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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Formed from "dinner" plus "time."

A blend of "dip" (a foolish person) and "shit," first recorded around the 1960s.

From "fat" plus the informal suffix "-o".

An altered form of the older word "fixure," reshaped to match "mixture."

From in- + tube + -ate; first recorded around 1612.

A compound of "pace" and "maker," originally describing the natural pacemaker cells of the heart before being applied to the medical device.

From pat plus -er, indicating a repeated action; ultimately imitative of the sound itself.

From price + -y.

From "sleepy" plus "head."

Formed from some + way.

Probably from Old Norse, related to a word meaning "to swing or twirl"; the same family gives us swarm.

From a- ("on") + top.

From butt plus hole.

From dodge + ball.

A combination of "hair" and "brush," naming a brush made for the hair.

From look plus the agent suffix -er, meaning "one who does the action."

Acronym of Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Scottish Gaelic

From Scottish Gaelic Camshròn, from cam ("crooked, bent") and sròn ("nose").

From Old French sobriete, from Latin sobrietas, from sobrius ("sober").

A compound of man and hunt.

Formed from ir- ("not") plus replaceable.

From French commode, literally "convenient" — the same root gives us the adjective commodious.

From grave + digger.

From sniff + the frequentative ending -le, suggesting a repeated small action — compare "snivel."