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 Ancient Greek kinetikos, "capable of causing motion," from kinein, "to move."

From Old English strēam, from a very old root meaning "to flow" — the same root gives us the word "rheum."

Probably a variant of mash, or from an old dialect form related to Old English mos, meaning food or porridge.

From Old French, from Latin contagio, "a touching, contagion," related to contingere ("to touch closely").

From Italian salami, plural of salame, ultimately from Latin sal, "salt" — a reference to the curing process.

From Middle English wiglen, likely borrowed from Middle Dutch wigelen ("to wiggle"), related to words meaning "to rock" like a cradle.

From Middle English nodden, likely from an unrecorded Old English root meaning "to shake the head," related to old Germanic words for pounding or beating.

From Old English mǣdwe, related to "mead" (as in the old word for a grassy field) and ultimately to an ancient root meaning "to mow or reap" — the same root behind the word "math" as in "aftermath" (literally a second mowing).

From "spectro-" (relating to a spectrum) plus "-meter" ("measuring device"), the same ending found in "thermometer."

From Old English swearm, "swarm, multitude," from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to buzz or hum."

From Anglo-Norman sewere, "water-course," ultimately from Latin ex- ("out of") plus aquaria ("of water").

From Old French chartre, from Latin chartula, a diminutive of charta — related to "chart," and a doublet of "chartula."

From Latin generare ("to beget, produce"), from genus ("kind, race").

From Old English giccan, of unknown deeper origin, related to Dutch jeuk and German jucken.

A straightforward combination of "wheel" and "chair," describing exactly what it is.

From Old French repeller, from Latin repellere, "to drive back," from re- plus pellere, "to push or drive." A doublet of repeal.

From Old French garlande, related to a Frankish word meaning "to adorn."

From Old French filet, a diminutive of fil ("thread"), from Latin filum.

From "sea" plus "weed."

From Old English hwisprian, "to murmur or mutter" — imitative in origin, echoing the soft hissing sound of quiet speech.

From Latin emplastrum, "a medicinal plaster or bandage," shortened over time on its way through Old English and Old French.

From the early 1500s, likely imitative of the sound itself.

From Middle English biginning, simply "begin" plus the noun-forming suffix "-ing."

From Old English pyle, ultimately from a Latin word for cushion, related to the word for dust (originally the stuffing material).