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 Mandarin 欒 /栾 (Luán).

From "news" plus "reader."

Borrowed from German Reichstag, literally "imperial diet/assembly."

From Hawaiian Maui, probably a contraction of Māui (a Hawaiian trickster god); or borrowed from Māori Māui.

From Hawaiian Oʻahu.

From in- ("not") plus decent plus the noun-forming suffix -cy.

From Latin "florus," meaning "flowering."

A compound of "river" and "boat."

From re- ("again") plus stock.

From re- (\"again\") plus dial.

From "mow" plus "-ing."

From unsuccessful + -ly or un- + successfully.

From pout + -ing.

From repay plus -ment.

From "precaution" plus the adjective suffix "-ary."

Built from maniac plus the adjective suffix -al, ultimately from Greek maniakos.

A brand name likely based on cheese, with an -os ending matching sibling snacks like Fritos and Doritos.

From Welsh mythology, possibly meaning "son of the sea" or "born from the ocean".

From un- ("not") plus earthed, the past participle of earth (in the electrical sense).

Borrowed from Latin opponens, "opposing," from oppono, "to oppose."

A Norman baronial surname from places in France, derived from the Gallo-Roman given name Thracius which referred to Thrace + the Celtic suffix *-āko (place, property). As a female given name, it is also known as a diminutive of Theresa.

From Spanish Antonia. The feminine equivalent of Anthony.

Phonetic rendering of Russian То́ня (Tónja), an informal pet form of Антони́на (Antonína, “Antonina”).

A variant of Sherry or coined from French chéri, chérie (“darling”), not used as a given name in France.