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 French reprise "resumption, retaking", from reprendre "to take back", from Latin reprehendere.

From Latin reparare "to restore, repair", from re- "again" and parare "to make ready".

From Latin renuntiare "to report back, protest against, disclaim", from re- "back" and nuntiare "to announce".

From remit, from Latin remittere "to send back", from re- "back" and mittere "to send".

From Latin reminisci "to remember, call to mind", from re- "again" and a root related to mens "mind".

From medieval Latin registrum "list, record", from Late Latin regesta "things recorded".

From Latin regio "direction, boundary, district", from regere "to rule, direct".

From Latin refractus, past participle of refringere "to break up", from re- "back" and frangere "to break".

From Latin redux 'brought back, returning', from reducere 'to lead back'. It entered English as a postpositive adjective and remains almost entirely confined to that position, especially in titles.

From the strong-smelling cured fish of the third sense. The often-repeated story that such fish were dragged across trails to train or mislead hounds is disputed, and the exact route to the figurative meaning is not settled.

From the literal use of a red flag as a warning or stop signal, red being long established as the colour of danger.

From Latin reconciliare 'to bring together again, restore', from re- 'again' and conciliare 'to unite'.

From Latin reciprocus 'moving backwards and forwards, alternating', via reciprocitas.

From Latin recidivus 'falling back', from recidere 'to fall back', formed from re- 'back' and cadere 'to fall'.

A clipped, informal shortening of reconnaissance, originating in British military slang and now general in film, events and outdoor work.

From Latin recalcitrare 'to kick back', from re- 'back' and calx, calcis 'heel' — originally used of mules kicking out against the rider.

'Real' here is the legal sense from Latin realis, relating to things (Latin res) rather than to persons — property in a thing, as opposed to personal property.

An initialism of resting bitch face, an internet-era coinage that spread widely in the 2010s.

Via French ramification from Latin ramus 'branch' — literally a branching out, from which the sense of consequences spreading like branches developed.

From American baseball, where spectators at a rained-off game were given a stub admitting them to the replayed fixture.

The slang adjective is a shortening of radical. The radiation unit is an acronym of radiation absorbed dose.

From French raconteur, from raconter 'to relate, to tell', ultimately from conter 'to tell'.

From Latin quotiens 'how many times', from quot 'how many'.

Of uncertain origin; often linked to Latin quippe 'indeed, to be sure', used sarcastically. The connection is plausible but not settled.