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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Reduced form of McIntyre.

Borrowed from Latin tertiāt-, the perfect passive participial stem of Latin tertiō, from tertius (“third”). By surface analysis, terti- + -ate.

Blend of tag + paintball.

Borrowed from French tonsille or Latin tonsillae (“the tonsils in the throat”, plural). First attested in the late 16th century,

From French symboliste, coined by French poet Paul Verlaine in 1885.

From the stem of Ancient Greek θέμα (théma, “theme”) + -ise.

Via an East Anglian dialect, from some Scandinavian (North Germanic) language, related to Danish terne, Norwegian terne, and Swedish tärna, all from Old Norse þerna (“tern; maidservant”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *þewernā (“handmaid, young girl”). First attested in the 1670s.

From Dutch or Middle Low German from Latin sȳrinx from Ancient Greek σῦριγξ (sûrinx, “pan pipes”).

From Latin totum (“all”), marked by a T on one of the four sides.

From threaten + -some.

From Middle English swart, from Old English sweart, from Proto-West Germanic *swart, from Proto-Germanic *swartaz, from Proto-Indo-European *swerd-. Doublet of Schwarz.

From through + way. Compare thoroughway.

Borrowed from Ancient Greek τέλος (télos).

From Hindi तान (tān)/Urdu تان (tān).

Variant of Tawney.

Probably a back-formation from tampin (misinterpreted as tamping), a variant of tampion.

Borrowed from Latin tabelliō.

From New Latin thēcium, from Ancient Greek θήκιον (thḗkion), diminutive of θήκη (thḗkē, “sheath”).

From tail + piece.

Variant of Thurman.

From Terpsichore (“the Muse of dance in Greek mythology”).

Borrowed from Swahili topi. From Mende ndope (“antelope”).

From Middle English tater, from Old Norse tǫturr, from Proto-Germanic *tat(t)uraz (“tuft, patch”). Cognate with Icelandic tötur (“rag, tatter”).

From Middle English tidely, tydely, tidliche, from Old English tīdlīċe (“for a time; temporarily; conveniently; seasonably; in time; early; soon; quickly”), equivalent to tide + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian tiedelk, Dutch tijdelijk, German Low German tiedelk, German zeitlich, Danish tidlig, Icelandic tíðlegur.