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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The noun is derived from choke (verb) + hold (noun). The verb is derived from the noun.

From French, from Late Latin chȳlus, from Ancient Greek χυλός (khulós, “animal or plant juice”).

From Latin Celtae (singular Celta) from Ancient Greek Κελτοί (Keltoí). English Celts is from the 17th century. Until the mid 19th century, /sɛlt/ is the only recorded pronunciation. A consciously archaizing pronunciation /kɛlt/ was advocated during Irish and Welsh nationalism beginning in the 1850s.

From carrot + -y.

From cherub + -like.

From Scottish Gaelic Caitrìona.

From catechist + -ic.

The chair is named after the designer's (Marcel Breuer) daughter Francesca.

Borrowed from New Latin carpus, from Ancient Greek καρπός (karpós, “wrist”).

From cock + bird.

From cellar + -et.

From Latin cerebrum (“brain”) + -ation.

First attested in 1753; borrowed from Latin centēsimātus, perfect passive participle of the Latin centēsimō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from centēsimus (“hundredth”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix); compare tertiate, quintate, sextate, septimate, decimate, and duodecimate.

From French charlatanerie. By surface analysis, charlatan + -ry. Doublet of charlatanerie.

From French cénotaphe, from Ancient Greek κενός (kenós, “empty”) + τάφος (táphos, “tomb”). By surface analysis ceno- + -taph.

Inherited from Middle English charioter, from Old French charioteur (“charioteer”) and charretier (“coachman”). By surface analysis, chariot + -eer.

Borrowed from French célesta.

From Middle English cocatrice, from Old French cocatriz (“basilisk, cockatrice”), from Late Latin calcātrīx (“female trampler, treader”), from Latin calcāre (“to trample, to walk upon, to oppress”) + -trīx (“-ess: forming feminine agentives”), from calx (“heel”). Its eventual association with poultry influenced by cock (“rooster, male chicken”), q.v.

Of Irish origin.

From Cathay + -an.

Variant of Carruthers.

Borrowed from French charivari.

From Middle English Knout, from Old English Cnut, from Old Norse Knútr.

From Spanish Catrina, from an etching titled La Calavera Catrina by Jose Guadalupe Posada that showed a skeleton wearing an elegant, European-style hat.