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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A shortened form of "ordinance," which originally meant military equipment or provisions before narrowing to mean weapons and artillery specifically.

From Old English hlæfdige, literally "loaf-kneader" — from hlaf ("bread, loaf") plus a word meaning "kneader". The same root as loaf. It is not related to "lad".

From Middle French trait ("line, feature"), from Latin tractus ("a drawing, a pulling"), from trahere ("to draw"). A doublet of "tract."

From Old English mod, meaning "mind, spirit, or courage" — the word originally leaned more toward "temperament" and "bravery" than today's narrower sense of a passing feeling.

From Latin ob, originally an abbreviation of obolus, a small ancient coin; the modern shortened senses (observation, objection) are simply clipped forms of the longer English words.

From Medieval Latin practicalis, ultimately from Greek praktikos, "fit for action" — related to "practice".

Borrowed directly from Latin femur ("thigh").

From Old French felon ("evil, wicked"), from Medieval Latin fellonem, of uncertain deeper origin. It shares a root with "fell" in the sense of "cruel, fierce."

Borrowed from Latin dīrēctus, the past participle of dīrigō, "to make straight" — from dis- ("apart") plus regō ("to rule" or "make straight").

A shortened, casual form of "jimmy," itself linked to the name James.

The military-servant sense comes from "bat" (a packsaddle, from French bât) + man; the comic-book character's name plays on the animal instead.

From Old French rude, going back to Latin rudis, "rough, untrained, raw."

From Ancient Greek Persis, itself from Old Persian Pārsa, the name of the region and its people.

Borrowed from French véhicule, from Latin vehiculum ("carriage"), from vehere ("to carry") — the same root that gives us "vector."

From Old French value, from Latin valere, "to be strong, to be worth".

From French anecdote, ultimately from Greek anekdotos, "unpublished" — originally referring to untold behind-the-scenes stories.

From Old English hāl, meaning "healthy, unhurt, complete" — the same root behind heal, health, and holy. The odd silent "w" was added in spelling centuries later, partly to keep "whole" visually distinct from "hole."

From "nude" + the suffix "-ist."

From "where" plus "by."

From Old English nacod, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning "naked" — a distant relative of "nude."

From Old English bær ("bare, naked, open"), a very old Germanic word found in similar forms across German, Dutch, and Scandinavian languages.

A straightforward compound of suit and case, since suitcases were originally made to carry a suit of clothes.

From Old English "wagian" (to shake or wave), reinforced by a similar Old Norse word — both from an ancient Germanic root meaning "to move".

From Scots tartan, likely from an Old French word for a cloth mixed from wool and cotton or linen; some scholars instead trace it to a Medieval Latin word for fabric imported from "Tartary" (Central Asia).