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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As a surname and given name, from Welsh Rhys ("ardor, passion"); the well-known candy brand comes from its founder's surname.

From Welsh Rhys, a doublet of the names Rees, Reese, and Price.

From Welsh Rhys.

A patronymic surname derived from Middle English genitive case of the Germanic given name Ote, Ode, cognate to modern Otto.

Invented by Fanny Burney, possibly based on the old Welsh name Eurfyl, meaning "gold."

Anglicized from the Irish surname Ó Nualláin, meaning "descendant of Nuallán," a name built on the word for a champion or chariot-fighter.

A compound of "stock" (livestock) and "man."

From back + seat.

From Old English mynster, borrowed ultimately from Latin monasterium ("monastery") — the same root that gives us "monastery" itself.

From "news" plus "flash," in the sense of a sudden brief burst.

A blend of answer and (tele)phone.

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic Lachlann, meaning "land of the lochs," referring to Norway or a Norseman.

Diminutive + the familiar suffix "-ie."

Place names in England, from Old English lang (“long”) + dūn (“hill”).

From the placename Kendal in Cumbria, "valley of the river Kent", and Kendale in Humberside, from Old Norse kelda (“spring”) + dalr (“valley”).

From the Irish surname Mac Aodhagáin, meaning "son of Aidan."

Formed from the verb "buckle" plus the "-ing" ending; "buckle" itself comes from Old French "bocle," a shield boss, from Latin "buccula," a small cheek or cheek-strap.

From Old French chanterie, from chanter ("to sing").

Borrowed into English from the Arabic name Dubayy.

A blend of "wiki" (a collaboratively editable site) and "encyclopedia," coined by Larry Sanger in 2001.

From hard plus ball, originally distinguishing regular baseball from the softer-ball game of softball.

Named after Colby, Wisconsin, the town where the cheese was first made in the 1880s.

Borrowed from Italian, Portuguese and Spanish Armando.

A medieval English form of the Old Norse name Ívarr; a doublet of the name Igor.