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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

A straightforward compound of light + bulb, describing the bulb-shaped glass housing that produces light.

From Ancient Greek Stéphanos, meaning "crown" or "wreath," via Latin Stephanus.

From Old English stefn, meaning "voice," unrelated in origin to the given name Steven, which comes instead from Greek Stephanos ("crown").

From Biblical Hebrew אֵיתָן (ʾêṯān, literally “firmness, strong, or long-lived”).

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic "fionn," meaning "white" or "fair."

As a letter name, simply the name of "D"; the river name has separate Celtic origins; the nickname use is a short form of D-names.

The city's name comes from Inver- ("mouth of a river") + Ness, from the River Ness; the coat is named after the city.

From Pictish *aber ("confluence") plus the name of the river Don.

Recorded since the 1560s, from English apply + -ance.

Imitative in origin, echoing a low grunting or thudding sound.

From Old French harpon, ultimately from Ancient Greek harpage, "hook," related to harpazo, "to snatch or seize."

From Latin manū scrīptus, literally "written by hand."

From Middle English "be ware," literally "be wary/watchful" — a fusion of "be" and "aware."

The dish sense likely comes from the given name Cecil, itself from Latin Caecilius, a Roman family name related to "caecus" ("blind").

From Old English dox, "dark, swarthy," going back to a root meaning "smoke" or "haze" — related to "dust" and "dun."

From New Latin "scepticismus," built from "skeptic" plus "-ism."

From "skeptic" plus the adjective ending "-al."

From Latin distortio, "a twisting," from the same root as distort.

From china (“porcelain”) + -man.

A blend of cheese and hamburger, first recorded around 1928.

Formed from cheer or cheery plus the informal ending -o, in the same pattern as words like "righto".

A clipped, informal shortening of "celebrity."

Formed from cycle plus the agent suffix -ist, first recorded around 1882.

From Irish Tír Eoghain (literally “land of Eoghan”).