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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

A back-formation from the suffix -ish, used informally as its own standalone word.

Formed from "capacity" plus "-or." It replaced the older word "condenser" in the 1920s to avoid confusion with steam condensers.

From "tie" plus "-er," originally describing a row of things tied or fastened together.

From drunken + the noun-forming suffix -ness.

Formed from "waiter" plus the feminine suffix "-ess", first recorded in the 1830s.

From Middle English "wayter" (attendant, watchman) — a straightforward pairing of "wait" plus the agent suffix "-er".

A short form of names beginning "Jo-," especially Joseph.

From the Biblical Hebrew name Yosef, meaning roughly "may God add (to the family)." The son of Jacob in Genesis.

whatchamacallit

A run-together, shortened form of "what you may call it," first recorded in the early 1920s in the United States.

From the Aramaic word for "twin", carried into English through the biblical apostle Thomas, famous for doubting Jesus's resurrection until he saw the evidence himself.

A compound of tea and pot.

From Old English wǣrloga, literally "oath-breaker" or "traitor" — from wǣr ("pledge, covenant") and a word related to "lie." It came to mean a male sorcerer through the old belief that such men had broken their faith with God.

From Old French appointement, from apointier ("to arrange, appoint"), plus -ment.

From Old French apointier, "to arrange, prepare," from Late Latin appunctare, "to fix a point," from Latin ad- + punctum, "a point."

From Old French applier, from Latin applicare, "to fold toward, attach," from ad- + plicare, "to fold."

Borrowed directly from Japanese 鬼 (oni), meaning demon or ogre.

From Old French aplicacion, from Latin applicationem, from applicare, "to attach, apply."

Borrowed from Hawaiian ʻono, meaning "delicious."

From French arcade, from Italian arcata, "the arch of a bridge", ultimately from Latin arcus, "an arc" — not related to "Arcadia".

Related to "dare" and its archaic forms "darest" and "dast."

A compound of sun + stroke, describing a "stroke" (sudden collapse) brought on by the sun.

From Old French autor, from Latin auctor ("originator, creator"). The "h" was added later by mistaken association with "authentic."

From Greek panikós, "of Pan" — the god Pan was believed to cause sudden, unexplained terror in crowds and animals in lonely places.

From Old English sceaphierde, a compound of sceap ("sheep") and hierde ("herder") — literally "sheep-herder."