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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Borrowed from the Maori word mahi, meaning "work".

A shortened form of "resynchronize."

Formed from jack + man.

The Italian place name is from Latin massa, "mass" or "lump"; the ethnonym is unrelated and native to the region.

From Yiddish שאַפּיראָ (shapiro), derived from the medieval name for Speyer, Germany; related forms include Spira, Spiro, and Sapir.

From Catalan/Spanish "ferrer," meaning "blacksmith," from Latin "ferrum" (iron).

From tor + quay.

From "sky" plus "walker"; historically associated with Mohawk ironworkers famous for working fearlessly on high steel beams in New York City.

From Hebrew barukh, meaning "blessed".

An arbitrary coinage, formed by analogy with chemical names ending in -one.

Coined for the Star Trek television franchise from "Romulus," echoing the Roman legend of Romulus and Remus.

From Letitia + -ie.

From Middle English cariere, partly from carien + -ere, after Anglo-Norman carier, cariour, and partly directly from Anglo-Norman. By surface analysis, carry + -er.

Likely a shortened form of Marina or a pet form of Marian.

From rest plus -ful, "full of rest."

A short form of Eisenhower. Several of his siblings went by the same nickname, but it stuck permanently to Dwight after he became a famous general.

A shortened, casual form of the brand name Xanax.

From Enron Corporation, the American energy company whose 2001 collapse over accounting fraud became a byword for corporate scandal.

From Dulcinea, the name of the noblewoman Don Quixote idolizes (though he barely knows her) in Cervantes' novel Don Quixote — itself derived from Latin dulcis, "sweet."

From Augustus + -ie.

20th-century American variant of Cory.

Related to "hogget," an old farming term for a yearling sheep; ultimately connects to "hog," though the sheep sense has nothing to do with pigs.

From Old English butere ("butter") + worþ ("enclosure"); the Malaysian city is named after William John Butterworth.

From no + one. Compare Middle English noone, noon, noan (“noone”). More at none.