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 English steppan, "to step, go, advance," related to the words "stamp" and "stomp."

From Latin cymbalum, from Ancient Greek kumbalon, from kumbe ("bowl") — describing its curved, bowl-like shape.

From preempt plus the adjective-forming suffix -ive.

From Latin ornamentum, "equipment, adornment," from ornare, "to equip, adorn."

From ornament + -al.

From antiquate ("to make old or obsolete") plus the "-ed" ending.

A straightforward compound of goal and keeper.

Coined in 1870 by the scientist Thomas Henry Huxley from Greek a- ("not") + gnostos ("known"), to describe someone who neither affirms nor denies the existence of God.

Borrowed from French niche, related to nicher ("to nest"), ultimately from Latin nidus ("nest").

From Old English muscle, ultimately from Latin musculus ("mussel" or "little mouse") — the same root that gives us the word muscle.

From Latin musculus ("little mouse"), because a flexing muscle under the skin was thought to look like a small mouse moving. It shares this root with "mussel."

From Latin tonus ("sound, tone"), from Ancient Greek tonos ("tension, pitch"), related to teino, "to stretch." A doublet of "tune."

First recorded in English in the 1600s, built from Latin sui ("of oneself") plus -cide ("killing"), on the model of words like homicide.

From Medieval Latin Anglicanus, from Anglicus ("English").

From Old English ecg ("sharp point or blade"), related to a very old Indo-European root for "sharp" — the same one behind the Latin word acus, "needle."

From Greek symmetria, from syn- ("with") + metron ("measure") — literally "measured together."

From Middle English impressen, from Latin imprimere ("to press into or upon"), from in- + premere ("to press").

From Old English cruma ("fragment, crumb"); the silent "b" was added later by analogy with words like "thumb" and "numb."

From Latin fraternitas, from frater, "brother."

From Latin fraternus, "of a brother," from frater, "brother."

From Middle English "a pece," literally "a piece" — as in, counted out one piece at a time.

From Latin apertura, "an opening," from aperire, "to uncover or lay bare."

From "apathy" + the adjective ending "-etic."

From French appartement, from Italian appartamento, related to "apart" — originally meaning a separated part of a building.