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 fatalis, "decreed by fate", from fatum ("fate").

From Latin fascinare, "to bewitch" — the same root as "fascinate," originally carrying a sense of being magically charmed.

From the Middle English blessing "fare wel!" — literally "travel well!" — said to someone setting off on a journey.

Borrowed from French fanfare.

From Latin fallacia ("deception"), from fallere ("to deceive").

First recorded around 1775 in British criminal slang; its exact origin is uncertain, though it may trace back to a German word meaning "to polish" or "spruce up."

From faith plus the suffix -less ("without").

From Middle English fayrly, fayrely, vayrliche, equivalent to fair + -ly.

From Old French faint/feint, "feigned" or "sluggish," ultimately from Latin fingere, "to shape or contrive" — a distant relative of "feign" and "fiction."

From Old English fægen, "glad, joyful," a word going back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "glad."

From Latin fabricatio, the noun form of fabricare, "to build or construct."

From Latin extrāneus, "external, foreign, from outside" — the same root that gives us "strange" and "estrange."

From Latin extrahere, "to drag out" — from ex- ("out") + trahere ("to drag"), the same root behind "traction" and "tractor."

Shortened from "extraordinary."

From Latin exterminatio, related to exterminare.

From Middle French exploration, from Latin exploratio, related to explorare — see "explore."

Borrowed from French exploitation, from exploiter ("to exploit"), from Latin explicare ("to unfold, deploy").

From Latin expiratio, related to expirare ("to breathe out, come to an end") — the same root as "expire."

experimentation

From experiment + the noun ending -ation, ultimately from Latin experiri, "to try."

From Latin exspectatio, built on exspectare, "to expect."

From "exhume" plus "-ation."

From "exhilarate" plus "-ion," ultimately from Latin hilaris, "cheerful" — the same root as "hilarious."

excommunication

From Late Latin excommunicatio, from excommunicare, "to put outside the community."

From Latin exclamatio, from exclamare, "to cry out."