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 "fly" plus the agent suffix "-er."

From Old French diligent, from Latin diligens, "careful, attentive" — literally "choosing carefully," from legere, "to choose."

From Latin vacare ("to be empty, to be unoccupied"); the legal sense of "annul" came first in English, with "move out of" developing later.

From Late Latin vacantia, related to vacant.

From Old French vacant, from Latin vacans ("being empty").

From Latin mutans, "changing," the present participle of the verb mutare, "to change."

From Latin athleticus, from Greek athletikos ("relating to an athlete"), from athletes ("athlete").

A compound of leap and frog, describing the jumping motion of the children's game.

From Latin superstitio, from superstare ("to stand over/survive") + -tio; the sense shifted from "excessive religious awe" to irrational belief.

Coined in 1846 by British writer William Thoms, joining "folk" and "lore" to replace the older phrase "popular antiquities."

From Old French Renart, ultimately from Proto-Germanic elements meaning "counsel" and "strong/hardy" — the same roots behind the name Reinhard.

From Old English scōlere ("learner"), from Late Latin scholāris, from schola ("school"), ultimately from Greek skholē ("leisure, learned discussion").

From Middle French capable, from Late Latin capabilis — related to Latin capere ("to take, to hold"), the same root behind "capacity."

From Old French prisonier, built from prison plus the agent suffix -er — literally "one who is imprisoned."

From Latin audientia, "hearing," from audire, "to hear."

From Latin reflectere ("to bend back"), from re- ("back") plus flectere ("to bend").

A patronymic surname from a medieval diminutive of Adam + -son.

From Scotland, an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic Gaelic Mac Amhalghaidh ("son of Amhalghaidh"). From Ireland, an anglicisation of the Gaelic Mac Amhlaoibh ("son of Amhlaoibh") or Mac Amhlaidh ("son of Amhlaidh"). These Gaelic names are derived from the Old Norse personal name Áleifr and Óláfr.

From Old French chaucier, "hose-maker, hosier."

From Latin summa, "the highest" or "total" — the same root behind sum and summit.

From Middle English helere, formed from heal plus the agent suffix -er.

From an old word meaning to form clots or heap things up, related to clot.

From re-, "again," plus open.

From Late Middle English vagraunt, likely from Anglo-Norman vagarant, probably influenced by Latin vagari ("to wander, roam").