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 Old English spyrian ("to track, inquire"), related to German spüren ("to sense, track down").

From Old High German sigu, "victory."

Formed from coordinate plus the agent suffix -or — literally "one who coordinates."

Borrowed from German Riesling, the name of the grape variety.

From German Schuster.

From appendix + the surgical suffix -ectomy, from Greek ektomē, "a cutting out."

From "package" plus "-ing."

A straightforward compound of ship and building.

Named after Capri, an island in the Bay of Naples, Italy.

From Old French essamplaire, from Latin exemplaris — a doublet of "exemplar."

Formed from disclose plus the noun ending -ure, on the pattern of "closure."

From Latin credere (“to trust in”).

A compound of head and set, describing a set of components worn on or fitted to the head area.

From Middle Dutch stoker, "one who pokes or stokes," from stoken, "to stoke."

From identify + -able.

From Middle English hothous, simply hot + house.

From French immobiliser, from immobile plus -ize.

Borrowed from Italian, a shortened form of Durante ("enduring").

Variant of Hawthorn.

Borrowed from German Metzger (“butcher”).

From the Old English personal name *Mæcca + -ing (“belonging to”).

Borrowed from French contour, from contourner, built from con- plus tour ("turn").

From pre- (\"before\") plus determined.

From dis- + taste.