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 Middle English halsnen; equivalent to halse (“to salute, beseech”) + -en. Related to Middle High German heilsen (“to predict”); more at halse.

Borrowed from Polish Grynszpan, from Yiddish גריןשפּאַן (grinshpan)

Borrowed from French grenadine, from Middle French grenade (“pomegranate”).

Variant of Haskell.

From hex- + -ad.

Borrowed from Spanish guerrillera.

From Middle English grauntees pl, from Old French granté, participle of granter, equivalent to grant + -ee.

From homo- + -graph.

Named after Ilmen Mountains in Russia + -ite in 1827.

From high + wrought.

From Middle English graunsire; compare grand and sire.

From German Hausen.

From a Middle English diminutive of the given names Isabel and Hilbert.

From a Middle English diminutive of the given name Isabel.

From god + -ship.

Borrowed from Latin gustātus, perfect passive participle of gustō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Deverbal from hold over.

From Middle English goodles (“poor, without goods or property”), from Old English gōdlēas (“without good, miserable, bad, evil”), equivalent to good + -less.

From Ancient Greek ἑτερόδοξος (heteródoxos), from ἕτερος (héteros, “other, another, different”) + δόξα (dóxa, “opinion”).

From home + comer.

From Middle English gode herted; equivalent to good + hearted.

Attested in English since 1575–1585: from Latin gradātim, from gradus (“step”).

From hyper- + -opia.