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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Imitative (onomatopoeic) in origin, echoing the sound of a sudden collision — related to similar "clap/slap" words in Dutch and German.

Uncertain. Perhaps from Scots brash, brasch (“a violent onset; an attack or assault”). Perhaps also related to Dutch bars (“stern; strict”), German barsch (“harsh; unfriendly”), Danish barsk (“harsh; rough; tough”), Swedish barsk (“harsh; impetuous”).

From French hacher, "to chop" — the same root gives English "hatchet."

From Old English wascan ("to wash"), tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "wet" or "water" — the same root behind "water" itself.

From Middle English daschen, related to Scandinavian words for slapping or striking — the sense of "smashing" or "throwing violently" came first, with "running quickly" and the punctuation mark developing later.

An altered form of the older word "garsh," ultimately traced back to a Greek word meaning "to engrave."

From Middle French caisse ("money-box"), from Latin capsa ("box") — the same root that gives us "case" and "chase".

Possibly from Old English *ræsc, related to words meaning "to move quickly or flash" — connected to the idea of acting suddenly.

From Middle English crasshen ("to break into pieces"), likely blending words for breaking and cracking; imitative of the sound itself.

From Middle English, probably from a Scandinavian source related to Old Norse baska, "to strike" — the same root family as Swedish basa, "to whip."

From Middle French muse, tracing back to Latin Musa and ultimately Ancient Greek Mousa, the word for one of the goddesses of the arts.

From Old English grāf, referring to a small wood or copse, related to a Germanic root meaning branch or thicket.

From Old French forest, from Medieval Latin forestis, likely linked to Latin foris ("outside") — originally land outside enclosed royal parks.

From ply (\"a layer\") + wood — literally wood built up in layers.

From Middle English "plien", ultimately from Latin "plicāre" (to fold) — the same root as "apply" and "reply".

From Old French "estrange," from Latin "extraneus" ("that which is on the outside") — the same root as "extraneous" and "estrange."

From Old English wyrd, "fate" or "destiny." The word originally referred to fate itself — Shakespeare's "Weird Sisters" in Macbeth were literally the Sisters of Fate. The modern sense of "strange" grew out of how eerie and otherworldly that idea seemed.

From Middle English "boulder stone," probably from an Old Swedish word for a large rock in a stream that made the water roar as it passed.

From Old English and Anglo-Norman words for stone, ultimately from Medieval Latin rocca, of uncertain, possibly Celtic origin.

From French monolithe, from Greek monolithos, "made from a single stone" — combining "mono-" (single) with lithos (stone).

A straightforward compound of "snow" and "ball," dating back to Middle English.

A compound of fire and ball.

From late Middle English, of uncertain origin, possibly imitative or from an Old French word meaning "to break in pieces."

From Old English earh, going back to a Proto-Germanic word for "arrow," related to Latin arcus ("bow") — a distant cousin of "arc."