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 "Mike" + the diminutive suffix "-y".

A 19th-century euphemism that softened the oath "Christ," similar to "cripes" and "criminy."

Old French · 1960

A medieval reshaping of Gawain, the Arthurian knight's name, which came into English from Old French Gauvain. The Scots kept the spelling "Gavin" alive, and it spread more widely from the 1960s onward.

From French collaboration, ultimately from Latin com- ("with") and laborare ("to work").

From Middle English daper ("pretty, neat"), from Middle Dutch dapper ("stalwart, nimble") — the sense shifted over time from "sturdy" to "smartly dressed."

From Spanish guano, from a Quechua word for dung.

Named after Orion, a giant hunter in Greek mythology who was placed among the stars after his death; the myth traces back through Latin Ōrīōn to Ancient Greek Ὠρίων.

Borrowed from Japanese seppuku, from characters meaning "to cut" and "belly."

Borrowed from Japanese futon (布団), which traces back through Chinese to words for "bulrush" and "round object," describing the original woven cushion.

From Japanese geisha, literally "person of the arts," combining characters for "art" and "person."

From Japanese bonsai, combining characters meaning "tray" and "to plant."

A back-formation from "shoplifter."

Shortened from blitzkrieg, German for "lightning war," first used of World War II bombing raids.

Borrowed directly from Spanish muy, meaning "very."

Borrowed directly from German Blitzkrieg, literally "lightning war," describing the fast-moving armoured warfare tactics of the Second World War.

From Latin semen, meaning "seed," from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to sow."

From Latin aestimatio, "a valuing or assessing," built on the same root as "estimate."

From Latin aestimare, "to value or assess" — the same root as "esteem."

From Old French religieux, from Latin religiosus, "religious, conscientious."

Clipped from cybernetics, which itself comes from Ancient Greek kubernetes ("steersman, pilot") — the same root as "govern."

From "hair" plus "-y." The "scary or risky" sense likely grew out of the phrase "hair-raising," blended with an older informal use of "hairy" to mean tricky.

From Old French escharnir, ultimately traced to a Germanic root connected to mockery or ridicule; possibly related to a separate root meaning "to shear" or "cut."

From Greek ούζο (oúzo); the origin is debated, with theories linking it to a Turkish word for grape and to an Italian export stamp reading "for use in Marseille."

From Old French despire, from Latin despicere, "to look down upon" — from de- ("down") and specere ("to look").