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 Latin selectio, from seligere 'to choose out', from se- 'apart' and legere 'to gather, choose'.

From Hebrew סֶלָה (selah), a term appearing in the Psalms and in Habakkuk. Its precise meaning is unknown; it may be connected to a root meaning 'to lift up' or 'to raise'.

The trademark was coined as a respelling of segue (from Italian segue, 'it follows'), chosen to suggest a smooth transition. The spelling's resemblance is deliberate, which is why 'segway' is now such a common misspelling of segue in writing.

From Latin sedentarius 'sitting, of one who sits at work', from sedere 'to sit'.

From the verb second, 'to transfer someone temporarily to other duties', which came into military and civil service use from French en second 'in a secondary capacity'.

From Latin secedere 'to withdraw, go apart', from se- 'apart' and cedere 'to go'.

From French séance, 'a sitting or session', from seoir 'to sit', which goes back to Latin sedere 'to sit'.

An acronym of Supreme Court of the United States.

From Greek skhema "form, figure, appearance".

From German Schaden "harm, damage" and Freude "joy".

A Portuguese noun with no exact English equivalent; its earlier history is disputed, though it is often traced to Latin solitatem "solitude".

From Latin sapiens "wise, intelligent" plus sexual.

From sadden, formed from sad plus the verb-making suffix -en; sad comes from Old English saed "sated, weary".

Via Latin saccharum from Greek sakkharon "sugar", ultimately from Sanskrit sarkara.

From Latin ruminari "to chew the cud, turn over in the mind", from rumen "throat, gullet".

From Latin rubrica "red ochre, red-lettered heading in a law book", from ruber "red", because headings were once written in red ink.

An initialism of revolutions per minute.

rooting for you

From the verb root "to cheer or support", used of sports crowds in American English; its earlier origin is uncertain.

An initialism of rolling on the floor laughing.

An abbreviation of right now in sense 1, and an initialism of registered nurse in sense 2.

A clipping of charisma, taking the middle of the word rather than the start.

An agent noun from the verb rig "to fit out with ropes and sails", of uncertain earlier origin.

Formed from the prefix re- "again" and send.

From Latin repudiare "to reject, cast off, divorce", from repudium "divorce, rejection".