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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Origin uncertain, possibly from a Middle Dutch or Low German word related to breaking or restraining.

From Middle English bal, ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "round object," related to the word for "swell" or "inflate."

From Old French certain, from a Latin root related to certus ("fixed, settled, sure").

From Old English col, from a very old Germanic word ultimately meaning "to burn" or "to shine".

From Old French balance, ultimately from Latin bilanx, "having two scales" — from bi- ("two") and lanx ("plate" or "scale").

From Old French acte, from Latin acta ("things done, register of events"), from agere ("to do, to drive").

From Middle English heron, via Anglo-Norman heiron, tracing back to a Proto-Germanic root that is likely imitative of the bird's harsh screeching call.

From Ancient Greek syllabē, meaning "that which is taken together," from a root meaning "to gather."

From Old French malart ("male wild duck"), from male ("male") plus a suffix -ard.

From Late Latin coemeterium, from Ancient Greek koimeterion, literally "a sleeping place" — from a verb meaning "to put to sleep."

From Old French ciment, from Latin caementum, "quarry stone" or "stone chips used in mortar."

From Old French bienfait, "good deed," from bien ("well") and faire ("to do"), modeled on Latin benefactum — the same root as "benefactor."

From Old English ancor, borrowed from Latin ancora, itself from Ancient Greek ankura.

Via Spanish anchoa and Ligurian anciôa; the ultimate root is uncertain, possibly Basque for "dried fish."

From Greek analysis, "a breaking up," from analyo, "to unravel or loosen."

From French analyste, related to "analysis."

From "sky" plus "lark" (the bird); the verb sense arose around 1809 among sailors, possibly influenced by a northern English dialect word for "to play".

From Old English lāwerce, referring to the bird — the sense of "prank" developed much later and its origin is uncertain.

From Old English brægn, going back to a Proto-Germanic root for the same organ.

From Old English clūd, originally meaning "rock" or "hill" — the sense shifted to describe cloud formations because they resembled distant hills in the sky.

Traces back through Old English "box" and Late Latin "buxis" to Ancient Greek "pyxis," a small container originally made of boxwood.

From Old English bī ("near, by, around"), an ancient Germanic preposition related to German bei and Dutch bij.

From Old English camb, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "tooth" — the same root behind the word "cam" in mechanics.

From Old English clāth, related to a root meaning "to cling" or "stick" — describing how fibers hold together in fabric.