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 Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל, 'immanu el', literally 'with us is God', from 'immanu' (with us) and 'el' (God), reaching English through Greek and Latin.

Hebrew אֱלֹהִים, the plural of 'eloah', related to the older Semitic word 'el' meaning god or deity.

From Old French 'aigrette', a diminutive of 'aigron' (heron), which is of Germanic origin. The same word gives English 'aigrette' for the plume worn as a head ornament.

From French 'effacer', to erase, from 'es-' (out) plus 'face', literally to remove the face or surface of something.

In the perfume sense, an initialism of French 'eau de parfum', literally 'perfume water'.

From Greek 'ektasis', meaning stretching out or extension, from 'ek-' (out) and 'teinein' (to stretch).

A compound of the prefix 'eco-', shortened from 'ecology' (ultimately from Greek 'oikos', house), and 'friendly' in the sense 'not harmful to'.

Comparative of 'early', from Old English 'ærlice', from 'ær' (soon, before).

From Middle English ech other, yche othere, ich othir, eche other, ilk oþer, from Old English ǣlċ ōþer (“each other”), equivalent to each + other. Cognate with Scots ilk other (“each other”), West Frisian elkoar (“each other”), Dutch elkander, elkaar (“each other”).

From Anglo-Norman 'duete', from Old French 'deu' (owed), ultimately from Latin 'debere' (to owe).

From 'due', from Old French 'deu', past participle of 'devoir' (to owe, from Latin 'debere'), plus 'process', from Latin 'processus' (a going forward). The phrase 'due process of law' appears in English statute language from the fourteenth century.

An initialism; the expansion depends on context.

From the phrasal verb draw down, in the sense of drawing off or reducing a supply.

From dove, long a symbol of peace, extended to policymakers who favour restraint, and from there to central bankers who favour low rates. Formed with the adjective suffix -ish.

From Latin documentum 'lesson, proof', from docere 'to teach'.

From Latin dissociare 'to separate', from dis- 'apart' plus sociare 'to join', from socius 'companion'.

dismissed with prejudice

Legal English, in which prejudice keeps its older sense of harm or detriment to a party's rights, from Latin praejudicium 'prior judgment, damage'.

From Old French descovrir, from late Latin discooperire 'to uncover', from dis- 'un-' plus cooperire 'to cover'.

From disciple, via Old French from Latin discipulus 'pupil, learner', from discere 'to learn', plus the noun suffix -ship denoting state or condition.

A French surname, that of the founder Christian Dior.

From Greek deuteronomion 'second law', from deuteros 'second' plus nomos 'law', a name that arose in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew name, Devarim, means 'words', from the book's opening phrase.

From Latin describere 'to write down, copy off', from de- 'down' plus scribere 'to write'.

From Old French denier, from Latin denegare 'to refuse, say no', from de- 'completely' plus negare 'to say no'.

From the prefix demi- 'half, partly', ultimately from Latin dimidius via French, plus girl.