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.

Browse etymology by letter

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Recently added

From Ancient Greek Σουσάννα (Sousánna), the New Testament form of Hebrew שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (šōšannā, “lily”).

The French form of Susanna, from Hebrew Shoshana, meaning "lily."

From micro reciprocal degree.

From amateur plus the suffix -ish, which here means "resembling" or "having the qualities of".

Origin uncertain; the slang term is simply formed from "doob" plus the informal "-ie" ending.

From Middle French culpabilité, ultimately from Latin culpa ("fault").

From Latin "corolla," a diminutive of "corona" ("wreath" or "garland").

Probably an altered form of German Simperl or Semperl.

The lamp sense is named after its inventor, the chemist Humphry Davy, who developed it in 1815. As a nickname for David, "Davy" is simply a diminutive form of the name.

From Latin subscriptiō, related to subscribe, literally "a writing beneath" — signing one's name to an agreement.

From Hebrew, possibly connected to the Persian word for "star," and linked by some scholars to the goddess name Ishtar.

From Old French coreor (an agent noun of corir, "to run") merging with Middle French courrier, itself from Italian corriere — all ultimately about someone who runs or travels to deliver something.

Borrowed directly from French croupier.

From garden + -ing.

From in- ("not") + sufferable ("bearable"), ultimately from Latin sufferre, "to bear or endure."

Borrowed from Spanish García.

From Middle English rift, of North Germanic origin, related to Old Norse rífa (\"to tear\").

From Old French poros, ultimately from Latin porus ("an opening"), the same root as "pore".

From premature plus the adverb-forming suffix -ly.

A clipped, informal form of the longer biblical names Zebadiah, Zebedee, Zebulon, or Zebulun.

Origin is disputed. It probably comes from "cord" plus "duroy," a coarse English fabric from the 1600s — not, as often claimed, from French for "cloth of the king," a phrase that doesn't actually exist in French.

Invented by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel, possibly inspired by the English village of Ivinghoe.

From "fast" (to abstain from food) plus the suffix "-ing".

From "mill", the machine or building used for grinding or shaping material, plus the "-ing" ending.