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 Anglo-Norman revestir, revestre et al., Middle French revestir, and their source, Late Latin revestire, from Latin re- + to clothe.

From Middle English rīth (“a small stream”), rithe, from Old English rīþ m (“a small stream”), rīþe f, from Proto-West Germanic *rīþ, from Proto-Germanic *rīþaz, *rīþǭ (“stream, beck, brook”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rey- (“to arise, arise”). Cognate with Old Frisian rīth, rīd (“stream, beck”), Old Saxon rīth (“stream, torrent”) (> Middle Low German rîde), Old Dutch rīth (“stream, beck”), German -reide (“stream”, in placenames).

Influence by splendid.

retrovirologist

From retrovirology + -ist.

Borrowed from Hindustani رَضائی (raẓā'ī) / रज़ाई (razāī), from Classical Persian رضائی (raẓā'ī).

From revolution + -ise.

Borrowed from Latin resectus, past participle of resecare (“to cut off”), formed in turn from re- + secare (“to cut”).

From ridicule + -able.

From Ancient Greek ῥοδόχρως (rhodókhrōs, “having rosy colour”), from ῥόδον (rhódon, “rose”) + χρώς (khrṓs, “colour”).

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Ῥωμαῖος (Rhōmaîos) + -an, referring to the autonym used by Grecophone writers in the Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) Empire.

Transliteration of Hebrew רְאוּבֵן

From Old French revendre, from Latin revēndere, from re- (“re-: again, back”) + vēndere (“to sell”). Equivalent to re- + vend.

Compare French rétractation, Latin retractatio (“a revision, reconsideration”).

From revere + -able.

From rig (“a wanton girl”) + -ish.

From Ancient Greek ῥῆμα (rhêma).

From Middle French rheumatique, from Latin rheumaticus, from Ancient Greek ῥευματικός (rheumatikós), from ῥεῦμα (rheûma, “stream, flow”) from ῥέω (rhéō, “to flow”).

From Middle English reume, rewme, from Anglo-Norman reume, from Late Latin rheuma, from Ancient Greek ῥεῦμα (rheûma, “stream, humour”). Doublet of stream.

From Arabic رِيَاض (riyāḍ)

19th century UK. Unknown etymology. Farmer (1903) categorises the term as costermongers' slang.

From Latin rōborāre (“to strengthen, to confirm”) + -ate (“forming verbs”), from rōbur (“reddish oak; hardness, strength”) + -āre (“forming verbs”).

From Latin resplendere (“to shine brightly”).

From rock + headed.