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 corpusculum, diminutive of corpus (“body”).

From Middle English congruence, from Latin congruentia (“agreement”), from congruēns, present active participle of congruō (“meet together, agree”).

From country + -like.

Borrowed from Latin columbārium, from columba (“pigeon”) + -ārium (“place for”).

From cold + house.

From contract + -ive.

From Middle English corbel, from Old French corbel, from Late Latin corbellus, corvellus, diminutive of Latin corvus (“raven”), named for the shape's resemblance to a crow's beak. Doublet of corbeau.

From Middle French contrechange (noun), contrechanger (verb).

From Middle English concave, from Old French concave, from Latin concavus.

From Middle English commixtion, from Middle French commixtion, and its source, Latin commixtiōnem, from commiscēre (“to mix”).

Borrowed from Latin coruscātiōnem, coruscātiō (“glitter, flash”).

From cotton + tail.

From Middle English cokswain, equivalent to cock (“small boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”).

Back-formation from conversation.

From cow + hand, or perhaps blend of cowboy + farmhand.

From col- + -ectomy.

From Latin cōmoedia + -al. By surface analysis, comedy + -al.

See contemporaneous.

From Old French cogitatif.

Learned borrowing from Late Latin coaetaneus (“one of the same age”).

Borrowed from Middle French contrariété, from Late Latin contrarietas, from contrarius, from Latin contra (“against”). By surface analysis, contrary + -ety.

Borrowed from Middle French consigner or directly from Latin cōnsignō (“furnish with a seal”), from con- + signō (“mark, sign”).

Borrowed from French cosmopolite, from Latin cosmopolītēs, itself borrowed from Koine Greek κοσμοπολίτης (kosmopolítēs, “citizen of the world”), from Ancient Greek κόσμος (kósmos, “world”) + πολίτης (polítēs, “citizen”).

From copper + top.