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 Anglo-Norman visitacioun, from Latin visitatio, from visitare, "to visit."

From "French" plus the adjective/noun-forming suffix "-y."

From German Herzog, going back to Old High German herizogo, literally "army leader" — the person who led the troops (Heer) at the front (ziehen, "to march").

From Greek nomas, "wandering shepherd," rooted in nomos, "pasture" — the idea of moving around in search of grazing land.

Origin unclear; possibly related to "eagre," an old word for a tidal wave in a river.

The chewing sense is a variant of "chap"; the ethnic-group sense comes from the name of the Cham people and the former kingdom of Champa.

Formed from suffer plus -ing.

Variant of Alder.

From Middle Low German "bōkwēte," literally "beech-wheat" — its triangular seeds resemble small beechnuts, though the plant is not actually related to wheat.

From Old English lind, going back to a Germanic root for the linden tree.

Borrowed directly from the Korean word 박 (bak).

Past participle of "distend," from Latin distendere, "to stretch out."

From French macaron. Doublet of macaron.

Related to "hood," in the sense of something that covers or encloses.

From Old English fulnes, from full + the suffix -ness.

From bulk + the adjective suffix -y.

Built from Greek oistros ("frenzy," root of "estrus") plus the suffix "-gen," meaning "producer of" — so literally, "the thing that produces estrus."

Formed from the name Gregory plus the adjective-forming suffix "-ian."

From Old English/Middle English roots meaning "to seize" — the same family as "grab" and "grasp".

From Late Latin turbulentia, "trouble" or "disquiet," built on turbulent.

From the Welsh surname Tudur, which became the family name of the English royal dynasty descended from Owen Tudor, a Welsh courtier who married the widow of Henry V.

From Medieval Latin triangulatio, built from triangulum, "triangle," via the verb triangulare.

From Latin triangulum, "triangle," plus the verb-forming suffix -ate — the surveying sense comes from using triangles of known points to calculate an unknown position.

Believed to come from an alteration of "rimple," an older word for a fold or wrinkle.