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 Old English þwong, an old Germanic word for a strip or strap used to bind things.

From Middle French preference, from Medieval Latin preferentia — built from prefer plus -ence.

From Spanish/Italian don, a title of respect, ultimately from Latin dominus, "lord, master."

From under- plus pants.

From Old English linen ("made of flax"), from a Germanic root tied to flax, the plant linen is woven from — the same root gives us the word line.

From Old French melon, from Latin melopeponem, from Greek mēlopepōn — literally "apple-shaped ripe fruit."

From Old French recerchier, "to seek out," from re- plus cerchier ("to search").

From research plus the agent ending -er.

From Anglo-Norman waste, going back to a Frankish word for "a waste" or "empty land," from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "empty" or "desolate."

From Latin historicus, from Greek historikós ("exact, historical").

From Latin historia, from Greek historíā ("inquiry, knowledge gained by investigation"), ultimately from a root meaning "to know" or "to see."

From Latin historicus plus the adjective suffix "-al."

Borrowed from Spanish patata, which itself came from the Taíno word batata, meaning sweet potato.

From Spanish cacao, ultimately from the Nahuatl word cacahuatl; the spelling "cocoa" arose from confusion with the unrelated word "coco" and was later fixed in place by an early English dictionary.

From Old French forme, from Latin fōrma ("shape, figure, mold").

From Old English offrian, "to offer or make a sacrifice", from Latin offerre, "to present, bring before".

From Latin reputatio, "consideration, reckoning," from reputo, "to think over" — the same root as "repute."

From Medieval Latin referentia, ultimately from Latin referre ("to carry back, report").

From Old French randon, "rush" or "impetuosity," itself from a verb meaning "to run" — the same root that gives us run.

New Latin · 1622

From New Latin prōpaganda, short for Congregātiō dē Prōpāgandā Fidē ("congregation for propagating the faith"), a Catholic missionary committee founded in 1622. The political sense, and its negative connotation, emerged around World War I.

From Middle French substitution, from Late Latin substitutio.

From Latin substitutus, past participle of substituere, from sub- ("in place of") plus statuere ("to set up").

From produce + -er.

From Old French requeste, ultimately from Latin requirere, "to seek, ask for" — the same root as "require."