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 Latin cicada, believed to imitate the insect's sound.

From bull + dog, referring to the breed's original use in the blood sport of bull-baiting.

From Old French necessaire, from Latin necessārius ("unavoidable, required"), related to cēdere ("to yield" or "withdraw") — the same root found in "cede."

Likely imitative of the sound itself, echoing the related word "yelp."

From Old French diaspre ("richly patterned silk cloth"), from Byzantine Greek diaspros ("pure white").

A shortened, "-y" form likely built on napkin, itself already a smaller version of an older word for cloth.

From crap plus the adjective ending -y.

From chap + the diminutive/informal suffix -y.

From Middle English ospray, via Anglo-Norman ospriet, ultimately from Medieval Latin avis praedae, "bird of prey" — a phrase that got mixed up in Old French with this particular bird.

From Late Middle English mynk, likely borrowed from a Scandinavian word for the animal, related to Swedish mink.

From Old English finc, related to similar words in Dutch and German for the same bird family.

From Old English cran, a Germanic word for the bird; the lifting machine was named later because it resembles the bird's long neck and beak.

From Greek diametros ("line measuring across"), from dia- ("across") + metron ("measure").

Named after William Burke, a 19th-century Edinburgh murderer who killed victims to sell their bodies to medical schools.

Coined in 1841-42 by the paleontologist Richard Owen from Greek roots meaning "terrible" and "lizard."

From Latin carnivorus, "flesh-eating," from caro ("flesh") + vorare ("to devour") — the same "-vore" ending seen in "herbivore" and "omnivore."

From the Hebrew place name transmitted through Greek and Old English; the biblical city name became a byword for moral decay.

From Old French barge, tracing back through Latin to an Ancient Greek word for an Egyptian boat, ultimately from Egyptian — a long journey for a small word.

From Greek amphibios, "living a double life", from amphi- ("both") + bios ("life").

A casual clipping of "brother," first common in informal American English.

Coined around 1891 from de- + (in)flate, first used for balloons losing air.

From Latin inflatus, past participle of inflare, "to blow into."

From French utiliser, ultimately from Latin utilis ("useful").

From Old French esploit, "achievement, profit," related to Latin explicare ("to unfold, accomplish").