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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Borrowed from Medieval Latin delphīnālis, from delphīnus + -ālis.

From cruft + -y. Arose after 1959, presumably mid-1960s. Perhaps influenced by cruddy, crusty.

From French crampon.

Borrowed from Scots crivvens. Attested in English from the early 20th century.

1610s, from French déclivité, from Latin declivitatem, dēclīvitās, from dēclivis (“a sloping downward”), from de (“down”) + clīvus (“a slope”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱleywo-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱley- (“to lean”) (English lean).

From Middle French décrépitude, from Old French, from Latin dēcrepitūdō (“decrepitude”).

From demon + -ly.

democratisation

From democratise + -ation or democrat + -isation.

From French couteau.

Disputed. Purportedly coined by rapper Lethal Bizzle in 2010. Attested from around that time. Compare slang term hench (“muscular”).

Borrowed from Middle French dessiccation, from Late Latin desiccatio, desiccationem, from Latin desicco.

From de- + obstruct.

From French démocratiser. By surface analysis, democrat(ic) + -ize.

From French débarquer, from de- (Old French des-) + barque (“bark, small ship”).

Shitgibbon compound of dick + biscuit.

From crown + work.

Borrowed from Middle French curial, from Latin cūriālis.

From de- + mount.

From Late Middle English combrous (“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”) [and other forms], from komber, kumbre (“distress; destruction”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as cumber + -ous.

From a medieval diminutive form of the given name Robert + -son.

From cringe + -y.

From French déclarant.

Borrowed from French coquette.

From the genus name.