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 Latin "sarcophagus," from Greek "sarkophagos," literally "flesh-eating" — originally describing a type of limestone believed to dissolve the flesh of corpses, later used for stone coffins.

From Old French poursuite, tied to the verb "to pursue" — literally the act of following after.

From Old French speculation, from Late Latin speculātiō, from Latin speculor ("to observe, spy out").

From Old French conclusion, from Latin conclūsiō, from conclūdere ("to conclude").

From Middle English dedicaten, from Latin dēdicātus, the past participle of dēdicāre ("to proclaim, dedicate").

From Old French desloger, from dis- + lodge — literally "to remove from lodging."

The hat sense comes from the London hat-making firm Bowler; the sport sense is simply "bowl" plus the agent suffix "-er."

From Latin collidere, "to strike together" — from com- ("together") and laedere ("to strike or hurt").

From Latin audacia, "boldness," from audax, "bold."

From Old French afronter, "to hit in the face" or "to defy," from Latin ad- plus frons, "forehead" — the same root as "front."

Late Latin · 1630

Borrowed from French cadet, from Gascon capdet ("little chief"), from Late Latin capitellum, "small head" — first used in English from the 1630s.

From Late Latin regimentum, "direction for government," from Latin regere, "to rule."

From summary + the verb-forming suffix -ize.

From Latin satisfactio, built from satis ("enough") and facere ("to do" or "to make") — literally "the making of enough."

Formed from blink plus the agent suffix -er, originally naming anything that flashes or blocks vision, later specialised to the horse harness piece and the car light.

From Latin praemium ("prize, reward").

From Middle French modification, from Latin modificatio ("a measuring"), from modificare ("to limit, regulate"); see "modify."

Borrowed from French ricochet; the word's ultimate origin before that is uncertain.

Formed from "embank" (to enclose with a bank) plus the noun-forming suffix "-ment".

Probably from Middle French pistole or pistolet ("small firearm or dagger"); the exact chain is uncertain, with theories tracing it either through German and Czech píšťala ("pipe, firearm") or from Italian pistolese, linked to the gunsmithing town of Pistoia.

From Latin numerosus, "numerous, abundant", built from numerus, "number".

From Latin disciplina, "instruction," related to discipulus ("pupil") and discere ("to learn").

From Latin obstruere, "to build up against, block", from ob- ("against") plus struere ("to pile up, build").

From Latin violātiō, from violāre, "to violate."