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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

Borrowed from French milligramme, built from the prefix milli- ("one thousandth") plus gram.

A blend formed from "sound navigation and ranging" — coined the same way as its cousin "radar" (radio detection and ranging).

From Greek ēkhṓ, "sound" or "echo," via Latin and Old French — in Greek myth, Echo was a nymph condemned by Hera to only repeat the last words spoken to her.

From French archeduc, from Latin archidux, from arch- plus dux, "leader" — equivalent to arch- + duke.

Borrowed from Cantonese 鑊 (wok).

From Latin mīlle passūs, "a thousand paces," shortened over time to mīlia and then borrowed into Old English as mīl.

A learned borrowing directly from Latin area, meaning "open space" or "level ground."

From Latin pressura, "a pressing, pressure," from premere, "to press."

A learned borrowing from Latin nucleus, "kernel" or "core."

From Latin atomus, from Greek atomos ("indivisible"), from a- ("not") + temno ("to cut"). Ancient philosophers imagined atoms as the smallest possible pieces of matter, though we now know atoms themselves are divisible.

Borrowed from French cigarette, a diminutive of cigare (from Spanish cigarro) — literally a "little cigar".

From French kilomètre, combining Greek khilioi ("thousand") with metron ("measure").

PIE word *sḗh₂l From Middle English salti, equivalent to salt + -y. Compare Saterland Frisian soaltig (“salty”), West Frisian sâltich (“salty”), Dutch zoutig (“salty”), German Low German soltig (“salty”), German salzig (“salty”). (coarse; irritated, annoyed): Referencing the sharp, 'spicy' flavor of salt. (indignant): Perhaps implying the person is a crybaby, shedding salty tears, or derived from the preceding.

From Middle French premier ("first"), from Latin primarius — a doublet of the word primary.

Borrowed from Hindi dal, referring to split pulses.

From the Ancient Greek letter name xeî/xî.

(Pokémon): Phono-semantic matching of Japanese ひでんマシン (Hiden Mashin, “Secret Machine”).

From Old English damm, a very old Germanic word for a barrier holding back water.

From Middle English dagge, of likely Germanic origin, originally referring to a hanging shred of cloth.

From sub- ("under") plus way.

From Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, "to ruin or spoil" — from com- ("together, thoroughly") plus rumpere, "to break".

From craze ("to crack or shatter") plus -y — the idea of a mind that has "cracked" led to the modern meaning of insane or wildly irrational.

From Medieval Latin petroleum, from Greek petra ("rock") plus elaion ("oil") — "rock oil."

From Old French fouaille, "firewood," from Latin focus, "hearth" — the same root that gave English focus.