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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Spanish · 1877

From the heroine of the Spanish novel Amaya o los vascos del siglo VIII (1877), explained as Basque amai ("the end").

Borrowed from Late Latin dēlinquentia, derived from Latin dēlinquēns, present participle of dēlinquō (“to transgress, err”). By surface analysis, delinquent + -cy

From de- + gas.

From over- + excited.

Borrowed from Latin dēfector, built on the same root as "defect" and "defection."

From morbid + -ly.

Shortened from the Latin legal phrase habeas corpus, literally "you shall have the body" (of the person before the court).

From Old French savine, ultimately from Latin sabīna.

A shortened form of preliminary, originally Oxford University slang for a preliminary exam.

A compound of "micro-" (small) and "film," describing the miniature photographic copies used for compact document storage.

Borrowed from Spanish cuesta, meaning "slope."

Built from over- + qualified.

From scurry + -ing.

From sift + -ing.

From "bide" plus "-ing."

From gag + -ing.

A shortening of "in between."

From Middle English bagger, formed from bag plus the agent suffix -er — literally "one who bags."

From over- + active.

A compound of play and book.

A compound of "sick" and "bay" (a section or compartment), originally naval terminology.

From Middle French compétence, from Latin competentia, related to competere, "to be fit or capable."

"Dork" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y."

From down- plus river.