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 Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio — see "ambition".

From Latin ambitio, literally "a going around" — originally describing candidates in Rome canvassing for votes.

From Old Italian ambassadore, ultimately traced back through Old Occitan and Proto-Celtic to a root meaning "to drive around" — the original sense being a servant or messenger sent on an errand.

From amazing plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From amaze plus the noun-forming suffix -ment.

From French amateur, "lover [of something]", from Latin amare, "to love".

From Anglo-Norman amasser, ultimately from Latin ad- ("to") plus massa ("lump, mass") — the same root as "mass".

First recorded as the name of a fourth-century Spanish saint. Of obscure origin; suggestions include Therasia or Thera, ancient name of the Greek island Thira.

From Old French gloton, from Latin gluttonis ("glutton"). The wolverine's name "glutton" is actually a mistranslation of an Old Norse phrase meaning "mountain cat," which gave rise to a myth about the animal's greed.

From Old English hwæl, part of an old Germanic word family for "whale" that stretches back to a root meaning something like "big fish."

First recorded in English in the 1400s referring to the fish, origin uncertain — possibly linked to an older sense of "shark" meaning a swindler or rogue, since sharks (the fish) have long symbolised ruthless predators.

From Middle English diall, from Latin dialis ("daily"), from dies ("day") — originally referring to a sundial.

From "value" + the adjective-forming suffix "-able".

From Latin migratio, from migrare ("to migrate").

From Latin migratus, the past participle of migrare ("to move, shift, transport").

From Latin migratorius, related to migrare ("to migrate").

From French cacophonie, built from Ancient Greek kakos ("bad") plus phone ("sound") — literally "bad sound."

From the O'odham phrase Cuk Ṣon, meaning roughly "at the base of the black mountain," referring to the dark volcanic peak overlooking the city — passed into English via Mexican Spanish "Tucsón."

From point + -er.

From sun plus dial — the word dial was later adapted for clock faces too.

From Late Latin superficialis, "of or relating to the surface", from superficies, "surface".

From Middle English alwayes, from Old English ealne weġ, literally "all the way" — originally meaning "the whole way" or "continuously."

From Middle English altogeder, formed from "all" plus "together."

From Latin alternatus, past participle of alternare ("to take turns"), from alternus ("one after another"), ultimately from alter, "other."