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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A shortening of "garbage" with the informal Australian "-o" ending, as in "arvo" or "servo."

From foot + wear — literally, "what is worn on the foot."

A compound of "door" and "mat."

From Old English fealh ("fallow land"), related to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "arable land."

From Middle English hehe, from Old English he he.

From Middle English bloberen ("to bubble, seethe"), likely imitating the sound or motion of bubbling liquid.

From Latin Enceladus, from Ancient Greek Ἐγκέλαδος (Enkélados).

From Old English stelan, going back to a Germanic root shared with German stehlen and Dutch stelen.

From Latin concussio ("a violent shaking"), from concutere ("to shake violently").

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

From Medieval Latin punctualis, "relating to a point," from Latin punctus, "point."

Borrowed from Japanese sayōnara, literally meaning something like "if that's how it is" — a farewell that implies accepting the situation.

Emerged around 1915 as a variant of a dialect word for prying about or pilfering; it was popularized by soldiers during the First World War.

From Dutch or Low German snippen ("to snip, shred"), likely imitating the sound of scissors.

From sprinkle plus the agent suffix "-er".

A compound of "stock" (shares) and "broker" (a middleman who arranges deals).

From wimp + -y.

From Old French governeresse, "female ruler or administrator", eventually narrowed to mean a private live-in tutor for children.

From Old English wislice, built from wise plus the adverb ending -ly.

From "top" plus "-ing", originally referring to whatever sits on the top of something.

From German Fussball, itself a translation of the English word "football."

From show + down.

A playful alteration of "teeny", itself based on "tiny".

counterproductive

From counter- + productive.