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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An onomatopoeic word imitating the sharp, involuntary sound of a hiccup.

Borrowed from Spanish gato, a relative of the English word "cat."

A shortened form of various words beginning with "sub-," such as submarine, substitute, and subscription.

From Latin eicere ("to throw out"), from e- ("out") + iacere ("to throw").

Borrowed from French vase, from Latin vas, "vessel" — the same Latin root behind "vascular" and "vasectomy."

From Latin patrōnus, derived from pater ("father") — the same root that gives us pattern and patroon.

From Latin addendum, "a thing to be added," from addere, "to add."

From censor plus the "-ship" ending, meaning the office, role, or practice of censoring.

From sterile plus the verb-forming suffix -ize.

From Old English of/æf, meaning "away, off" — a doublet of the word "of", which it split apart from in Middle English.

Originally a name for Prussia in Middle English; the tree was thought to come from there, and "spruce leather" from the same region gave neat-looking jerkins their name, which is how the word came to mean "smart and tidy."

From Spanish mesa ("table"), from Latin mensa — the same root as "mensa" in geology.

From Latin nox, "night" — the chemical sense (NOx) is unrelated and comes from combining "nitrogen" and "oxide."

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Borrowed from Middle French dental, ultimately from Latin dens, dentis ("tooth") plus the adjective ending -alis.

From active or activate plus the suffix -ation.

From Latin acquisitio, from acquiro, "to acquire."

From Old English finn, from a Germanic root meaning "dorsal fin," ultimately tied to an ancient word for "backbone."

From Old English hrōst, meaning the wooden framework of a roof or perch — related to Dutch roest and German Rost ("grate").

From Middle Dutch mart or markt ("market"), tracing back to Latin mercatus — the same root that gives us "market" and "merchant."

From Old French delicieux, from Late Latin deliciosus, "delightful" — from the same root as "delight" and "delicacy."

Built from "yum" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y."

An imitative word, echoing the sound people make when enjoying food.

Likely imitative of a gagging or retching sound, first recorded in English in the 1960s.