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 Olympic + -ally.

From Nick, diminutive of the given name Nicholas + -son.

From Middle English odorous, from Medieval Latin odōrōsus, equivalent to odor + -ous.

Borrowed in the early 1700s from French ogresse, equivalent to ogre + -ess. Piecewise doublet of orcess.

From non- + resistant.

From outfield + -er.

Borrowed from Latin ōrdinālis, adjective formed from noun ōrdō (“order”), + adjective suffix -ālis.

From onan(ism) + -ist, from Onan, a biblical character known for spilling his seed (semen) on the ground.

From over- + dub (in the sense derived from double).

From non- + validity.

From normless + -ness.

Latin ocellatus, from ocellus (“a little eye”).

From non- + prostitute.

From over- + quantity.

From non- + judgmental.

From Middle English oversenden (“to send over, transmit”), from Old English ofersendan (“to transmit”), from Proto-Germanic *uber (“over”) + *sandijaną (“to send”), corresponding to over- + send. Cognate with Middle Dutch oversenden (“to send over”), German übersenden (“to send, transmit”).

Blend of NOT + IMPLY, by analogy with NOR and NAND.

From non- + juvenile.

First attested in 1567; borrowed from Latin obviātus, perfect passive participle of obviō (“to block, to hinder”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

From non- + conformity.

From non- + attendance.

From non- + evacuated.

From non- + industrial.

From non- + temporal.