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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 via French from Modern Latin, built from Ancient Greek eu- (\"well\") + kalúptō (\"to cover\") — describing how the flower bud is covered by a cap before it opens.

From Old French rescourre, ultimately from Latin excutere, "to shake out," combined with the prefix re-.

Originally "minced meat"; over time the fruit-and-spice filling replaced the meat, but the name stuck.

From Old English forst, going back to a Proto-Germanic word related to "freeze".

Traces back through French and Portuguese to a Latin word for a sweet apple, ultimately from Greek "meli" (honey) plus "melon" (apple) — the word originally meant quince jam.

From Old French gelee, "frost" or "something frozen/set," ultimately from Latin gelu, "frost" — the same root behind gelatin and gel.

From Middle English tossen, "to buffet about or agitate," of uncertain earlier origin, possibly linked to Old Norse or Middle English tosen, "to pull apart."

From Old French portal and Medieval Latin portale, from Latin porta ("gate, door").

From Late Latin succuba ("mythical female fiend"), from Latin succubare ("to lie under"), from sub- ("under") plus cubare ("to lie down"); shaped in Middle English to match incubus.

From Middle English sprouten, related to Middle Dutch and Middle Low German words for sprouting, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to sprout."

From Middle English spouten, borrowed from Middle Dutch spouten ("to spout"), related to "spit" and "spew".

Formed from the phrasal verb "work out," meaning to exercise.

From Old English slīefe, ultimately related to Dutch sloof ("apron") — the underlying idea is a covering that fits over something.

From Middle English foppe, meaning "fool," related to German foppen, "to tease or mock."

Borrowed from Scots dandy, meaning a fop or someone unusually well-dressed; the exact origin is uncertain, possibly linked to the name Andrew.

Old English · 1500

Origin uncertain, first recorded in the mid-1500s; possibly related to Old English swelgan, "to swallow."

First recorded in the early 1700s as a verb meaning "to press or wedge in," likely echoing the sound and action of squeezing something into a tight spot; the "improvised music" sense grew out of jazz slang from the 1920s.

Coined in the 1800s by chemist Thomas Graham as a short form of gelatin, which itself traces back to Latin gelu, "frost."

From Latin membrana ("skin covering a body part"), from membrum ("limb, body part").

From Middle English scum, related to Middle Dutch schume ("foam"); ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "froth" or "to cover." Related to "skim."

Uncertain, but likely from an old word meaning "cheek" or "profile" — the sense shifted from a body part to the sly, sideways glance itself.

From French detail, from detailler, "to cut into pieces" — from de- and tailler ("to cut"), the same root as "tailor".

From Old French destruire, from Latin destruere, "to un-build" — from de- ("un-") and struere ("to build").

From Latin destructio, from destruere, "to destroy".