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 learn plus the agent suffix -er.

From Latin reciprocare, "to move back and forth," from reciprocus (see "reciprocal").

Built from "sponge" plus the adjective ending "-y."

A direct borrowing of Sanskrit rasa, literally "juice" or "essence" — the sense extended from a plant's extractable essence to the emotional "essence" a performance leaves with its audience.

Borrowed in the 19th century from French sanitaire, built on Latin sanitas, "health" — related to "sanity".

A straightforward compound of salt and water, used in English since the Middle Ages.

From purge plus the suffix -ing.

A straightforward compound of "sand" and "paper", describing paper originally coated with fine sand grit.

Formed from effortless plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

From Welsh Caerdydd, meaning "fort on the (River) Taff."

From Middle English blusteren, originally meaning "to wander aimlessly," which later picked up the sense "to blow violently" from a Low German relative — the same family as blow and blast.

A learned borrowing from Latin olfactorius, built from olere ("to smell") and facere ("to make").

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

From hum + -ing.

A straightforward compound of "turn" and "table", describing a table-like surface that turns.

From Latin credo, "I believe" — the opening word of the Nicene Creed, and a doublet of the English word "creed".

From Hebrew דִּינָה (dīna, "judged, vindicated"); see דין.

Borrowed via New Latin xenia from Ancient Greek xenía, "hospitality," itself from xénos, "stranger, guest, foreigner."

Probably an altered form of an older word meaning "to breathe hard, pant," related to a similar German word for breathing heavily.

From adulter + the feminine suffix -ess.

A straightforward compound of band (a group of musicians) and stand (a platform).

Brought to England by the Normans as a short form of Germanic names beginning with the element meaning "whole" or "universal."

Equivalent of the biblical name Dinah in several European languages, ultimately from Hebrew דִּינָה.

A straightforward compound of "sand" and "bag."