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 sight + seer.

From French solidification, or from solid + -ification.

From steam + roll.

From un- + exist.

From smooth + -y.

From synchronous + -ity.

PIE word *tewtéh₂ 1580, from Latin Teutonicus, from Teutonēs, Teutonī (“the Teutons”, name of a Germanic tribe that inhabited coastal Germany and devastated Gaul between 113–101 B.C.), equivalent to Teuton + -ic.

From Middle English spynnere; equivalent to spin + -er.

From Middle English supplanten, supplaunten, from Old French supplanter, from Latin supplantō (“trip up”), from sub (“from below, under”) + planta (“sole”).

From Latin truncātus, perfect passive participle of truncō (“maim, reduce to a trunk”); see trunk as a verb.

From Middle English tynct (noun) and tincten, tyncten, tynkten (verb), borrowed from Latin tīnctus, past participle of tingō (“to tinge”). Doublet of tint.

From shirt + front.

From Middle English unchaste, unchaast, unchast, equivalent to un- + chaste.

From speckle + -y.

From tech + -ie (q.v.). Compare techy and yuppie.

From succeed + -er.

From Middle French transposition, from Medieval Latin transpositio.

Inherited from Middle English spreng, a variant of spring with the form of sprengen.

From Sharon + -zza.

From undergo + -er.

From Middle French transfixer, from Old French transfixer, from Latin transfigō (“to pierce through”), from trans- (“through”) + figō (“to pierce”).

From tipple + -er (“agent”). “Seller” sense from 1396; “drinker” sense from 1580.

From Middle English undedly, undeedly, undedlich, from Old English undēadlīc (“immortal, for all eternity”), equivalent to undead + -ly.

From Middle English suasion, from Latin suāsiō (“counselling, advice, persuasion”).