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 Latin modus, meaning "measure" or "manner" — the same root that gives us the word "mode."

From the Lao word for this fractional currency unit.

From the Gullah spiritual "Kumbaya," itself believed to be a rendering of the English phrase "come by here."

In reference to the ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine racing faction, a calque of Latin albī (“Whites”), albātī (“White-Clads”), factio alba (“the white faction”), or factio albata (“the white-clad faction”) and Byzantine Greek Λευκοὶ (Leukoì, “Whites”).

From Old English ceorl ("freeman, peasant") and tun ("settlement, town") — a doublet of Carlton.

The friendly-address sense grew out of Chicano and West Coast slang; the detective sense nods to the fictional character Sherlock Holmes, whose surname comes from an old English word for a small island or river meadow.

From bounty plus the suffix -ful.

Formed from en- + danger.

From Old French escrepe ("purse, bag"), from Old Norse skreppa — related to the word "scarf." The meaning shifted from the bag itself to the paper documents once carried in it.

From "stream" plus "line" — originally a technical term describing the path a fluid particle follows.

From a dialectal English word meaning "dirty", likely related to Old English "dung".

From an Old English/Germanic word meaning "enclosure" or "land by a river bend," the same root behind the German city of Hamm.

Likely from the English village of Branxton in Northumberland.

Formed from group plus the suffix -ie, marking a person associated with something; the fan sense dates from the late 1960s.

From Dutch casseren, ultimately from Old French casser ("to break up") — historically an officer's sword was ceremonially broken when he was cashiered.

From nothing + -ness.

Likely formed from "loll" ("to hang loosely," as the tongue does) plus "pop," first recorded in 1784; possibly influenced by "lolly," an old word for the tongue or head.

From "real" plus the agent suffix "-ist."

A compound of raw and hide.

The plural of dart, referring to the game played with the small thrown missiles.

A shortening of the French phrase haute couture, literally "high sewing" — the practice of hand-crafted, custom fashion.

Perhaps related to tanner (“sixpence”).

From "curl" plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y."

From Middle English palmer, "a pilgrim from the Holy Land," referencing the palm branch pilgrims carried home.