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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Borrowed from Spanish santo, "saint", ultimately from Latin sanctus.

From Arabic ʕālima, literally "learned woman", from ʕalima, "to know".

From Old English sawol ("soul, life, spirit"), a Germanic word of uncertain ultimate origin.

From Greek theologia, built from theos ("god") plus logos ("word, study").

Borrowed from Polish złoty, literally "golden," from the same root as the word "gold."

Scottish Gaelic

From a Scottish place name, from Scottish Gaelic dubh ("black") + glais ("stream").

From Latin "connectere," meaning "to fasten together," from "con-" ("together") and "nectere" ("to bind") — a distant relative of "knot" and "knit."

Built from Greek kleptein, "to steal," combined with the "-maniac" ending used for compulsive behaviours.

From Old English sneare ("noose, snare"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "loop" or "sling."

From Old French nimphe and Latin nympha, from Ancient Greek nymphe, meaning "bride" or "young woman".

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman vendor, from Latin venditor ("seller"), from vendere ("to sell").

From Latin obsessio, "a besieging", from the same root as "obsess".

From Middle English drawebrigge, literally "bridge that is drawn" (pulled up).

Built from "ostensible" (from Latin ostentare, "to show off, display") plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly."

From Old French descovrir, "to uncover," from Latin dis- plus cooperire ("to cover completely") — literally, to remove a covering.

Formed from discover plus -ery, following the pattern of "recover"/"recovery."

From Old French rente, ultimately from Latin reddere, "to give back" — the same root behind render and surrender.

Of uncertain origin, first recorded among North American teenagers in the 1960s; related informally to German Zitze ("nipple").

From Dutch boer, "peasant" or "farmer" — the same root as "Boer" and "bauer" — which shifted over time to mean someone lacking refined manners.

An imitative (echoic) word — it simply copies the sound apes and monkeys make.

Borrowed from Afrikaans oom, meaning "uncle."

From the Kyrgyz and Uzbek word som/soʻm, from a Turkic root meaning "pure gold".

Shortened from "dominant" in its slang sense; the honorific sense comes from Latin dominus, "lord" or "master."

Shortened from "operator" (chat/game sense) or from "op shop," short for "opportunity shop," a charity secondhand store.