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 "gate" plus "way."

From Medieval Latin depositorium, built on Latin depositum, "something set down" — the same root as deposit.

From Latin mōly, borrowed from Ancient Greek môlu, the name of the mythical protective plant in Homer's Odyssey.

A clipped form of "habitation" (for the housing sense) and of "Habitants," an old nickname for French-Canadian settlers, later shortened to "Habs" for the Montreal Canadiens.

From left plus the suffix -ist, "one who follows or supports."

From ironic plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ally."

From "lay" plus "over."

From grave + stone.

From Old English "norþēasterne," built from "north" and "eastern."

Formed from "swear" plus the "-ing" ending, from Middle English sweryng.

A feminine form of Carl with -y, taken to use in the latter half of the 20th century; also a pet form of Carla, Carlene and Carlotta.

From Middle English rudenesse, equivalent to rude + -ness.

From stripe plus the adjective-forming suffix -ed.

Popular UK slang of uncertain origin, widely used in London youth speech from the 2000s onward.

From en- ("to make") plus "slave."

Origin uncertain; possibly from an old English dialect verb dobben.

Traced to "Faulke's Hall," the manor of Falkes de Breauté, a 13th-century mercenary captain, which was gradually reshaped into "Vauxhall."

Formed from hemorrhage plus the adjective-forming suffix -ic.

Inherited from Middle English Gascoyne, from Anglo-Norman Gascoigne, from Late Latin Wascōnia, from Wascōnēs, modification of Classical Latin Vasconēs (“Basques, Gascons”), from Ancient Greek Οὐάσκωνες (Ouáskōnes). Compare Gascon and Gascony.

Anglicized from Welsh Gwladus, of uncertain origin, perhaps connected with gwlad (“country”).

From convey + -or.

From litigate plus the agent suffix -or.

Originally meant literally "sent by God" — something so perfectly timed it felt like divine help.

From Middle English revelrye, built on revel (a boisterous party) plus the suffix -ry.