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 Middle English shite/schite, a variant closely related to shit, both descending from Old English words for excrement.

A compound of fire and fly, named for the insect's glow; related terms include lightning bug and glowworm.

From "dad" plus the diminutive suffix "-y," originally a childish, affectionate form.

From "wool" plus "-y," describing something with a wool-like texture.

From fine, in the sense of "elegant" or "showy," plus the noun suffix -ery.

The interjection is a euphemistic alteration of "God," used to avoid swearing directly.

From Old Norse blóm ("flower"), related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning bloom or blossom.

From Middle English colier/colyer ("charcoal maker or seller"), from Old English col ("coal") plus the occupational suffix -ier.

From Middle English kokerel, built from "cock" plus a diminutive ending.

From Old English wyllen, "made of wool," from the same root as "wool."

From Latin editor, from editus, past participle of edere ("to give out, publish").

From Old French chargier ("to load"), from Late Latin carricare, from Latin carrus ("a wagon") — the same root as "car" and "cargo".

From Old French aise ("elbow room, opportunity"), a word whose deeper origins are murky and disputed.

A playful blend of "gigantic" and "enormous", first used as 1940s military slang before spreading into everyday speech.

From Old English dǣd ("deed, act"), from Proto-Germanic dēdiz, related to the verb "do."

From a New Latin word likely mangled from the Ancient Greek akme, "point" — probably a copying error for a word describing skin eruptions.

From "acknowledge" plus the noun ending "-ment."

From Middle English in dede, literally "in deed" — i.e. in actual fact, as opposed to merely in words.

A combination of make and shift, first recorded in the 1550s.

Formed from effort plus "-less," meaning "without."

From knee + cap, describing the cap-shaped bone that sits over the knee joint.

From Old English sceabb and Old Norse skabb, both going back to a Germanic root shared with "scabies" and "shabby."

From Old French garnir, "to furnish, adorn, or defend" — the same root that gives us "garment" and "warn."

From Middle English rollen, from Old French roller and Medieval Latin rotulare ("to roll"), ultimately from Latin rota, "a wheel".