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 French desgouster, from des- ("dis-") plus gouster ("to taste"), from Latin gustus — literally meaning to "lose one's taste" for something.

From Old French desguiser, built from des- ("dis-") plus guise ("manner, appearance") — literally to change one's "guise" or outward manner.

From Old French olie, ultimately from Latin oleum, "olive oil" — from the Greek word for "olive".

From Middle English erthequake, joining earth and quake; it replaced the older Old English word eorþbeofung.

A learned borrowing from Greek tekhnologia ("systematic treatment of an art"), from tekhne ("craft") plus -logia ("study of").

From Old French science, from Latin scientia, "knowledge," from scire, "to know."

From Middle French environnement, related to environ, "around, about."

From Latin fortitudo, "strength or bravery," from fortis, "strong."

Possibly from an old word "raspise," referring to a sweet rose-colored wine, though the exact origin is uncertain.

From Old English disc, from a West Germanic word for "table" or "dish," ultimately borrowed from Latin discus — the same root that gave us "desk" and "discus."

An alteration of the older word "hoise," itself from Middle Dutch hisen ("to hoist") — related to modern Dutch hijsen and German hissen.

From Middle English hiderto, combining hither ("to here") with to.

From Old English þider, reshaped over time by analogy with "hither".

From Old English hider, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to here."

Borrowed from French; despite an old legend linking it to the Swiss town of Meiringen, the word likely comes from an earlier term for a light snack.

From Middle English riban, borrowed from Old French riban/ruban, likely ultimately from a Germanic word related to "band."

From Old English bregdan, meaning to move quickly, weave, or pull, related to words for jerking or flashing motion.

From Old English maegden, "girl", ultimately from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "girl" or "virgin".

A shortened form of Middle English "maiden", ultimately from Old English maegden, "girl".

The competition sense traces to Old English and Old Norse words for a swift run or rush; the "group of people" sense arrived separately, later, from continental European languages.

From Greek galaxias, short for "milky circle," from gala ("milk") — describing the pale, milky band of the Milky Way visible in the night sky.

From Latin larva, originally meaning "ghost" or "mask" — the idea being that the larval form disguises the adult creature within.

From Latin vocalis, "uttering a voice," from vox, "voice" — a doublet of vowel.

From Old English pinn, "peg" or "bolt," from a Proto-Germanic root meaning a protruding point — related to "pintle" and unrelated to the Latin word for a wing or feather.