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 basile, ultimately from Greek basilikon, "royal," from basileus, "king" — the herb was seen as a "kingly" plant.

The heraldic term comes from French barre ("bar"); the common given name Barry is a separate word, anglicized from Irish Barra.

From Old English wiersa, the comparative form behind modern "bad" (which borrows its comparative and superlative from a different root, much like "good"/"better"/"best").

From "crack," referring to the sharp snapping sound — the biscuit sense is first recorded in the 1700s; the ethnic slang sense has several competing theories, including a link to whip-cracking cattle drivers in the South.

Borrowed directly from French beaucoup ("a lot, very much"). It entered American slang mainly through soldiers stationed in France and Vietnam, who picked it up from locals and brought it home.

A shortened form of "tarpaulin."

Not certain; see Milano § History on Wikipedia.

From Old French preface, from Medieval Latin prefatia, from classical Latin praefatio, \"a saying beforehand,\" from praefari, \"to speak in advance.\"

From Old English spearca, from a Germanic root meaning "to scatter" or "to sprinkle," describing the way sparks fly outward.

From fire and work; the English word likely arrived via Dutch and German equivalents in the 1500s.

From Old French humanité, from Latin hūmānitās, built from hūmānus ("human").

An imitative word — it simply mimics the short, sharp sound itself, first recorded in the 1500s.

From Latin voluptuosus, "delightful," from voluptas, "pleasure."

From Middle English destresse, via Old French, ultimately from Latin distringere ("to stretch tight"). The psychological sense of mental strain became common in the 20th century, popularized by researchers studying the body's response to pressure.

From Old French illusion, from Latin illudere, "to mock or trick" — in- ("upon") + ludere ("to play").

Borrowed directly from French mirage in the early 1800s, from mirer ("to look at, reflect").

From "re-" ("again") plus "consider."

From Old French consideracion, from Latin consideratio, built on considerare, "to examine carefully."

From consider plus -able, "able to be considered," which shifted over time to mean "significant."

From Middle French considerer, from Latin considerare, originally thought to relate to observing the stars (sidus, "star") before making a decision.

From Middle English around, formed from a- ("on, at") plus round.

From Middle English during, originally the present participle of the verb duren ("to last, to continue") — the same root as "endure."

From French réunion, "re- + union."

From Yiddish shmok, originally a vulgar word for "penis" that shifted to mean "fool" or "jerk".