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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Named after Limerick, a city and county in Ireland, though the exact link to the poetic form is unclear.

From Latin vitalis, "of life, life-giving," from vita, "life."

From Latin construere, "to heap together," from com- ("together") + struere ("to pile up"). A close cousin of "construe."

From Old English gylden, built from "gold" plus the adjective ending "-en," the same pattern seen in "wooden" or "silken."

From molecule plus the adjective suffix -ar.

From French hygiène, from Greek hugieinē tekhnē, literally "the art of health," from hugies, meaning "healthy."

From Latin dualitas, built on dual + the suffix -ity.

From gang + bang, with the agent suffix -er.

A respelling of the older word puisne ("born later, junior"), from Old French puis ("after") plus né ("born") — literally someone younger or lower in rank, which shifted in meaning to "weak" or "small."

From Middle English wilful, formed from "will" plus the "-ful" suffix, meaning "full of one's own will."

From Latin compactum ("agreement"), from compingere ("to fasten together"), from com- + pangere ("to fix, fasten").

From Old English idel, meaning "empty" or "vain," related to Dutch and German words for "vain" or "meaningless."

From Old French forge, ultimately from Latin fabrica ("workshop"), the same root that gives us "fabric."

From Old English henge/henġe, related to "hang."

From Old French frenge, ultimately from Latin fimbriae ("threads, fringe"); related to the biological term "fimbria".

From Latin servitudo, from servus ("slave").

Built from sub- ("below, under") plus atomic — literally "smaller than the atom."

From Latin elementārius, meaning "of the basic principles," from elementum.

From Medieval Latin orbitalis, based on orbita, "track, orbit."

From Latin cohaerens, the present participle of cohaerere, "to stick together," from co- + haerere ("to stick").

From "decease" (to die), which came through Old French from Latin decessus, "a departure" — the same idea as "passing away."

From Middle French organisation, equivalent to organise + -ation.

From Old English sceald ("shallow"); the fish sense developed as a separate, related word for a shallow gathering of fish.

A shortening of tele(vision) with the informal -y ending.