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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From Howard plus the diminutive suffix -ie.

From "Louis" + "-ville," honoring King Louis XVI of France.

Of Germanic origin, from elements meaning "horse" and "protection"; later folk-associated with Latin rosa munda ("pure rose").

Possibly from Anglo-Norman maltalent, "bad temper," used as a nickname, though it may also derive from the Norman village of Mautalant.

A variant form of Eleanor.

From Spanish Carmen, cognate with English Carmel.

From Old High German Alberich, ultimately from elements meaning "elf" and "king, ruler".

Borrowed from Hindi जोड़ी (joṛī) or Marathi जोडी (joḍī), meaning "pair," popularized partly through Bollywood.

A straightforward compound of "child" and "care."

Anglicisation of the Welsh name Lloyd, from Welsh llwyd (“grey, grey-haired”).

From un- + beat + -able.

Formed from "childish" plus the noun-forming suffix -ness.

A clipped, informal spelling of cousin.

From French départemental, built from "department" plus the adjective ending "-al."

From wines (“friend's”) + þorp (“village”).

A Scots form of the word "lord", from Middle English laverd.

From Old English words for "wall" and "pool".

From Middle English vial, a variant of "phial" — both trace back to the same Greek-derived word for a small flask.

From tick ("mattress cover") + -ing, or from the verb tick ("to make a clicking sound") + -ing.

A blend of sneeze and fart.

A compound of "bio-" (life/living) and "hazard," coined in the mid-20th century as biological safety became a formal field.

From Portuguese senhor, from Latin senior ("older, elder") — the same root that gave English "senior" and "sir."

From Middle English hardenen, built from hard plus the verb-forming suffix -en.

From "sparkle" plus the agent suffix "-er."