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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From Middle English otemele, combining ote ("oat") and mele ("meal, ground grain").

From Latin intrīnsecus, "on the inside, inwardly," from an assumed intrim ("within") + secus ("on the side of").

Coined from "vaccinia" (cowpox), from Latin vacca ("cow"). The physician Edward Jenner introduced the term in 1798 after using cowpox material to protect people from smallpox.

From Latin medicātiō, from medicārī ("to heal, cure"), from medicus ("physician").

From foot + work.

From Latin fusio, from fundere ("to pour" or "to melt") — the same root that gives us "found" (as in metal-founding).

Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Dùghall, from Old Irish dubgall ("Dane, black-haired foreigner"), from dubh ("black") + gall ("stranger").

From Medieval Latin conceptuālis, ultimately from Latin conceptus, "conceived" — related to concept.

From "tropic" + the adjective suffix "-al."

Originally a large log burned at the back of a fire; the figurative "stored-up work" meaning emerged in the 1880s.

From Middle Low German paltrig ("ragged, worthless"), from a root meaning "rag" or "scrap of cloth" — the idea of something as worthless as a torn rag carried over into the modern sense of "trivial" or "insultingly small."

From Latin cynicus, itself from Ancient Greek kunikos ("doglike"), the same root as the ancient philosophical school the Cynics.

From Latin exsequi, "to follow through" — via Middle French executif.

From French municipalité, built on Latin municipium ("free town"), from municeps ("citizen of a free town") — from mūnus ("duty") + capiō ("to take").

From sound (in the sense "to measure depth" or "produce a sound") plus the suffix -ing.

From "help" plus the suffix "-ful," meaning "full of."

From Latin controversialis, from controversia ("controversy") plus -alis; built from controversy plus -al.

From Latin initialis, "of the beginning," from initium, "a start or entrance."

From "help" plus the "-ing" suffix.

From a northern English dialect word chuff, meaning \"puffed up\" or swollen with pride; first recorded in this sense in 1957.

From Old French gros, "large, thick," from Latin grossus ("big, fat, thick").

From Latin territorium, related to terra, "land."

From Latin fabulosus, "celebrated in fable," from fabula, "story" — the same root as "fable."

From "culture" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-al."