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 fæst, "firm, secure." The sense of "quick" developed later — the idea was that moving "fast" (firmly, steadily) toward something eventually came to mean moving rapidly, much as we still say "run hard" today.

From Latin classicus, originally describing citizens of the highest Roman social class; the sense shifted to mean "of the highest rank" in art and literature.

From Latin colligere, "to gather together", from com- ("together") and legere ("to gather").

From Old French tornoiement, related to the verb tornoier, describing knights wheeling and jousting on horseback.

From un- ("not") plus real.

From Old French/Anglo-Norman gardin, ultimately from a Frankish word for a fenced enclosure — the same ancient root that gives English "yard".

An altered form of "potter," used the same way in American English.

From Old English cyrnel, a diminutive of "corn" — so a kernel is literally a "little grain".

From Latin contextus, "a joining together, connection," related to contexere ("to weave together").

From Medieval Latin intuitivus, from Latin intueri, "to look at."

From "obsess" plus the adjective suffix "-ive".

From French avide, from Latin avidus, "eager or greedy", from aveō, "to long for".

From Latin "praecedens," the present participle of "praecedere" ("to precede") — see "precede."

From un- + precedent + -ed.

From Latin originalis, "primitive, original," from origo, "beginning."

From fight plus the agent suffix -er.

From Old English stǣlþ, built on the same root as "steal" plus an abstract-noun ending — originally implying secrecy connected with theft.

From Old English gamen, meaning "sport, joy, amusement" — related to "gammon" and "gamble".

From Greek eklektikós, "selective," from eklégō, "to pick out" — from ek- ("out") plus légō ("to choose"); related to the word "elect."

From Late Latin additivus, based on the stem of Latin addere, "to add."

From an earlier form "wolvering", ultimately based on wolf, reflecting the animal's fierce, wolf-like reputation.

From Anglo-Norman manourer, ultimately from Latin manū operārī ("to work by hand") — originally meant "to cultivate," and only later narrowed to mean fertilizer.

From Latin excrementum, from excernere, "to sift out, excrete."

From Latin faecēs, the plural of faex, meaning "dregs" or "residue."