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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Shortening of various words.

From Latin sperma, from Ancient Greek σπέρμα (spérma, "seed, semen").

From Latin germen, meaning "bud, seed, or embryo" — the same root gives us "germinate."

From pest + the combining form -cide ("killer"), from Latin caedere ("to cut down, kill").

From Middle French peste ("plague"), ultimately from Latin pestis. Originally referred to deadly epidemics like the plague before broadening to any harmful creature or annoying person.

From Moxie, the brand name of an American soft drink first sold in the 1880s that was marketed as giving people vigor and nerve — the sense of "courage" caught on from the advertising.

From sub- ("under") plus marine ("of the sea").

From Slovak Bratislava, from the name of Prince Bräslav.

From Latin Dānubius, tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "river" — the same root that gives Sanskrit and Old Russian words for flowing water.

A compound of red and head, describing someone by the colour of their hair.

An initialism for "magnetic resonance imaging."

Formed as a shortening — the radiation unit clips "roentgen equivalent man," while the programming sense clips "remark."

From glide plus the agent suffix -er.

From Latin inversus, past participle of invertere, "to invert," from in- + vertere ("to turn").

From Late Latin identitas, built on Latin idem, "the same."

A back-formation from "surrealism", built from sur- ("beyond") + "real".

From Middle English gravey, likely linked to greaves/graves ("sediment from melted fat").

From Old English broþ, related to "brew" — broth is literally what you get from brewing meat or vegetables in water.

From Old French soupe ("sopped bread"), from Late Latin suppa, related to "sop" and "supper."

From Latin pedester, "on foot," related to pes/ped-, "foot," plus the adjective-forming suffix "-an."

Borrowed directly from Italian or Spanish vino, "wine."

From Vera Lynn.

Formed from "series" plus "-al," modelled on Latin seriālis.

From Latin inversiō, from invertere, "to invert."