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 Latin vāsi- + -form. By surface analysis, vas + -iform.

From Middle English ungroundid, ungronded, ungrundid, ungrounded; equivalent to un- + grounded.

Back-formation from walleyed.

From Middle English vyole, from either Middle French violer or Latin violāre. Compare violate.

From Middle English untamen, *untemien (attested as untemed), equivalent to un- (“back; reverse”) + tame.

From Middle English wraulen, wrawlen (“cry like a cat; roar”). Compare Danish vræle, vråle, Swedish vråla (“to bellow; roar; howl; yell”). See also wrawl.

Borrowed from Latin vidēlicet, which itself is a contraction of vidēre licet, meaning "it is permitted to see".

From Middle English upbreyden, from Old English upbreġdan, equivalent to up- + braid. Compare English umbraid (“to upbraid”), Icelandic bregða (“to draw, brandish, braid, deviate from, change, break off, upbraid”). See up, and braid (transitive).

From vacuum + -like.

From un- + foreskinned.

From whack + -er.

Blend of volume + -metric.

From west + -er.

From up- + stir.

From waltz + -er.

From un- + sheathe.

From un- + marshal.

From Middle English warssh, werisch, werische, werish, werissh, werssh, werysshe, of unknown origin; compare Modern English dialectal wairsh and Early Modern English wersh; perhaps related to Middle English wery (modern weary).

From Middle English unnoumbird, unnoumbrid, un-nowmbyrde, unnowmyrd; equivalent to un- + numbered.

Borrowed from Dharug wuragal (“wild and undomesticated dingo”).

Variant of Osborne.

From French ventral, from Latin ventrālis, from venter (“belly, abdomen”); by surface analysis, ventr- + -al.

From un- + heed.

Compare French vénérien.