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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Borrowed directly from Spanish chica, meaning "girl."

The city name comes from Japanese 神戸 (Kōbe); the interjection is a tribute to basketball star Kobe Bryant.

Originally a British dialect word (from Shropshire) meaning to grind coarsely; its exact roots before that are unclear.

From the Norman French place name meaning "at the oaks."

Origin uncertain; first recorded in 19th-century criminal slang meaning a burglar's toolbox, possibly related to the German/Yiddish word Kiste, meaning "box" or "case".

From Hebrew qabbalah, literally "something received" — reflecting the idea that these mystical teachings were handed down through the generations.

A blend of "electro-" and "execute," coined around the introduction of the electric chair in the late 1800s.

From Old English tōweardes, formed from toward plus the adverbial suffix -s.

Formed from cover plus the past-tense/adjective ending -ed.

A slangy variant born from how "arsed" sounds in casual British speech.

From Anglo-Norman creditour, from Latin creditor, from creditum, "a loan" — the mirror image of a "debtor".

From Greek methodikos ("systematic") + the suffix -al.

From Middle English tarien, from an Old English word meaning to vex or provoke; the sense shifted over time to "linger."

Formed from uprise plus the suffix -ing.

From Old French auctorisier, from Medieval Latin auctōrizāre, from Latin auctor.

From empty + -ness.

First recorded in the mid-1500s, likely imitative of the sound itself.

From Middle English tramplen, formed from tramp + the frequentative suffix -le, suggesting repeated heavy steps.

From back + side.

From knowledge plus -able.

From the Old Norse personal name Skarði combined with borg, "fortress."

From Gibb + -son.

From Middle English Vyrgyle, from Latin Virgilius, from the Roman clan name Vergilius, from Etruscan and of unknown meaning.

From Greek Φοῖβος (Phoîbos), "bright, radiant".