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 a Middle English diminutive of Hugh.

From Latin hypocaustum, from Ancient Greek ὑπόκαυστον (hupókauston), from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “underneath”) + καυστόν (kaustón, “burnt offering”).

From huswife + -ly.

From hemo- + -rrhea, from Ancient Greek: αἷμα (haîma, “blood”) in conjunction with ῥοία (rhoía, “flow”).

From gold + worker.

Derived from French herpétologie, from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν (herpetón, “reptile”) + -logie (suffix indicating a field of study or work), equivalent to herpet- + -logy.

From hill + -s- + people.

From horse + flesh.

From im- + papyrus + -ated.

Rare spelling variant of Higgins.

From grand- + mammy.

From Middle English grisel, gryselle, from Old French grisel, from gris (“grey”), from Frankish *grīs, from Proto-Germanic *grīsaz.

From half + -ling. Sense 3 ("half-grown young person") is attested to 1794. It was then used by J.R.R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings (1954) as an alternative reference to members of his hobbit race. Hobbits were used in the original 1974 releases of the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, but in later editions they were changed to "halflings" for legal reasons, as being a pre-existing word rather than one invented by Tolkien.

Borrowed from Scots haiver.

From French hippogriffe, from Ancient Greek ἵππος (híppos, “horse”, English hippo-) + γρύψ (grúps, “griffin”).

From Japanese 発句 (hokku).

Borrowed from French homologue, From Ancient Greek ὁμόλογος (homólogos, “agreeing, of one mind”), equivalent to homo- + -log.

From Middle French imposture, from Late Latin impostura, Latin impostus.

From Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל (ʿimanuʾél), from עִמָּנוּ אֵל (ʿimánu ʾél, literally “God is with us”).

From French immuniser, equivalent to immune + -ize.

From green + fly.

From growl + -er. Sense "jug" is 19th century American slang, of uncertain origin.

From Middle English grennesse, from Old English grennes; equivalent to green + -ness.

From Hindu + -land. Compare Dutch Hindoeland, German Hinduland.