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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Imitative. Compare loll.

From the given name Luke + man, "servant of Luke".

From Henry Louis Le Chatelier, the French chemist

From Ukrainian кравець (kravecʹ, “tailor”), Belarusian кравец (kravjec, “tailor”), Slovak kravec (“tailor”), or Polish krawiec (“tailor”). Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *kravьcь.

From Middle English mawmet, from Anglo-Norman maumet, shortened form of mauhoumet, mahumet; deriving from Andalusian Arabic مَحُمَّدْ (“Maḥummad”), ultimately derived from Arabic Muhammad.

From mar (“to spoil, to ruin”) + plot (“plan”). In earliest use as a character name in The Busie Body, by Susanna Centlivre, in 1709. Compare addle-plot.

From Latin masticātus, perfect passive participle of masticō (“to chew”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Alternatively, back-formation from mastication, either ultimately from Ancient Greek μαστιχάω (mastikháō, “to grind the teeth”). Compare French mastiquer.

From macro- + dactyly.

From Ancient Greek μαστός (mastós).

Borrowed from French lassitude, from Latin lassitūdō (“faintness, weariness”), from lassus (“faint, weary”), perhaps for *ladtus, and thus akin to English late.

From lope (“to leap, to run”) + -er.

From love + bug. From their mating behavior, remaining paired up for several days during copulation.

Borrowed from Middle French lénité, from Latin lēnitās (whence -ity), from lēnis (“soft”).

From the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation for 洛浦 (Luòpǔ).

Borrowed from Sanskrit माधवी (mādhavī).

Topographic surname for someone who lived at the top of a hill, from a genitive or plural form of Middle English knoll (“hilltop, hillock”).

From French machiniste, from machine (“machine, mechanical device”), from Latin māchina, from Ancient Greek μηχανή (mēkhanḗ, “machine”).

Wordplay blend of makeover + under, replacing over with its opposite.

From match + cover, since the 1890s; more at matchbook.

From mastodon + -ic.

From Late Latin masticātiō, equivalent to masticate + -ion.

From march + -y.

From lust + -uous.

From luncheon + -ette.