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 French prédestiner, from Medieval Latin praedestinare. By surface analysis, pre- + destine. Displaced native Old English foreteohhian.

From Latin praelēctor.

From oxygen or French oxygéner + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Borrowed from Late Latin pedilavium (“footbath”), from Latin pedi- (“foot”) (from pēs (“foot”)) + lavāre (“to wash”) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns).

From pertinace + -ious, from Old French pertinace, from Latin pertinax, from per- (“very”) + tenax (“tenacious”).

From phyto- + plankton. From Ancient Greek φυτόν (phutón, “plant”) + πλαγκτόν (planktón), neuter of πλαγκτός (planktós, “wandering”). However, they are no longer classified as plants, so the terminology is showing a historical meaning.

From prepossess + -ing. Attested in 1610s with the meaning of "getting possession of (ground or land) beforehand". The meaning "to possess (a person) beforehand with a feeling, notion, etc." developed in 1630s, acquiring by the 40s of the same century the meaning of "to cause (someone) to have a favorable opinion of something, preoccupy the mind or heart of".

From Middle English payllart (1484), Middle French paillard, from Middle French paille (“straw”).

From pay + master.

From the Abenaki apanakes (“pine marten, Martes americana”), or a Penobscot cognate of it.

From pipe + work.

Borrowed from Italian pergola, from Latin pergula.

From pluri- (“multi-, many”) + secular (“of or related to centuries”), chiefly after French pluriséculaire.

From partisan + -ism.

From platform + -ing.

Borrowed from Malay parang.

From Latin Pharaōn- (stem of Pharaō (“Pharaoh”)) + -ic, originally modelled on German pharaonisch.

From post + code.

From patho- + -genesis.

From phantasm or phantasma (“phantasm”) + -al (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives).

From perform + -ant (suffix forming agent nouns from verbs, and adjectives from verbs with the senses of ‘doing (the action of the verb’)), possibly modelled after informant.

From perpetual + -ity.

From plug + board.

From pre- + occupancy. See preoccupate.