Etymology Glossary

Arabic

A high-ranking naval officer in command of a fleet or major naval formation.

Arabic

A colorless or intoxicating organic compound found in drinks, fuels, and many products.

Arabic

A branch of mathematics using symbols and rules to solve equations and express relationships.

German

a deep feeling of anxiety, dread, or inner turmoil.

Arabic

A murderer or killer, especially one who kills a prominent person for political or religious reasons.

Nahuatl / Spanish

A green, creamy fruit with a large pit, often used in savory dishes.

Italian

A platform projecting from a building, enclosed by a railing or parapet.

Italian

Unable to pay debts; having no money left to meet obligations.

Greek

A person or group seen as uncivilized, brutal, or outside the dominant culture.

Italian

Very strange, unusual, or strikingly odd.

Dharawal (an Indigenous Australian language of the Sydney region)

A curved throwing stick that can be made to return to the thrower, or, figuratively, something that comes back to affect its source.

Hindi

A small detached house, often one story, sometimes with a low, broad profile.

Old North French

A cable is a thick rope or a bundled line used for support, transmission, or anchoring.

Arabic

The capital of Egypt, the largest city in the Arab world.

Latin, via Greek from Semitic languages

A large desert-dwelling hoofed mammal with a characteristic hump or humps, adapted for carrying loads and surviving long periods without water.

Latin

A person considered for an office, role, or position.

Arabic

Sweet confectionery, especially pieces made with sugar, syrup, or chocolate.

Italian

An espresso drink topped with steamed milk foam.

Old French

A thick woven floor covering, often patterned or decorative.

Tamil

A boat made of two or more separate hulls or floats joined together.

Persian / Arabic

A chess term for trapping the king so escape is impossible and the game is over.

Hindi/Urdu

A slender, fast-running spotted big cat known for its exceptional speed.

Nahuatl / Spanish

A sweet food or drink made from roasted cacao beans, often flavored or used as a confection.

Arabic

A cipher is a coded symbol or system for secret writing, or a zero in older usage.

Old English / Greek

A clue is a hint or piece of evidence that helps solve a problem or mystery.

Latin

A companion is someone who accompanies, shares life with, or keeps another company.

Arabic

A soft, fluffy fiber obtained from the cotton plant and used to make thread, fabric, and many other textiles.

Ancient Greek

A solid whose atoms are arranged in an ordered, repeating pattern — or clear, high-quality glass.

Old French

A rule or signal requiring people to be indoors or quiet by a set time.

French

A strong cotton twill fabric, typically blue, used above all for jeans.

Italian / Latin

A sudden misfortune or disastrous event, especially one with serious damage or loss.

Spanish

A government order or action that prohibits trade with a country or the movement of goods.

Italian

A complete failure or embarrassing blunder.

Spanish and Portuguese

A tall wading bird with pink to red plumage, long legs, and a long curved neck.

Italian

Writing or drawings scratched, painted, or drawn on a public surface, often without permission.

French (from a personal name)

A device with a heavy blade that drops between two posts, used for execution by beheading.

Arabic (via Spanish and French)

A danger or risk — or the chance element that creates it.

Sanskrit

The great mountain range of South Asia, home to the world’s highest peaks.

Polish

A large, often unruly or densely packed crowd or group.

Italian

A contagious viral illness, especially one causing fever, aches, and respiratory symptoms.

American English (military slang)

A small, rugged motor vehicle with four-wheel drive, originally designed for the military.

Guugu Yimithirr

A large Australian marsupial with strong hind legs and a pouch.

Hokkien Chinese

A sweet, tangy condiment made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and spices.

German

A preschool or early-childhood educational setting for young children.

Turkish

A small freestanding booth or stand used for selling goods, giving information, or providing services.

Persian

A hard, glossy coating or varnish applied to a surface; to coat something with such a finish.

Arabic

A lemon is a yellow citrus fruit with a sour taste.

French (from a region name)

A large, luxurious automobile, often with a partition between the driver and passengers.

