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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The past participle of "frustrate," which came into English in the fifteenth century from Latin "frustrat-," the past-participial stem of "frustrari" (to disappoint or deceive), itself from "frustra," meaning "in vain."

From "click" — a word imitating a short, sharp sound — plus the agent suffix "-er," giving "a thing that clicks." The animal-training sense is the older one: the term comes from a small metal cricket noisemaker, adapted from a child's toy, used to mark the behaviour a trainer wants. The video-game sense is much newer, emerging in the early 2010s alongside games like Cow Clicker and becoming widespread after Cookie Clicker in 2013.

From Medieval Latin biblia, "book," itself from Greek biblia, "books" — the plural of biblion, "little book," ultimately from byblos, "papyrus," named after the Phoenician city of Byblos that exported the writing material.

From Middle English questioner; equivalent to question + -er.

From un- + convinced.

From hack plus the suffix -ing.

From Middle English hackere ("one who cuts wood"), from hacken ("to hack, chop") plus the agent suffix -er.

From Old English cirice, ultimately from a Greek word meaning "belonging to the Lord" — the same root gives Scots kirk and German Kirche.

A compound of blue + screen, from the historical film-making technique of using blue backgrounds.

From Latin paschalis, ultimately from the Hebrew word for Passover, pesakh.

Derived from "Philistine" (the ancient people of Philistia), by way of a German university slang term used to mock outsiders who cared nothing for academic or artistic culture.

From the biblical Queen Jezebel, a Phoenician princess in the Old Testament portrayed as leading Israel into idol worship.

From French spectre, from Latin spectrum ("appearance, image"), from specere ("to look at") — the same root as "spectacle" and "inspect."

From Nimrod, a biblical "mighty hunter." In American English the word ironically flipped to mean "idiot" — a shift widely (if not conclusively) linked to popular mockery of the term in the 20th century.

From emphasis + -ise.

From the Hebrew name Golyat, borne by the biblical giant defeated by David.

From Old French jubile, ultimately from Hebrew yobel ("ram's horn trumpet"), because a ram's horn was blown to announce the ancient Israelite jubilee year. Later influenced by Latin iubilum, "a shout of joy."

Traced back through Latin and Greek to Hebrew man, the name of the biblical food.

From Old English forġiefnes, from forgive + -ness.

Inherited from Middle English juelrye, from Old French juelerye, equivalent to jewel + -ery.

From Greek hōsanná, borrowed from Aramaic and ultimately Hebrew hoshia na, meaning "please save (us)" — originally a plea that became a cry of praise.

From Middle English verray ("true"), the same root that gives us "very," plus "-ly."

From Old English rihtwīsnes, formed from righteous plus -ness.

From Old French sceptre, from Latin scēptrum, from Greek skēptron ("staff, baton"), from a root meaning "to lean on a staff".