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 Middle English spot, merging with Old English splott ("a patch of ground"), both related to the idea of a distinct small patch or mark.

From employ + -ment.

Formed from "stale" (in an old sense meaning a fixed position) plus "mate," as in checkmate.

From Old English impian, "to graft" (originally referring to grafting a plant shoot), later coming to mean a child or offspring, and eventually a mischievous small creature.

From Old French ajoindre, from Latin adiungere ("to join to"), formed from ad- ("to") and iungere ("to join").

From Latin adiacens, "lying beside," from ad- ("to") plus iacere ("to lie down") — the same root that gives us "adjacent" its sense of touching or bordering.

From Old French a dieu, short for "I commend you to God" — literally "to God." A doublet of "adios," which comes from the same idea in Spanish.

From French adhésif, from Medieval Latin adhaesivus, related to adhere.

From Latin adhaerere, "to stick to," from ad- ("to") plus haerere ("to stick").

From Latin adaequatus, "made equal to," from adaequare, "to make equal," from ad- ("to") plus aequare ("to equalize").

From addict plus -ion. Ultimately from Latin addictio, originally a legal term for a court "awarding" someone as bound to another's service.

A learned borrowing from Latin additionalis, built from addition plus -al.

From adapt plus the suffix -able ("capable of"), tracing back to Latin aptus, "fitted" or "suited."

From Latin adaptare ("to fit to"), from ad- ("to") plus aptare ("to make fit"), from aptus ("fit, suitable").

From Middle English naddere. The "n" was lost when "a naddere" was misheard as "an addere" — the same shift that turned "a napron" into "an apron."

From acute plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

Borrowed from Latin acumen, meaning "a sharp point," used figuratively for sharpness of mind.

From Middle English actually, formed from actual plus -ly.

From Old French actuel, from Late Latin actualis ("active, practical"), from Latin actus ("act, action"), from agere ("to do, to act").

From active plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

From Old French actif, from Latin activus, from agere ("to do, act").

From action plus the suffix -able.

From Middle English swymmynge. Equivalent to swim (“to move through water”, verb) + -ing (suffix forming gerunds).

From Latin instrumentum, "tool, equipment," from instruere ("to build, arrange, equip") + -mentum.