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 transposer, from Latin transpositus, "put across" — trans- ("across") plus ponere ("to put").

From Old English sēar ("dry, withered"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "dry, parched."

Coined by English comedian Arthur Roberts in 1884 as the name for a card game built around trickery and nonsense.

From Old French lanterne, from Latin lanterna, itself altered from Greek lampter, "torch."

From Latin incitō, "to set in motion, urge on," from in- + citō, "to set in motion" — related to "cite" and "excite."

From Anglo-Norman de mure port, "with a mature bearing," related to Old French meur (mature), from Latin mātūrus.

From Latin insinuare ("to push in, creep in"), from in- ("in") + sinus ("a curve, fold, bay").

From Old French pertinent and Latin pertinens, the present participle of pertinere ("to pertain, be relevant to").

Built from fond ("loving") plus the suffix -le, which often marks a repeated or gentle action, as in "cradle" or "wobble."

From French caresse, from Italian carezza ("endearment"), ultimately from Latin cārus ("dear, beloved").

From "ready" plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

From Old English lāð ("hateful, hostile"), an ancestor shared with "loathe" and "loathsome".

From Old French destrecier, "to restrain or afflict," ultimately from Latin distringere, "to pull apart" or "stretch tight" — the same root behind district and strain.

Borrowed from French irritable, from Latin irritabilis.

From Middle English testif, "headstrong", from Old French testu, "stubborn" — literally "having a lot of head" (from teste, "head"). The same French root gives modern French tête.

From "capital" plus "-ize."

From neuro- ("nerve") plus toxin.

A playful extension of "hoo," used purely for its expressive sound.

An imitation of the sound of a quick exhale, used across many languages for the same "that's over" feeling of relief.

From French ménagerie, from ménager ("to keep house") — originally covering the care of household animals before narrowing to mean a collection of wild ones.

Formed from crackle plus the ending "-ing", describing the ongoing sound or the crisped skin.

From embody plus the noun-forming suffix -ment.

From a Middle English interjection used to drive animals away, echoed in similar words across Germanic languages.

From "blow" plus "fish," describing the fish's ability to inflate itself.