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 English "burh" ("stronghold, fortified town"), related to German "Burg" and the "-burg"/"-bury" endings found in many town names.

From clear + -ing.

Built from dis- plus content, meaning the opposite of being satisfied.

Ottoman Turkish · 1800

Borrowed into English from Ottoman Turkish boş, meaning "empty" or "unoccupied," after appearing in the popular 19th-century novels of James Morier.

From Latin portabilis, built from portare ("to carry") plus the suffix "-able".

From Old French demener ("to guide, conduct"), from de- plus mener ("to lead"), ultimately from Latin minare ("to drive").

From Old French fers/fer, from Latin ferus, "wild, untamed."

From Middle English crumplen, related to Old English crump ("bent, crooked") — the same root behind "crumpled" and "crumb".

From Old English sot, going back to a very old Germanic word for soot.

From take plus the suffix -ing.

From Latin geographicus, ultimately from Greek roots meaning "earth" and "writing."

From Middle French artisan, ultimately from Latin ars ("art, skill").

Simply "cab" plus the informal suffix "-ie," the same pattern as "movie" or "rookie."

Borrowed from Spanish maga.

From Sanskrit राग (rāga), literally "colour" or "passion" — the idea being that each raga colours the mood of the music.

From Persian sitar, literally "three strings," via Hindi and Urdu — related to the smaller Persian instrument called the setar.

From "editor" + the suffix -ial.

From Old English "slǣwþ," meaning laziness, itself built on the word "slow."

From Middle English newe-comere, built from new plus comer; compare Old English nīwcumen, meaning "newcomer" or "novice."

The multiplication sense comes from the idea of repeating something a given number of "times".

A shortening of "spastic," originally a medical term describing muscle spasms linked to conditions like cerebral palsy.

From derive + -ed.

From Ancient Greek Κύριλλος (Kúrillos), from κύριος (kúrios, "lord, master").

From submerse plus the suffix -ible ("able to be").