supreme | foremost | main | sovereign | origin

archbishop, archduke, archangel, anarchy, archetype

Examples: Archelon ("ruling turtle") | Architeuthis ("ruling squid") | Thalattoarchon ("Sea Ruler") | Archosaur ("ruling lizard") | Andrewsarchus ("Andrews's ruler") | archbishop | arch-enemy | archdeacon | archangel | archaen | archconservative | anarchism | anarchist | anarchy | andrarchy | antarchy | archetype | architect | archon | autarch | autarchism | autarchy | eparch | eparchy | exarch | gynarchy | monarch | monarchism | monarchist | monarchy | navarch | octarchy | oligarchy | patriarchy | plutarchy | polyarchy | synarchism | synarchy | tetrarchy | triarchy | trierarch | archdiocese | archduke | archenemy | archfiend | archipelago | diarchy | hierarchy | matriarch | patriarch | symposiarch | tetrarch | architecture

archy | arched | arches | archly | enarch | archway

Medical and Scientific | Creature grouper

Greek ἀρχι- | ἀρχ'- | combining form .... of ἀρχός chief. Prefix1 In titles of office | rank | or dignity | com form1 that rules | ruler OED | ἄρχειν (árkhein) | ἄρχων (árkhōn) | ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~ (in compounds: ἀρχε- | ἀρχι-) | Greek

Wikipedia | MorphoQuantics | Cognatarium | Wikidata


ancient. Used for early versions of animals and pl

pertaining to ancient times | denoting early forms of organisms | primordial | antiquated

Examples: Archaeopteryx ("ancient wing") | Archaeoindris ("ancient Indri") | Archaeopteris ("ancient fern") | Archaeanthus ("ancient flower") | archaeoastronomy | archaeology | archaic | archaism | archegonium | archeology | archeologist | archeozoic | archaeocryptography | archaeologic | archaeological | archaeologist | archaeomagnetism | archaeolatry

archaeology | Archaeozoic | archaeozoon | archaeophyte | archaeometry | archaeologic

Medical and Scientific | Attribute adder

ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos) | ἀρχαιο-  OED | archeo

ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos) ~ancient~ from ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~ | < Greek ἀρχαιο- comb. form of ἀρχαῖος ancient | primitive OED

Wikipedia | MorphoQuantics | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | Stein | Wikidata


archaeoastronomy, archaeology, archaic, archaism, archegonium, archeology, archeologist, archeozoic, archaeoastronomy, archaeocryptography, archaeologic, archaeological, archaeologist

ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos) ~ancient~ from ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~


anarchism | anarchist | anarchy | andrarchy | antarchy | archangel | archetype | architect | archon | autarch | autarchism | autarchy | eparch | eparchy | exarch | gynarchy | monarch | monarchism | monarchist | monarchy | navarch | octarchy | oligarchy | patriarchy | plutarchy | polyarchy | synarchism | synarchy | tetrarchy | triarchy | trierarch

anarchism, anarchist, anarchy, andrarchy, antarchy, archangel, archetype, architect, archon, autarch, autarchism, autarchy, eparch, eparchy, exarch, gynarchy, monarch, monarchism, monarchist, monarchy, navarch, octarchy, oligarchy, patriarchy, plutarchy, polyarchy, synarchism, synarchy, tetrarchy, triarchy, trierarch

ἄρχειν (árkhein), ἄρχων (árkhōn), ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~ (in compounds: ἀρχε-, ἀρχι-)


archaeoastronomy | archaeology | archaic | archaism | archegonium | archeology | archeologist | archeozoic | archaeocryptography | archaeologic | archaeological | archaeologist

Archeozoic | archeometry | archeologic | archeophone | archeophones | archeozoology


archery | archers | archeries | archeress | archership | archerfish

Old French archer, from Middle English arcer


first | primitive | leader | ruler | govern | ancient

archbishop, archduke, archipelago, architecture, archetype

archimage | archicarp | archiloquy | archimages | Archicebus | archicarps

Greek ἀρχι- (arkhi-) | ἄρχειν (árkhein) | ἄρχων (árkhōn) | ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~ (in compounds: ἀρχε- | ἀρχι-) | ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos) ~ancient~ from ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~


Archimedes (historical figure) | geometry | mathematics

Archimedes' principle, Archimedean spiral, Archimedean solid

Proper noun, Historical figure, Mathematics, Geometry

From Greek 'Archimedes' (Ἀρχιμήδης), meaning 'guardian of the people' or 'foremost in the people', composed of 'archi-' (foremost) and 'medes' (people).


architects | starchitect | rearchitect | coarchitect | nonarchitect | starchitects