Italian (ultimately from Sicilian)

An organized criminal group, especially one operating as a secretive hierarchy.

Arabic

A publication issued periodically, or a place for storing ammunition or other supplies.

Italian

A mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium parasites.

Tamil / Malayalam (via Portuguese)

A sweet, fleshy tropical stone fruit, beloved across the world.

Ancient Greek

A long-distance footrace of 42.195 kilometers, or any very long endurance event.

English (from a surname)

An independent-minded person who refuses to follow the crowd; originally, an unbranded animal.

English (from a surname)

To hold someone’s attention so completely that they seem spellbound.

Arabic

a seasonal wind system that brings alternating wet and dry weather, especially in South Asia.

Old French

A loan secured by property, especially a house or land.

Latin

A body tissue that contracts to produce movement, posture, and strength.

Old English

A frightening or unpleasant dream — or, by extension, any terrifying experience.

Persian

Loose clothing worn for sleeping or lounging.

Greek

A sudden feeling of intense fear or alarm, often spreading quickly.

Italian

photographers who aggressively pursue and photograph celebrities.

Tamil

a person who is socially rejected or excluded.

Ancient Greek

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

Italian

a keyboard musical instrument with strings struck by felt-covered hammers

Latin

A person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons, or more broadly, a traveler or visitor.

Modern Latin

Information, ideas, or claims spread to influence opinion or behavior.

Italian

A period of isolation to prevent the spread of disease or harmful exposure.

English (origin uncertain)

A short, informal test of knowledge; to question someone closely.

Czech

A machine that can carry out tasks automatically, often with some degree of programmed control.

French

Deliberate destruction or disruption, especially to damage equipment or hinder an operation.

Swahili

a journey or expedition, especially a game-viewing trip in Africa.

Latin

A fixed, regular payment made to an employee for their work, usually expressed as an annual sum.

Ancient Greek

The use of sharp, often ironic remarks intended to mock or wound.

Ancient Greek

An institution for educating children or students.

English (coined from a Persian tale)

The occurrence of happy or beneficial events by chance, in a way that seems almost designed.

Hindi / Urdu

A liquid or cream used to wash and care for hair.

Old English

A fine, lustrous natural fiber produced by silkworms, or the fabric made from it.

Latin

Evil, harmful, or ominously threatening; also, awkwardly on the left side.

Greek

A dangerously alluring person or thing, named after the enchanting sea beings of myth.

Arabic

a long upholstered seat for multiple people, usually with a back and arms

Italian

the highest female singing voice or a singer with that range.

Italian

A tariff is a schedule of prices, especially a tax or duty charged on imported or exported goods.

Italian

Tempo is the speed or pace at which music is played or a process unfolds.

Ancient Greek (possibly from Iranian)

The largest of the big cats, native to Asia and marked with dark stripes.

Latin

Of little importance, weight, or consequence.

Japanese

A large ocean wave caused by an underwater disturbance, especially an earthquake.

Turkish

A bulbous flowering plant of the lily family with brightly colored cup-shaped blooms.

Japanese

A very wealthy, powerful, or influential person in business or industry.

likely from Chinese via Arabic and Greek influence

A typhoon is a powerful tropical cyclone in the western North Pacific.

Italian

A portable covering used to shield a person from rain or sun.

Latin

A substance used to trigger immunity and protect against a disease.

Italian

A blood feud or act of revenge, especially one carried on between families or groups.

Portuguese

An open porch or gallery attached to the outside of a building.

Italian / Latin

A mountain or opening in Earth’s crust that erupts lava, ash, and gases.

German

A dance in triple time, or the music written for it.

German

A strong desire to travel and roam from place to place.

Irish / Scottish Gaelic

A spirit distilled from fermented grain mash, aged in wooden casks.

Ottoman Turkish

A thick, tangy food made by fermenting milk with bacterial cultures.

Medieval Latin

The point directly above an observer, or the highest point of something.