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 treacher + -some.

From Spanish turrón, probably from Latin torrere (“to roast”).

From un- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + dissembled (“concealed, disguised; dissimulated, feigned”, adjective).

From town + -er.

From traitor + -ly.

From un- + awakening.

From un- + apologetic.

From French treillage. See trellis.

From trend + setting.

From un- + create.

From Anglo-Norman tortfeasor, from Old French tortfesor, tort-faiseur, torfesor, torzfesor (“wrongdoer”), from tort (“a misdeed, a wrong”) + fesor, faiseur (“doer”).

From trans- + element.

From un- + computable.

From un- + delicious.

From umb- (“around, about”) + world, a calque of German Umwelt (early 19th c.). Compare Dutch omwereld, Swedish omvärld, etc., also from the German.

From Tyre + -ian.

Perhaps from a Norman nickname for a stubborn person, from Old French tirel (“an animal which pulls on the reins”), a derivative of tirer (“to pull”). Woulfe suggests that it may be from the personal name Thurold or Þorvaldr, from Old Norse Þórr (“Thor”) + valdr (“rule”).

From un- + compassion.

From un- + breed.

From un- + buxom.

From Middle English tusky, equivalent to tusk + -y.

From traffic + -ator.

From un- + churchly.

From un- + daunt + -able.