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 late Middle English combataunt, via Middle French combatant, ultimately from combat.

From co- ("together") + exist.

From Old English ælmesse, borrowed ultimately from Ancient Greek eleēmosúnē, "pity, mercy" — the same root that gives "eleemosynary".

From Old English cyndelic, "natural, kindly," built from "kind" plus the adjective/adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

From Old English hāmlēas, literally "home-less," built from home plus the suffix -less.

From Latin temporarius, from tempus ("time").

Probably originally short for "butcher"; the meaning "masculine lesbian" developed in the 1940s.

From Latin gladiator, from gladius ("sword").

From Multicultural London English, tracing back through Jamaican Creole to West African words meaning "showing off."

From Italian piccolo, meaning "small."

From French offensif, built on the same root as "offend", shaped to pair with its opposite, "defensive".

From Old French esquatir, meaning "to press down or flatten," itself from Vulgar Latin roots meaning "to force together."

From snark ("to snort") plus -y; the "sarcastic" meaning became widespread in the late 1990s.

From paranoia + the suffix -oid ("resembling, like").

Formed from ir- ("not") plus relevant.

Borrowed from Latin relevans, present participle of relevare, "to lift up, lighten, relieve" — the word first meant "legally pertinent" in Scots law before spreading into general English.

A shortened, informal form of "freshman."

From Latin petulans, related to petere, "to attack or demand" — originally implying pert, cheeky insolence before settling into today's "sulky" sense.

From Old French mareschal, originally meaning someone who looked after horses in a noble household — the job grew into overseeing armies and, eventually, ceremonies and law enforcement.

From Old French fausset, of uncertain origin, possibly linked to Latin faux ("throat") or Old Norse fors ("waterfall").

From Old French contagieus, from Late Latin contagiosus, from contagio ("contagion").

An unadapted borrowing from French camouflage, ultimately from Italian camuffare, "to muffle the head" or disguise.

From Middle French populace, from Italian popolaccio, ultimately from Latin populus ("people").

From dis- + own, literally meaning "to stop claiming as one's own."