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 Old French presentation, from Latin praesentatio, "a showing" or "exhibition."

From Old French relaxer, from Latin relaxare, "to loosen or open," from re- plus laxare, "to loosen" (related to lax).

From Late Latin categoria, from Ancient Greek kategoria, "class of predicables."

From Old French espier, "to spy," from a Frankish root meaning "to look" or "to see" — related to modern German spähen.

Coined from Ancient Greek hormon, "setting in motion", the present participle of a verb meaning "to urge on".

From Middle English ofte, with an added "n" by analogy with "seldom" — both ultimately from an old Germanic root meaning "often".

A blend of "biological" and "electronic," popularised by the 1970s TV show The Six Million Dollar Man and its bionic characters.

From Old French excuser, from Latin excusare, "to free from blame" — ex- plus causa ("charge, cause").

Traced back through Old French and Latin to Ancient Greek bḗrullos, ultimately from an old Dravidian place name in southern India where the gem was mined.

A blend of "cybernetic" and "organism," coined by neuroscientist Manfred Clynes in 1960.

From Old French grenate, "pomegranate red" — garnet is a doublet of "grenade," which was named for its pomegranate-like shape.

From Old French basme, tracing back to Latin balsamum and ultimately Greek balsamon, referring to fragrant plant resin.

From Latin laesio, "an injury," from laedere, "to hurt or damage."

From Latin miserabilis, based on miser ("wretched").

From "lag" plus the "-ing" ending.

Origin uncertain, possibly from an old North Germanic word meaning "slow" or "late".

From Old French indignation, from Latin indignatio, from indignari, "to be angered at something unworthy."

From Medieval Latin tendo, from Ancient Greek tenon ("sinew"), later reshaped in spelling to resemble Latin tendere ("to stretch").

From air + port, extending the older sense of "port" as a place where travelers and goods arrive and depart, originally by sea.

From in- + expensive, from Latin expensa, "expenses."

From Italian mal'aria, "bad air," from an old belief that the disease came from foul air near marshes — long before mosquitoes were identified as the real cause.

Built from trick plus the agent suffix -ster (the same ending found in words like gangster and youngster).

Formed from "prank" plus the agent suffix "-ster," as in "gangster" or "trickster."

Origin uncertain, but likely tied to an old sense of "showing off" or "dressing ostentatiously," related to Dutch "pronken" ("to flaunt"). The modern "mischievous trick" sense grew from an earlier idea of being crafty or putting on an act.