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 un- + speedy.

Blend of vacuum + container, originally a trademark.

From un- + masculine.

From unlimited + -ness.

Partly from Middle French verbaliser and partly from verbal + -ise.

From upholster + -er, from Middle English upholdester, upholster, from Middle English upholder (“dealer in small goods”), from upholden (“to repair, uphold”). By surface analysis, uphold + -ster + -er.

From un- + shelled.

From vindictive + -ness.

From un- + sociable.

From visible + -ness.

From Middle English unmaken; equivalent to un- + make.

From Latin vīvificātus, past participle vīvificō. See vivify.

From video (“video recording”) + -y.

From un- + wonderful.

From Middle English whestone, whetston, whetesston, from Old English hwetstān, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjastain (“whetstone”). Equivalent to whet (“to sharpen”) + stone.

From victorious + -ness.

From un- + sequestered.

From un- + magical.

Possibly a calque of French Pays d'en Haut, a designation from 1610 referring to the area of New France west of Montreal. By surface analysis, up + country.

From Middle English waterles, waterlees, from Old English wæterlēas (“waterless”), from Proto-Germanic *watōrlausaz, equivalent to water + -less. Cognate with Saterland Frisian woaterloos (“waterless”), West Frisian wetterleas (“waterless”), Dutch waterloos (“waterless”), German wasserlos (“waterless”), Swedish vattenlös (“waterless”), Icelandic vatnslaus (“waterless”).

From Latin vīscus (“any internal organ of the body”).

Inherited from Middle English Walsch, from Old English wælisc, variant of wīelisċ, from Proto-West Germanic *walhisk, from Proto-Germanic *walhiskaz; equivalent to wale (“outsider”) + -isch.

From un- + schooled.

From unfriendly + -ness. Compare Dutch onvriendelijkheid, German Unfreundlichkeit.