.

Borrowed from French valise, meaning "suitcase".

From Old French estance, related to Italian stanza and ultimately to Latin stare, "to stand" — the same root as "stand" and "stanza."

From Old English lengan ("to lengthen, prolong"), related to the word long — to linger is, at root, to make a stay "longer."

A clipped, informal form of "donation," with the casual "-o" ending seen in words like "combo" and "ammo."

From settle + -ment.

From "free" plus "style."

Coined for the Star Wars films as a title for Sith Lords (Darth Vader, Darth Maul, and others). It reads as a blend of "dark" and "death," though the popular idea that it stands for "Dark Lord of the Sith" came later, after the term was already established.

From Anglo-Norman countour, related to Latin computō — the same root as "count" and "computer."

From Middle English riches, the plural of riche ("power, wealth"), from Old English rice. It was later reinforced and reshaped by the unrelated-looking Old French richesse.

From prepare plus the adjective-forming suffix -ed.

From Latin comprehensio, "a taking together," from comprehendere — see "comprehend."