Greek architekton 'master builder', from arkhi- 'chief' + tekton 'builder'


archiver | archivers | unarchived | unarchives | rearchived | rearchives

Greek 'arkheion' (public records/magistrate's house) from 'arkhe' (beginning/rule)


head | sovereign | primary | administer | a governance system based on leadership

anarchism | anarchist | anarchy | andrarchy | antarchy | archangel | archetype | architect | archon | autarch | autarchism | autarchy | eparch | eparchy | exarch | gynarchy | monarch | monarchism | monarchist | monarchy | navarch | octarchy | oligarchy | patriarchy | plutarchy | polyarchy | synarchism | synarchy | tetrarchy | triarchy | trierarch

biarchy | diarchy | monarchy | octarchy | gynarchy | panarchy

ἄρχειν (árkhein) | ἄρχων (árkhōn) | ἀρχή (arkhḗ) ~rule~ (in compounds: ἀρχε- | ἀρχι-) | < ancient Greek -αρχία ... government OED


Antarctic | arctic | Arctic Ocean | palearctic | Antarctica | Arcturus

ἄρκτος (árktos) ~bear~ | ἀρκτικός (arktikós) | ἄρκτος (árktos) "bear"


subarctic | holarctic | panarctic | arcticize | arctician | arcticized


ardent | ardor | arson | aguardiente | arduous

ards | wizard | dotard | bayard | bastard | bollard


burning | passionate | fervent | intense


Latin ardor (genitive ardoris) 'heat, passion, zeal'


Latin 'arduus' meaning 'steep, high, difficult'


areal | areas | coarea | subarea | areaway | areally

Latin 'area' meaning 'open space, plain, floor'


arenas | arenaful | arenalike | arenafuls

Latin 'harena' meaning 'sand' (specifically sand of the arena)


arenoid | arenosol | arenosols | arenophile | arenophiles


areoid | areoids | areology | areocentric | areographic | areophysics

Greek 'Ares' (god of war) + '-o-' (connecting vowel)


ἀρετή | ἀρετῆς (aretḗ | aretês)


argent | Argentina | argentiferous | argentine | argentite


argentophilic | argentopyrite | argentoromeite


a fine-grained sedimentary material | a type of earthy substance


Greek 'argō' meaning 'swift' or 'ship', often associated with the Argonauts.


demonstrate | state firmly | charge | clarify

Latin agere 'to do, drive' (past participle stem act-)


argyria | argyrias | argyrism | argyrosis


to lack moisture | to be without dampness

Latin 'aridus' (dry), from 'are' (to dry up)


Mythology, Proper Name, Narrative Device

Greek mythology, Ariadne (daughter of Minos)


derivational suffix affix bound morpheme

of | belonging to | characteristic of | person who practices

Christian, Muslim, Martian, vegetarian, librarian

Australian | Hawaiian | suburban | authoritarian | custodian | Lithuanians | Victorian | parliamentarian | totalitarian | agrarian | vegetarian

repr. Latin -ānus | -āna | -ānum 'of | or belonging to' OED variant of -ian1 | or belonging to' OED variant of -ian2


aridly | aridic | nonarid | subarid | semiarid | aridness


From Latin 'aries' (ram), likely from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- 'to plow' or 'to move', referring to the ram's head-butting motion.


From Old English 'riht' (right, correct) combined with the adverbial suffix '-e' or 'a', forming the adverb 'aright'.


ἄριστος (áristos)


aristocracy, aristocrat, aristocratic, aristocracy


From Greek 'Aristotelēs', from 'aristos' (best) + 'telos' (end, goal)


arithmomania | arithmometer | arithmocracy | arithmophobia | arithmometers | arithmography


a location associated with the entity mentioned first | a space | a chamber specifically designated for {prev}

aquarium, solarium, herbarium, planetarium

septarium | oceanarium | planetarium | orphanarium | termitarium | oceanariums

Latin neuter suffix -arium, derived from -arius (adjectival suffix meaning 'pertaining to'), used to form nouns denoting a place or container for the root concept.


armament, armistice, armor, armory, arms, army, disarm, rearm

arms | armor | armed | rearm | unarm | armth


equipment | framework | structure | armor

armatures | armatured | disarmature | armatureless

Latin armatura 'equipment, armor', from armare 'to equip, arm'


From the endonym 'Hayastan', derived from 'Hayk' (legendary patriarch) and the suffix '-stan' (land).


Old French armeure, from arme 'arms, equipment'


a body of soldiers | a group of people with a common purpose

nonarmy | armyman | armyworm | armylike | armyless | antiarmy

Latin 'arma' (arms, weapons) -> Late Latin 'armata' (armed things) -> Old French 'armee'


aromatic, aroma, aromatherapy, disaromatize

aromaed | aromaless | aromagram | aromaphyte | aromaphytes | aromatherapy

Greek ἄρωμα (arōma) 'spice, perfume', from ἀράσσειν (arassein) 'to sprinkle, season'


Latin 'arpia' (a kind of net or snare), from Greek 'arpe' (hook, snare)


Portuguese arquebus (from Spanish arcabuz)


arraigns | arraigned | arraigner | rearraign | arraigners | arraigneth

Old French arraigner 'to call to account'


to put in order | to organize | to arrange

arranged | arranger | arranges | rearrange | arrangers | arrangeth


amoral, atypical, anonymous, asymmetrical, atheist

arrays | arrayed | arrayer | coarray | arraying | subarray

Greek a- (before vowels) or an- (before consonants), from an- 'not, without'


