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 conveyance + -ing.

From Middle English collegial, from Middle French collégial.

From Middle English corpulent, from Old French corpulent, from Latin corpulentus.

From cosmo- (“world, universe”) + -crat (“ruler”), originally (in the plural) seemingly in reference to demonic powers in Ephesians 6:12; later used as a variant of cosmocrator, translating Ancient Greek κοσμοκράτωρ (kosmokrátōr) in various ancient texts.

From Spanish coyotillo; diminutive of coyote, which is able to eat its poisonous fruit without harm.

From corn + cob. The Internet slang sense emerged from a 2011 absurdist tweet by Weird Twitter personality dril in which a man furiously denies being owned as he transforms into a corncob.

From counter- + spell.

From colour + wash.

From French consternation, from Latin consternātiō. By surface analysis, consternate + -ion.

From counter- + mine.

From country + folk.

From Latin comparandum; By surface analysis, compare + -and.

From cow + -let.

From colonel + -cy.

Probably from Old English col (“coal”) + tūn (“enclosure; settlement, town”).

From con- + naturalize.

From contrary + -ous, from Middle English contrarious, from Old French contrarious, from Late Latin contrāriōsus.

From Latin corona (“crown”) + -iform.

From coroner + -ial. By surface analysis, Latin coron(a) (“crown, wreath”) + -i- + -al.

Borrowed from French coquet (“little cockerel”), from coq (“cockerel”) + -et (“masculine diminutive suffix”).

From French conclaviste, Italian conclavista, from conclave.

From Middle English comber, camber, equivalent to comb + -er.

Accentless form of congé.

By serial alterations in Middle English, Middle French, and Old French, ultimately from Latin words meaning "stitched bedding" (culcita puncta).