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 riule/reule, from Latin regula, "straight stick, pattern," related to regere, "to keep straight or direct."

From French flan, "cheesecake/custard tart," from Old French flaon, from Late Latin fladō, "flat cake."

From Middle English hoveren, probably from hoven ("to hover, soar") plus a frequentative ending, ultimately tied to the verb "heave."

From Old English ord, meaning "point, spear-tip, or beginning" — related to the word "odd."

From Old French franc, "free," originally referring to the Franks, the Germanic people who once ruled much of France — someone "frank" was literally as free and unrestrained as a Frankish nobleman.

Origin uncertain, though one popular story traces it to James Brumby, an early Australian settler whose escaped horses supposedly gave the word its name.

From Old French papal and Medieval Latin pāpālis, from pāpa ("pope").

From Italian quartetto, from quarto, "fourth."

From Middle English badge, borrowed from an Anglo-Norman or Medieval Latin word for an emblem or sign, of uncertain deeper origin.

A clipped, informal form of "vegetable," "vegetarian," or "vegetate."

From ice + the suffix -ed.

From Old English fleos, referring to a sheep's coat of wool.

From Old French roial, itself from Latin rēgālis, "of a king" — the same Latin root that gives us "regal" and "real" (as in the old Spanish coin).

From Old English "wadan" (to go or pass through), tracing back to a very old Indo-European root meaning simply "to go".

An imitative word from 1920s American English, invented to mimic the sound of a sudden electric burst — first popularized in comic strips.

From Old French protester, from Latin prōtestārī, built from prō- ("forth") plus testor ("to testify"), from testis, "witness."

From Latin caelebs, "unmarried," reshaped in English on the pattern of celibacy.

From Old French frere, "brother," ultimately from Latin frater.

From Latin capella ("little she-goat"), because the star was linked in old star charts to a goat carried by the constellation's figure.

The university takes its name from Elihu Yale, an early benefactor; the mythical beast's name comes independently from Welsh iâl ("clearing, upland pasture").

From Old French ermitage/hermitaige, from Late Latin erēmīta ("hermit").

From Ancient Greek erēmítēs ("person of the desert"), via Old French eremite and Late Latin eremita.

From Latin exspirare, "to breathe out," from ex- ("out") + spirare ("to breathe") — the root also seen in "spirit" and "respire."

From French embarquer, built from em- ("in") and barque ("small boat").