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 jump plus suit, originally referring to the one-piece suits worn by parachutists making a jump.

Borrowed from Spanish perfecto, "perfect", from Latin perfectus.

From French philharmonique, from Italian filarmonico, literally combining "phil-" (loving) with "harmonic."

From Latin probatus, "tested" or "proven," from probare, "to test or examine" — the same root as "probe" and "prove."

Possibly a variant of "sludge," or an imitative word like "slosh" — likely a blend of both influences.

From dream plus boat, popularised by 1930s-40s love songs about a metaphorical boat carrying a lover's dreams.

From Middle English burly/burlich, meaning "tall, stately" — likely tracing back to Old English roots meaning "noble" or "raised, high," though its exact origin is debated.

A straightforward blend of "car" and "pool," in the sense of pooling resources together.

From class + -mate.

Origin uncertain — possibly a 19th-century US dialect word, perhaps blending contrive, trap, and construction.

From Old French ensuivre, ultimately from Latin insequi, "to follow after."

Likely from "ragged" plus "time," referring to its heavily syncopated ("ragged") rhythm.

The given name Wendy was popularized by J. M. Barrie's play Peter Pan (1904); the slang sense of "coward" is a later, unrelated informal British usage.

As a given name, either a shortened form of Alana or a diminutive of the Russian name Svetlana.

The prayer-bead sense is a learned borrowing from Sanskrit māla ("garland"); the culinary sense comes from Mandarin 麻辣 (málà), meaning "numbing and spicy."

From Medieval Latin affidavit, literally "he/she has sworn" — related to fidelity and faith, though not to the word "affirm," which comes from a different Latin root.

From Old English grīghund. Despite appearances, the first part isn't related to the color "grey" — it likely comes from an Old Norse word for a female dog, later reshaped by folk etymology to look like "grey" + "hound."

Formed from "hide" plus "out."

From home + maker.

From "lap" plus the diminutive ending "-el" — literally a little fold or flap.

From lime (the mineral, heated to produce light) plus light — the old stage-lighting technology gave us the modern figurative meaning.

From "react" plus the adjective suffix "-ive."

Borrowed from Latin sōlārium ("sundial" or "a place for enjoying sunlight"), from sōl ("sun").

From column + the agent suffix -ist.