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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Shortened from "hetero" plus the informal -y ending, the same pattern as turning "definite" into "defo."

Borrowed from French lieu, "place," from Latin locus.

Variant of Evans.

From avoid + the noun-forming suffix -ance.

From Anglo-Norman avoider, from Old French esvuidier, "to empty out" — from es- + vuidier, related to Latin vacuus, "empty".

From French Avignon, via Occitan Avinhon.

Borrowed from French aviateur, itself built on Latin avis, "bird".

Borrowed from French aviation, built on Latin avis, "bird."

From Latin avis, "bird," plus the adjective ending -ian.

From Old French avertir, from Latin avertere, "to turn away," from ab- plus vertere, "to turn."

A learned borrowing from Latin aversio, "a turning away."

From Latin aversus, the past participle of avertere, "to turn away."

From Old French averer, from Late Latin adverare, built on Latin verus, "true."

From Middle English avengere, formed from avenge plus -er.

From Old French avengier, from a- plus vengier ("to avenge"), rooted in Latin vindicare.

From Latin ave, a greeting meaning "hail" or "be well."

Likely from Dutch houd vast, "hold fast," from houden ("to hold") and vast ("firm, tight").

From Old French avarice, from Latin avaritia, from avarus, "greedy."

From Middle English lurken, likely from an Old Norse root related to lour, meaning to lie in wait.

Shortened from avant-garde, itself from French avant ("before, ahead") and garde ("guard").

From French avalanche, blending a regional word for "downhill" with an older term for a landslide, ultimately from Latin labor, "to slip or slide."

Formed from available plus -ity, in use since the early 1800s.

From Old French a- ("to") plus vail, from valoir, "to be worth," from Latin valere, "to be strong."

From Middle English awry — a- + wry.