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

Formed from "nitro-" plus the adjective ending "-ic," paralleling the French nitrique.

From New Latin, ultimately from Ancient Greek neuron ("nerve"). Related to "nerve" and "sinew."

From Ancient Greek neuron ("sinew, nerve") plus the adjective ending -al — the same root behind "nerve."

From Latin negatus, the past participle of negare, "to deny."

From Latin navis, "ship" — early church naves were thought to resemble an upturned ship's hull.

From Middle English nape, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to an old word for a cup or hollow, describing the small dip at the base of the skull.

A pet form of the once-common female names Anne and Agnes; the grandmother sense likely came via "nanny" under the influence of "mama."

From Persian mullā, borrowed from Arabic mawlan, meaning something like "guardian" or "master."

The "think it over" sense traces to Middle English words for dust or soft matter, tangled up over time with a separate French/Latin root meaning "soft" (related to Latin mollis) — the same soft, worked-over idea that gives us "mull over."

Probably from Dutch mof, meaning "muff" or "mitten."

Borrowed from French motif ("main idea or theme"), which comes from the same root as motive.

From Old French mort, "death," ultimately from Latin mors/mortis — the same root behind "mortal" and "mortuary."

Borrowed from French morille, ultimately from a Germanic word meaning "root" — the same root that gives dialectal English "more" for a plant root.

From Moll, an old nickname for the name Mary.

Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic mòd.

From "mitre" (a bishop's pointed ceremonial hat) plus the adjective ending "-al" — the heart valve was named for its similar two-flapped shape.

From Old Norse mýrr ("bog, swamp"), related to Old English mos, the source of "moss."

Borrowed from Russian мир (mir), a word that can mean "community," "world," or "peace" depending on context.

From Old English milte ("spleen"), tracing back through Germanic languages to a root meaning "to crush or grind" — related to German Milz and Dutch milt.

The milligram sense probably comes from how "mg" is pronounced; "MiG" comes from the initials of Soviet designers Mikoyan and Gurevich.

Borrowed from Latin mica, meaning "grain" or "crumb," likely a reference to its flaky, crumbling texture.

From the royal stables once located at Mewes (Charing Cross, London), whose name is actually the plural of mew ("a cage for hawks").

From Old English mǣw ("seagull"), though the cat-cry sense developed separately as an imitation of the sound itself.

From Old English metan ("to measure, mark off"), related to modern German messen ("to measure").