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

From un- + bosom (“the seat of emotions”).

From truck + -age.

From uncle + -y or uncle + -ly.

From underachieve + -er or under- + achiever.

From Middle English transfigurate, from Latin transfigūrātus, past participle of transfigūrāre.

From Middle English unburien, unbirien, from Old English *unbyrġan (compare Old English unbyrġed (“unburied”)), equivalent to un- + bury.

From Latin trānsitīvus, from trānsitus, from trāns (“across”) + itus, from eō (“to go”).

From un- + convince.

From towel + head.

From Toxophilus, the title of a 1545 book by Roger Ascham intended to mean ‘lover of the bow’, from Ancient Greek τόξον (tóxon, “bow”) + φίλος (phílos, “love”); equivalent to τόξον (tóxon) + -philite.

From traduce + -ment.

From track + list.

From under- + suck.

From Middle French transversal, from Medieval Latin trānsversālis, from Latin trānsversus.

From un- + blouse.

From Ancient Greek τρίγωνον (trígōnon, “triangle”), neuter substantive of τρίγωνος (trígōnos, “three-sided”), from τρεῖς (treîs, “three”) + γωνία (gōnía, “bend, angle”). Equivalent to tri- + -gon. Doublet of trigone and trigonon.

From Ancient Greek τοξότης (toxótēs, “bowman, archer”).

From un- + complex.

From tune + -ful.

From tube + -oid.

From Latin triceps (“triple-headed”), from trēs (“three”) + caput (“head”). See there for more details.

From tusk + -like.

From un- + deserving.

From un- + deviating.