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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Borrowed from Portuguese and Spanish albino, ultimately from Latin albus ("white").

From Old French conspirer, from Latin conspirare — con- ("together") plus spirare ("to breathe"), suggesting people "breathing as one."

Borrowed directly from Latin terra, "earth, land."

From Old French tempeste, from Latin tempestas, "storm, season, weather" — from tempus, "time."

A playful variant of bizarre, popularized by the comic-book character Bizarro, a warped mirror-image of Superman.

Ultimately from Latin albus, "white," which also gives the Spanish word alba, "dawn."

From Old English bierce/birce, an ancient Germanic tree name going back to a root meaning "bright" or "white," referring to the pale bark.

From Old English mædere, going back to a Proto-Germanic root for the plant, related to Swedish måra.

From Old French enjoier, "to give joy," from en- + joy.

From Old French chambre, from Latin camera ("vaulted chamber") — a doublet of "camera."

From Latin possessivus, "relating to possession."

From Dakota mní šóta, meaning "cloudy water," referring to a river.

From Italian duetto, a diminutive of due, "two."

From Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin repaenitire, ultimately from Latin paenitere, "to cause regret."

From Latin ērēctiō, built from erigere ("to raise up"), the same root as "erect."

A plain combination of "hair" and "cut." The financial meaning developed later as a figurative extension — a "trim" taken off an asset's value.

From Latin senātus, "council of elders," from senex, "old" — the same root as "senior" and "senile."

From French monsieur, literally "my lord" — a doublet of "monseigneur" and "monsignor."

From Old French madame, literally "my lady", from Latin mea domina.

From Old French "bougre," originally meaning "heretic" (a reference to the Bulgarian-linked Bogomil sect), which later took on its cruder, unrelated sexual sense in English.

From French antique, ultimately from Latin antiquus ("former, old"), from ante ("before").

From Latin placenta, "flat cake," describing the organ's flattened, round shape.

From Italian zucchini, the plural of zucchino, a "little squash" — from zucca, meaning "pumpkin" or "gourd."

An onomatopoeic word — it was formed to imitate the sound itself.