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

Likely a variant of "hoy", with the "h" dropped, common in working-class and Cockney British speech.

From Fergus + -son, translation of Gaelic MacFhearguis, "son of Fergus".

From off plus shore.

From Arabic imam, meaning "leader."

From Old French collusion, from Latin collusio, "act of colluding" — secretly playing along together.

Ultimately from Sumerian 𒋀𒀕𒆠 (Urim).

From the real Xanadu, the Yuan dynasty's summer capital in Mongolia, romanized via Marco Polo's travels; the word became a byword for splendor after Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1797 poem "Kubla Khan" ("In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree").

From Latin obligatio, from obligare ("to bind"), from ob- + ligare ("to bind, tie").

From un- ("not") plus restrained.

From castrate plus the noun-forming suffix -ion.

From Old French rampant, present participle of ramper, "to climb or creep" — originally used in heraldry to describe an animal reared up on its hind legs.

From Old French guardein, related to "warden" — both ultimately from the Germanic root behind "guard."

A clipping of Alexander (or Alexandra), ultimately from Greek meaning "defender of man."

From Ancient Greek Aphrodite, a name of uncertain but possibly non-Greek origin, later associated with aphros ("sea foam") in folk etymology.

From nip + -y, echoing the way cold air "nips" at the skin.

A shortening of "Indianapolis" and of "independent" plus -y.

From Latin Morpheus, from Greek morphē ("form, shape") — a reference to his ability to take on any human shape in dreams; the word "morphine" was later named after him because of its dream-inducing, sedative effects.

Formed from "slink" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y," describing something that moves in a smooth, sinuous way.

From Gollum, the tormented creature in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth stories, originally called Sméagol before the name changed to describe the strange swallowing noise he made.

From Middle English willy, willi, equivalent to will + -y. Cognate with Dutch willig (“obedient, hearsome”), German willig (“willing”), Swedish villig (“willing, agreeable”).

Of uncertain origin, possibly related to bully in the old sense of "companion, mate."

From Middle English gobbe, from Old French gobe ("lump, mouthful"), ultimately from a Gaulish word for a snout or muzzle.

From "pig" plus the diminutive ending "-y".

From Latin explanatio, "an explanation," from explanare — see "explain."