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 ferry + man.

From Italian peloso ("hairy"), from Latin pilosus.

From Old English cola (“coal”) + tun (“settlement”).

From Old English weliġ (“willow”) and Old Norse byr (“settlement”).

From Middle English stele (“steel”); either a metal worker or a person considered to be as hard as steel.

From French Provence, itself from the Latin term for the Roman province established in the area.

A shortened, affectionate form of Elizabeth with the friendly -sy ending, the same pattern seen in "Patsy" from Patricia.

From an Old English personal name plus place-name endings meaning "estate" and "town" — literally "the estate of Cynesige's people." Places named Kensington elsewhere in the world were usually named after the London district.

The female name is from the Scandinavian, German and Russian pet form of Helena, Magdalena and Yelena (also spelled Elena). The river in Yakutia is from Russian Лена (Lena), from Evenki Елюенэ (Jeljujenə, “the Large River”). Compare to Yakut Өлүөнэ (Ölüöne). (Norwegian river): Probably related to Old Norse leir (“clay”) (see the references). (Town in Toten): From Old Norse lein.

See grit (Etymology 2, “hulled oats”).

Possibly from Old English *metecealf (“meat calf”), a calf to be fattened up for eating. The use as a surname could have started off as a jocular nickname for an individual thought to be as "fat as a prize-calf"; or else in reference to the occupation involved in fattening up such a calf.

Variant of Metcalf.

From Middle English.

From Middle English scolehous, a straightforward compound of school and house.

Formed from "star" (a famous performer) plus the suffix "-dom," which denotes a state or condition, as in "freedom" or "kingdom."

From fibro- ("fiber") plus the medical suffix -osis, meaning a diseased condition.

From Latin femoralis, from femur ("thigh").

From earth plus -bound ("tied to").

From ear + -ful.

From easy plus going.

From Harris + -burg; the Pennsylvania capital was named for John Harris Sr.

From "air" plus "brush," referring to the tool's air-powered spraying action.

Named after the Italian company Automobili Lamborghini, founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini, which began as a tractor manufacturer before moving into supercars.

From screen + writer — someone who writes specifically for the screen rather than the stage or page.