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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Blend of subliminal + tweet.

From the stem of Latin Sphinx + -ian.

From strawberry + -like.

From streak + line.

From French souteneur (literally “one who supports”), from the verb soutenir.

From Middle English stenchi (“malodorous”), equivalent to stench + -y. More at stench, -y.

From Middle English sonnelych, sunnelich, from Old English sunlīċ (“of the sun, solar”). Equivalent to sun + -ly.

Borrowed from German stoss-, from stossen (“to push”). Further from Proto-Germanic *stautaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd- (extended from *(s)tew-).

Borrowed from Italian stucco (“coating made of pulverised gypsum, plaster, stucco”) from Old Italian stucco, from Lombardic stucki, *stucchi (“crust, fragment, piece”) from Proto-Germanic *stukkiją (“stump, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewg- (“to shock, butt, impact”). Akin to German Stück (“piece”), Old Saxon stukki (“piece, fragment”) and Old English stycce. Related to stock.

From stank + -y.

From stomp + -er.

From speculative + -ity.

From sporadical + -ness.

From Latin stipendiarius.

From (the stem of) Latin sphinx + -ine.

From French suppliant, present participle of supplier. Doublet of supplicant.

From New Latin, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “coil”).

From spack + -y, ultimately from spastic.

Clipping of stenographer or stenography.

Patronymic surname meaning "son of the steward".

From Middle English stithy, ultimately from Old Norse steði.

Inherited from Middle English stang, stong, from Old Norse stǫng, from Proto-Germanic *stangiz, *stangō (“bar, rod”), from Proto-Indo-European *stengʰ-, *stegʰ- (“to stick, sting, prick, be stiff”).

From speech + -craft.

From stone + cutter.