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 French embuschier, "to hide in a wood," built from the Frankish word for bush — the same root that gives us "bouquet."

From Middle English diversion, ultimately from Latin divertere, "to turn aside" — the same root as divert.

A clipped, shortened form of "crocodile."

From Middle English, originally meaning "resembling skin," from "skin" plus "-y."

From Old French hardi ("bold, daring"), ultimately linked to the Germanic root behind the word "hard."

From stuff + the noun-forming suffix -ing.

From Old French estoffe, related to a Germanic root meaning "to fill" or "to plug up" — the same root behind stop.

From Latin privatus, "set apart" or "not belonging to the state," from privus meaning "one's own." A doublet of "privy," which comes from the same root.

From Old French public, from Latin publicus ("of the people, of the community"), related to populus ("the people").

From Middle Dutch snacken ("to snap, to bite"), which originally meant a quick bite of food.

From Old English hīehþu, built from "high" plus an old noun-forming ending — literally "high-ness."

From wide plus the suffix -th (as in "length" from "long"), first recorded around the 16th century.

From Middle English brede ("breadth"), reshaped to match the pattern of length and strength, ultimately related to broad.

From Old French entent, ultimately from Latin intentus, "stretched, strained, attentive."

From Old French intensif, based on Latin intensus, "stretched, intense."

From Late Latin extensīvus, related to Latin extendere, "to stretch out".

From Old French anoier ("to bother, disturb"), from Late Latin inodiare ("to make loathsome"), rooted in Latin odium, "hatred."

Borrowed from Scots bauther/bather, of uncertain ultimate origin, possibly related to old words for making a commotion or fuss.

From fuss + the adjective-forming suffix -y.

Scottish Gaelic

From Welsh cam, meaning "bent" or "crooked," ultimately from a Celtic root shared with Irish and Scottish Gaelic cam.

From Old English cnotta, "knot," from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to bind."

From Latin expellere, "to drive out," from ex- ("out") + pellere ("to drive").

From Latin excludere, "to shut out" — ex ("out") plus claudere ("to close").

A shortening of weblog, itself a compound of web and log; the clipped form "blog" was coined in 1999 and quickly overtook the original term.