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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

Deverbal from walk away.

From Latin acerbus, from Latin ācer (“sharp”): compare French acerbe. See acrid.

From vaunt + -er, perhaps a calque of Old French vanteor.

From un- (intensifier) + thaw.

From Middle English uplondish, oplondysch, uplondysch, from Old English uplendisc (“uplandish”); equivalent to upland + -ish.

Representing an abbreviated pronunciation of various phrases.

From Latin vērāx (“truthful”) + -acious, from vērus (“true”).

From Middle English amesure, from Anglo-Norman amesurer, admesurer, from Medieval Latin admēnsūrō. Compare Classical Latin admētior (“measure out to”).

From Middle English wetnes, wetnesse, from Old English wǣtnes (“moisture, wetness”). By surface analysis, wet + -ness.

Clipping of zoological garden or zoological park, now the usual form. See zoology. * Sense 5 is a clipping of zoophile or zoophilia.

Derived from Yola yola (“old”).

From Spanish adarme (“¹⁄₁₆ Spanish ounce, peso”), from Andalusian Arabic الدرهم (ad-dárham), from Arabic دِرْهَم (dirham, “dirham”), from Middle Persian 𐭦𐭥𐭦𐭭 (drahm), from Ancient Greek δραχμή (drakhmḗ, “drachma”). Doublet of dram, drachma, diram, dirham, and dirhem.

From yard + stick.

From Middle English holnesse, holnes, from Old English hālnes (“wholeness”), equivalent to whole + -ness.

From wild + fowl.

From up- + market.

From un- + mixed.

Contraction of actinium emanation.

Clipping of vacation, with -y to clarify pronunciation. Compare cray (“crazy”).

From Middle English adducen, from Latin addūcere, adductum (“to lead or bring to”), from ad- + dūcere (“to lead”). See duke, and compare adduct.

From Middle English wenen, from Old English wēnan, from Proto-Germanic *wēnijaną. Cognate with Dutch wanen, German wähnen.

From Latin viscōsus, from viscum (“birdlime”); by surface analysis, visco- + -ose. Doublet of viscous.

Blend of acupuncture + pressure. By surface analysis, acu- + pressure.

From weird + -y.