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 "cross" plus "roads," describing an intersection of routes.

From knock plus -er, in use with this slang meaning since around the 1940s.

From "sauce" plus the adjective ending "-y" — someone "saucy" has a bit of spice or bite to their manner.

The -ing form of shit.

From de- + frost.

From tube + the suffix -ing.

Formed from elastic plus the noun-forming suffix -ity.

From devote plus the suffix -ee, following the pattern of words like "employee."

From show + man.

From Latin Iliadis, ultimately from Greek Ilias, "the poem of Ilion" (Ilion being another name for Troy).

A blend of "ma'am" and "sahib" (a respectful Indian term for a man of authority).

From paper + back, shortened from the older phrase "paper-backed book."

From Hindustani/Persian sahib ("lord, master"), ultimately from Arabic sahib ("companion").

Past participle of "blast," extended to a mild swear word expressing frustration.

From over- + coat.

Borrowed from Cantonese pronunciations of the surnames 袁 or 阮.

Built from "hydro-" (water) and "electric."

From Old English roots imitating the sound itself — like "clack" and "rattle," it's onomatopoeic in origin.

From Latin Marius, a Roman family name probably derived from Mars. By folk etymology seen as a masculine form of Maria.

From Middle English sukelen, likely formed backward from suckling — itself built from suck plus the frequentative suffix -le.

From Old English hālgian, "to make holy," related to hālga, "a holy one, a saint."

Of uncertain origin, first recorded in the 1780s — possibly a blend of splash and spatter.

From "hair" and "line," describing something as thin as a strand of hair.

The hobo sense likely derives as a nickname; the Los Angeles sense is formed from "Angeleno/Angelino" with a feminine ending.