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 English rice ("powerful, wealthy"), reinforced later by the related Old French riche. Both trace back to a very old word meaning "king" or "ruler," which is also the source of the name Richard.

From Middle English lusch ("slack, limp"), from Old English roots meaning weak or feeble — the modern sense of "lush, green, and thriving" developed later.

From French zeste, originally referring to the peel used to flavour dishes and drinks.

From re- + ally.

Via Latin Caucasus, from Ancient Greek Kaukasos.

From nut (in the sense "crazy person") plus the agent suffix -er.

From Old Frankish, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *Hrōþiberhtaz, literally "shining glory". A doublet of Rupert.

From Latin "transferre" — "to carry across" — from "trans-" plus "ferre" ("to carry"). A distant relative of "translate."

From Old English mist, "mist, fog, or dimness," from an ancient Germanic root meaning "cloud" or "drizzle."

From Old French livel/nivel, from Latin libella, "a small balance or level tool," a diminutive of libra, "a balance, a pair of scales."

From the older form "ensurance," related to "assurance" — ultimately from insure + -ance.

Borrowed directly from Hawaiian lei.

From "lay" plus the agent suffix "-er" — originally someone who laid bricks or stones.

From Old English bræsen, "made of brass." The modern sense of "shamelessly bold" grew out of the older figurative idea of a face like brass — hard, shiny and unmoved by shame.

From Middle English dividen, from Latin dīvidere, "to divide" — it replaced the native Old English word tōdǣlan.

From Old French barbe ("beard"), from Latin barba — the same root as "beard" and "barber."

From Scottish Gaelic bàrd, via Old Irish, ultimately from a Proto-Celtic word for "poet" — related to an ancient root meaning "to praise."

From Latin devastare ("to lay waste"), from de- + vastare ("to destroy"), related to "vast".

From "cannon" plus "ball," describing the round shot fired from a cannon.

From under- + dog, originally likening the loser to the dog that ends up pinned beneath its opponent in a fight.

Borrowed directly from Latin vortex, "whirl" — a doublet of the word vertex.

A compound of "lawn" and "mower."

Borrowed from Latin dīrus, meaning "fearful" or "ominous."

From Greek orphanós, "without parents," ultimately from a very old root shared with the Latin word for "orphaned" and the Old English word for "heir" — orphans, ironically, were once linked linguistically to inheritance.