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 compound of steam + boat.

A compound of steam + ship.

Formed as a singular from the plural "nachos."

From "frost" plus "-ing" — the coating resembles a layer of frost.

From "fat" plus "head".

The verb traces to Old Norse batna, "to grow better or recover"; the wood-strip noun is a related but separate sense that developed in English carpentry and shipbuilding.

From Anglo-Norman Reinald, ultimately from Proto-Germanic roots meaning "counsel" and "rule" — related to Ronald and Renault.

Formed from the given name Reynold plus the possessive/patronymic ending -s.

From "fatal" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly".

Anglicized from Irish Méabh, going back to Medb, the name of a legendary warrior queen of Connacht.

From "hand" + "picked" — literally picked by hand, extended to mean carefully selected.

From Middle English armyng, the -ing form of arm.

From un- plus veil plus -ed.

Blend of text + messaging, derived from text messaging

From Middle French monstruosité, ultimately from Latin monstruosus, "monstrous," by surface analysis "monstrous" plus "-ity."

From un- + qualified.

A shortened form of "spatterdashes," older protective leg coverings worn to keep mud and rain off the ankles.

Borrowed from French compote. A doublet of "composite" and "compost," which share the same Latin root, compositus.

From Middle English slaveren, from Old Norse slafra ("to slaver"), likely imitative in origin; a doublet of "slabber."

From drag + net, echoing the Old English draegnet.

From down (in the sense "out of service") + time.

From dough plus boy; the soldier sense is recorded from the Mexican–American War, though its exact origin is unclear.

A compound of "door" and "knob."

A straightforward compound of "door" and "bell."