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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Named after Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, where the game is said to have originated in the 19th century.

A clipped form of "emotional," first used to describe an emotionally intense strain of punk rock in the late 1980s.

From Anglo-Norman decaeir, ultimately from Latin dē- ("down, away") + cadere ("to fall") — the same root as "decadent" and "decadence."

From Old French cuillir ("to gather, select"), from Latin colligere ("to gather together") — the same root as "collect."

The fruit sense comes from Old English haga, related to "hedge"; the hesitation sound and turn command are separate, older interjections imitating natural sounds.

Thought to be a softened, indirect way of saying "Jesus," used to avoid swearing outright.

From Old French detour, from Latin debitor, "one who owes" — built the same way as "debt" + "-or."

Formed from "mom" plus the diminutive "-y" ending, in the same pattern as "daddy" from "dad."

Shortened from "lime-juicer," a reference to the citrus juice British Royal Navy sailors were issued to prevent scurvy.

From Old English deorling, built from deore ("dear") plus a diminutive suffix — literally something like "little dear one."

Named after Walter Mitty, the daydreaming fantasist from James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," who imagines himself as a hero in scenarios far grander than his real life.

From Old English deorcnes, built from dark plus the noun-forming suffix -ness.

A Germanic name, from Middle English Walter, from Old Northern French Waltier, from Frankish *Waltheri (compare Old High German Waltheri, which see for more details), from Proto-West Germanic *Waldahari, from Proto-Germanic *Waldaharjaz, from *waldą (“ruler”) + *harjaz (“army, host”). Related to Old English Waldhere. Compare herald and Harold, in which these elements are reversed.

From dance + -ing. The sense "dance club" is from French dancing, a pseudo-anglicism derived from English dance + -ing.

From snob + -y.

From Latin satisfacere, combining satis ("enough") and facere ("to do" or "make") — literally "to do enough."

From Old English fullfyllan, literally "to fill full" — full + fill.

From Latin salvo, as in the phrase salvo jure, "the right being reserved" — later reinterpreted in English as referring to a burst of gunfire.

A clipped, informal shortening of "aggravation," shaped by the word "aggressive."

A clipped, informal form of "suspect" or "suspicious."

Borrowed from French mêlée, from Old French mesler ("to mix") — related to Latin misceo, "to mix," making it a doublet of "medley."

A casual shortening of "afternoon," with the informal -o ending common in Australian slang (compare "servo" for service station).

From Old French utilite, from Latin utilitas ("usefulness"), from uti ("to use").

From re- ("back") plus an old verb "imburse" meaning to put money in a purse, from Old French borser, "purse." The word literally means to put money back in someone's purse.