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 pius, "dutiful, devout, kind," related to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "pure."

Origin uncertain; possibly related to a French word meaning "smart" or "sparkish," or a German word for a young lad.

From Greek phasis, meaning "an appearance," related to phainein, "to show" or "to appear" — the same root that gives us "phantom" and "phenomenon."

From Latin scarabaeus, "beetle."

From Old French petit, "small" — the same root as "petit" and "petite," worn down in English pronunciation and spelling.

From Old French pervers, from Latin perversus ("turned the wrong way"), past participle of pervertere — see "pervert."

From Middle English pert, a shortened form of apert ("open, evident"), ultimately from Latin apertus.

From Late Latin personalis, "of a person," from persona ("person").

A clipped form of "perpetrator," first popular in police and crime-show slang.

From Latin perpetrator, someone who "carries something through" or accomplishes an act — from per- ("thoroughly") + patrare ("to bring about").

From Greek gyne ("woman") plus the suffix -logist ("one who studies").

From Middle English parfourmaunce, formed from "perform" plus the suffix "-ance".

From Old French penitent, from Latin paenitēns, present participle of paenitēre, "to repent."

From Latin convictus, past participle of convincere, "to prove wrong, to convict" — the same root as "convince."

From Latin professor, "one who declares or claims knowledge," related to profiteor, "to profess."

From Middle English patche, of uncertain origin, possibly related to Old English words for "spot" or "stain."

Middle English · 1400

From Middle English undede, un- + dead, first recorded around 1400. The word's spooky, supernatural sense was popularized by Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897).

From "cardio-" (heart) plus "-logist" (a specialist in a field of study).

From Greek arkhitekton, "master builder", from arkhi-, "chief", plus tekton, "builder".

From Old French parc, "livestock pen," from Frankish *parrik ("enclosure"). The word originally meant an enclosed piece of land for game or livestock before it broadened to today's recreational and functional senses.

From French par ("through, by"), from Latin per.

From Latin māternus, "of a mother," from māter, "mother."

From Latin paternus, "of a father," from pater, "father."

From Middle English panten, possibly from Old French pantoisier ("to be breathless"), of uncertain deeper origin.