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 Middle English rat trappe; equivalent to rat + trap.

From rein + -less.

From Latin remittent-, present participle of remittō.

From Middle English redemptor, redemptoure, from Old French redemptor, from Latin redēmptor.

From reduct(ion) + -ase.

From quirk + -le.

Uncertain; perhaps quiz + -by, or from queer or Queer Street (“difficult circumstances”).

Borrowed from Latin pūrificātōrius.

From French redoute, from Italian ridotta, from Medieval Latin reductus (“refuge”), from Latin redūcō (“to withdraw”), with spelling influenced by doubt.

Borrowed from Malay rotan.

From Middle English quidite, from Old French quidité, and its source, Late Latin quidditās, from Latin quid (“what”) + -itas (“-ness”) (whence -ity).

From prize + -able.

Inherited from Middle English procuracioun, from Middle French procuration and its etymon Latin prōcūrātiōnem (through Old French procuracion). By surface analysis, procure + -ation; compare procuracy and procuratory.

From progressive + -ist.

From renascent + -ence.

From racial + -ism. Coined in 1882 based on the older use of "race" as a synonym of "nation, tribe, ethnic group", later senses (from 1890) from the use of "race" for racial categories.

From Middle French ratification, from Medieval Latin ratificatio.

Borrowed from Middle French ramifier, from Medieval Latin ramificō (“to branch, ramify”), from Latin rāmus (“a branch”) + -ficō (causative suffix).

From puzzle + -er.

Back-formation from quisling.

From Latin prōversus (“turned forwards”), perfect passive participle of prōvertō (“to turn forwards”), from prō- (“before, in front of”) + vertō (“to turn”). By surface analysis, pro- + -verse. Doublet of prose.

From French réfection, from Latin refectiōnem, accusative singular of refectiō (“recovery, refection”), from reficiō (“restore, renew”).

From Latin receptum (“thing received”), neuter singular of receptus, perfect passive participle of recipiō (“take back; receive”). Doublet of receipt. Coined by G.J. Romanes in 1888.