- the study of the sources and development of words and morphemes
- an account of the source and development of a word or morpheme
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
et•y•mol•o•gy /ˌɛtəˈmɑlədʒi/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -gies.
et•y•mol•o•gist /ˌɛtəˈmɑlədʒɪst/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Linguistics the history of words or word elements:[countable]a dictionary of etymology.
- Linguistics[uncountable] the study of historical linguistic change in individual words.
et•y•mol•o•gist /ˌɛtəˈmɑlədʒɪst/USA pronunciation n. [countable]
et•y•mol•o•gy
(et′ə mol′ə jē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -gies.
et•y•mo•log•i•cal
(et′ə mə loj′i kəl),USA pronunciation et′y•mo•log′ic, adj.
et′y•mo•log′i•cal•ly, adv.
et′y•mol′o•gist, n.
- Linguisticsthe derivation of a word.
- Linguisticsan account of the history of a particular word or element of a word.
- Linguisticsthe study of historical linguistic change, esp. as manifested in individual words.
- Greek etymología, equivalent. to etymológ(os) studying the true meanings and values of words (étymo(s) true (see etymon) + lógos word, reason) + -ia -y3
- Latin etymologia
- 1350–1400; Middle English
et′y•mol′o•gist, n.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒɪ/ n ( pl -gies)
'etymology' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
aborigine
- baccalaureate
- bassinet
- caprice
- collywobbles
- compound
- crayfish
- demijohn
- dewlap
- duel
- entrechat
- folk etymology
- forlorn hope
- furbelow
- hackamore
- herb Paris
- Jerusalem artichoke
- kickshaw
- mandrake
- muskrat
- necromancy
- Partridge
- penthouse
- petrel
- pontifex
- rarebit
- rosemary
- scarper
- shagreen
- sockeye
- SOS
- sparrowgrass
- upside down
- woodchuck
- bob wire
- casemate
- chessman
- chesstree
- Chichivache
- deconstruction
- ety.
- etym.
- etymologize
- gridiron
- groundsel
- hard head
- Llewellyn
- lutestring
- mangrove
- nice