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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A modern compound of "key" and "card", describing a card that does a key's job.

From development + -al.

From procedure + the adjective-forming suffix -al.

Formed from crush plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "a thing that crushes".

From stub + the adjective-forming suffix -y.

An abbreviation of AT Attachment, referring to the IBM PC/AT computer.

Anglicization of Irish Gaillimh, of uncertain meaning, said to mean "stony' (referring to the River Corrib). If so, it probably derives from Old Irish calad (“hard”); compare caillou, of Gaulish origin.

From Middle English musicallye, musikili; equivalent to musical + -ly.

From inter- ("between") plus connected.

From flag (“piece of cloth”).

Formed from efficient plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

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

Borrowed from French puriste, formed from pur(e) ("pure") plus the suffix -ist.

From needless + -ly.

A Cumbrian and Northumbrian dialect form of "one," descended from Old English ān.

From "panic" + the adjective-forming suffix "-y."

From painstaking plus -ly.

From mis- ("wrongly") plus trial.

From Old English suthwesterne, from south + western.

Named after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, the French explorer who founded Detroit, where the car company was later established.

Derived from a Middle English diminutive of the name Gilbert

From Middle English redemer, formed from redeem plus the agent suffix -er.

From Latin praedictivus, from predict plus the adjective-forming suffix -ive.

From "dope" (in its "stupid person" sense) plus the adjective ending "-y."