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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A clipped, dialectal form of "ginseng".

From Old English scyttan, "to bolt or shut," related to the idea of shooting a bolt across a door.

From Old English scēawian ("to look at, display"), related to modern "sheen" and distantly to Latin words behind "caution" and "caveat".

The past participle of "shoot".

From Old English scēotan ("to shoot, throw"), from an ancient Germanic root meaning to hurl or launch quickly.

Likely a shortened form of "shatter," an old dialect word also meaning pine needle.

From Old English þrēat, originally meaning "pressure" or "oppression," related to a root meaning "to squeeze or press."

From Old French interesse, from Latin interesse, literally "to be between, to matter."

From un- (\"not\") plus usual.

From "dog" plus "-ed" — originally meaning having qualities like a dog's tenacity.

From Old French desdeignier, ultimately from Latin dignus ("worthy") with a negating prefix — literally "to consider unworthy."

The fish name comes from Old French carpe, likely of Germanic origin. The "to complain" sense instead traces to Old Norse karpa ("to boast, argue"), later influenced by Latin carpere ("to pluck at, slander").

From Medieval Latin contemporarius, from Latin con- ("together") + temporarius, from tempus ("time").

From Latin adulatio ("flattery").

From Latin ambiguus, "moving both ways, uncertain", from ambigere, "to wander about, be uncertain".

From Middle English touten, "to peer out" or "protrude," from Old English roots meaning "to stick out" — the sense shifted to "to advertise loudly."

From Late Latin spurius, meaning "illegitimate" or "false."

From Latin simulare ("to make like, to imitate, to feign"), from similis ("like, similar").

From Anglo-Norman repeler, from Old French rapeler, "to call back or revoke," ultimately from Latin repellere, "to drive back." A doublet of repel.

From Latin recuperare ("to get again, regain") — a doublet of recover, meaning they share the same root.

From Latin volatilis, "flying," from volare, "to fly" — the idea of something that evaporates or changes as quickly as if it took flight.

From Latin ominosus, "full of foreboding," from omen.

A 17th-century learned borrowing from Latin longaevitas, from longaevus ("long-lived"), built from longus ("long") and aevum ("age, lifetime").

incontrovertible

From in- ("not") plus controvertible, ultimately from Latin controversia ("dispute").