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 feid, from Latin fidem ("trust"). The silent "th" spelling was added later in English, likely influenced by words like "truth" and "health."

From Old English clūt, originally "a piece of cloth" or "metal plate" — the "influence" sense developed much later, notably in Chicago political slang, before spreading more widely.

From Old English ġemong, "a mixture, crowd, company" — the same root that gives us the word "among."

From Old English grāpian, related to the word "gripe" and to "grip."

From Old English hyrdel, a woven frame of twigs used as a temporary fence — the racing sense of "barrier to leap" grew out of this literal fence.

Named after Mormon, the prophet said to have compiled the Book of Mormon, the scripture published by Joseph Smith in 1830.

From Old French clou de girofle, literally "nail of clove" — named for the spice's nail-like shape. Related to Latin clavus, "nail."

Borrowed from Spanish tonto, meaning "stupid" or "foolish," and now used mainly as British slang rather than in American English.

From Old French mesure, from Latin mēnsūra ("a measuring"), from mētior ("to measure").

From Middle English barel, via Anglo-Norman baril, of uncertain deeper origin — possibly linked to a Germanic word for a storage container, or to "bear" in the sense of carrying something.

From Old English words meaning "small piece of land" or "end, stub," ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "end" or "bottom."

From Old English tunne, "cask" or "barrel," a word shared across many Germanic languages.

From Old French "boissel," ultimately from a Gaulish word for "handful."

Originally meant a person sent ahead to arrange lodgings for travellers, from Old French herbergeor, related to "harbor."

From Ancient Greek despotes, "master" or "lord", via French and Medieval Latin.

Borrowed from Latin trepidatio, from trepidare, "to be agitated or alarmed."

From Italian garbo, "grace, elegance," borrowed into French and then English, ultimately from a Germanic word meaning "to prepare or equip."

From fiend plus -ish.

From Old English feond, "enemy" — originally just meaning a hated foe before it narrowed to mean a devil or demon.

From Old French contradiction, from Latin contradictio, from contradicere ("to speak against").

From Middle English undergrounde, from under + ground.

Entered English in the 17th century, built on the same Latin root as "narration".

From Old French definir, from Latin dēfīniō, "to set a limit or boundary" — built from dē- + fīniō ("to bound, finish").

From Old French eternité, from Latin aeternitās, from aeternus (\"eternal\").