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 motor + car.

From Latin effeminatus, based on femina, "woman."

Imitative of a soft puff of air or smoke.

From Old French sege/siege ("seat"), ultimately from Latin sēdēs ("seat") — the sense shifted from "a sitting down" to "an army settling in to blockade a place".

Borrowed from Finnish sauna, where the tradition originates.

From "lady" plus "bird" — the "lady" refers to the Virgin Mary, echoing old folk names in other European languages that also link the beetle to Mary.

A compound of "turn" and "coat," reportedly from the old military trick of wearing a reversible coat lined in a different color to switch sides visually.

A compound of check and up, describing the act of "checking up" on someone or something.

Borrowed directly from French dossier.

First recorded around 1635, from French prolifique, ultimately from Latin prōlēs ("offspring") plus -ficus ("making").

From Greek arkhiepiskopos, from arkhi-, "chief", plus episkopos, "overseer" — the root of "bishop".

From Latin saccus ("bag"), the same root that gives us "sack."

From Japanese tanuki, meaning "raccoon dog".

From Greek nomos, "district," itself from a verb meaning "to divide."

A variant spelling of "broach," which comes from a Latin word for a pointed spike or awl — referring to the pin that fastens the jewelry.

Originally a 19th-century trademark for medicine compressed into small tablets (tabl(et) + -oid); the sense later stretched to mean anything condensed, and then specifically to the small, sensational newspaper format.

Origin uncertain — possibly imitative of giggling, and popularized in LGBTQ ballroom culture.

Traced back through Old French and Latin to Aramaic and Hebrew Miryam, a name of uncertain original meaning; a doublet of Miriam and Maria.

From Old French broche, meaning a spit or pointed tool — the same root gives us "brochure."

From Middle English maker, from make + -er.

From the Russian root čečen-, found in words like čečénec ("a Chechen man").

A compound of rattle and snake, describing the rattling warning sound its tail makes.

From Old English leger, meaning "bed" or "couch", related to the verb "lie" (to recline).

From pipe + -er, "one who pipes."