Latin advenire 'to come to, arrive', from ad- 'to' + venire 'to come'


Latin arrogantia, from arrogans (present participle of arrogare) 'to claim for oneself'


Excessive self-pride | disdain for others | overconfidence in one's abilities

Derived from Latin 'arrogare', meaning 'to take or seize', though its modern meaning of excessive pride evolved from this.


to claim without right | to seize | to take over

Latin arrogare (ad- "to" + rogare "to ask")


sharrows | arrowily | arrowlets | arrowheads | arrowwoods | arrowslits


arsenic, arsenical, arsenious, arseniate, arsenide

arsenicate | arsenicism | arsenicosis | arsenicated | tetraarsenic | radioarsenic

Greek arsenikon 'masculine' from Latin arsenicum


male | masculine | of or pertaining to a male

arsenosugar | arsenolipid | arsenopyrite | arsenosugars | arsenolipids | arsenotrophy

Greek arsen- (stem of arēn) meaning 'male'


arsons | arsonry | arsonist | arsonite | arsonists | arsonites

Middle English arson, from Old French arson


artifact, artifice, artificial, artificiality, artisan

arts | arty | artsy | artly | Artex | artful


relating to an artery | artery or arteries

arterial | arteriogram | arteriography | arteriolar | arteriole | arteriolosclerosis | arteriosclerosis | arteriosclerosis_obliterans | arteriosclerotic | arteriovenous | arteritis | artery

arteriology | arteriogram | arteriograms | arteriogenic | arteriovenal | arteriopathy

ἀρτηριο-  OED


From Latin arteria 'artery' + Greek -olus 'small' (diminutive suffix)


Greek arteria "artery", from arterion "air-filled" (related to arterio-)


arthral | mesarthral | arthrectomy | osteoarthrectomy


articulation point | skeletal connection

arthralgia | arthralgic | arthritic | arthritis | arthrocentesis | arthrodesis | arthrogram | arthrography | arthrogryposis | arthromere | arthromeric | arthropathy | arthroplasty | arthropod | anarthria | arthroscope | arthroscopic | arthroscopy | arthrosis | dysarthria | osteoarthritis | spondyloarthropathy


arthritics | antarthritic | polyarthritic | antiarthritic | antarthritics | postarthritic


arthritism | urarthritis | panarthritis | monarthritis | arthritislike | polyarthritis

Greek arthron 'joint' + -itis 'inflammation'


ἄρτιος (ártios) | ἀρτιότης ~evenness~ | ἀρτιάκις | ἀρτιότης "evenness"


article, articulate, articulation, articulatory

articles | articled | charticle | unarticled | charticles | subarticle

From Latin 'articulos' (little parts, joints), via Old French 'article', referring to grammatical articles or distinct parts of speech.


articulate | inarticulate | inarticulately | musculus_articularis_cubiti | musculus_articularis_genus | nonparticulate | particular | particularised | particularism | particularistic | particularity | particularization | particularized | particularly | particulate | unarticulate | unarticulated


artifacts | artifacted | artifacting | cryoartifact | microartifact | cryoartifacts

Latin 'artefactum' (thing made), from 'arte' (by skill) + 'facere' (to make)


Latin artifex 'artisan, master of craft' from ars 'art, skill'


artisans | artisanal | artisanry | artisanship | artisanally | artisanality

Italian artigiano, from artigiano (from arte 'art')


derivational | derivational suffix affix bound morpheme

related to | relating to | location of | individual connected to

biliary tract | coronary | complementary | evolutionary | migrationary | boundary | notary | tributary | budgetary | planetary | military | honorary | hereditary | subsidiary | imagine--> imaginary | cautionary | probationary | stationary

dotary | polary | granary | dietary | nullary | ciliary

Latin -arius (masc.), -aria (fem.), -arium (neut.), formed from adjectives in -arius, which derive from nouns in -a, -ius, or -ium, often indicating relation, collection, or place.


movement to, toward, in addition to, act, do, drive, nurture, grow, love

mas | whenas | whereas | forasmuch | fetiasite | otherwhereas


Greek asbestos 'unquenchable', from a- 'not' + sbennumi 'to extinguish'


ascidium | ascites | ascitic | ascocarp | ascoma | ascomycete | Ascomycota | ascospore | ascus


ascends | ascended | ascender | reascend | ascending | ascendant

Latin ascendere 'to climb up', from ad- 'to' + scandere 'to climb'


lactase, amylase, catalase, pepsinase, trypsinase

ases | lyase | urease | zymase | mutase | lyases

a suffix taken from the ending of 'diastase' [Greek διάστασις separation] | and used in naming enzymes OED | from Greek διάστασις (δια- (dia- | part | apart) + στάσις (stásis | stand)) | division | abstracted generic form


ashy | ashen | ashed | deash | potash | ashcan


abasia, acataphasia, achondroplasia, acrasia, agerasia, akrasia, alocasia, alveolar_ectasia, anaplasia, angiotelectasia, antinomasia, antonomasia, aphasia, aplasia, asemasia

Greek -ia (suffix denoting state or condition)


asks | askt | asked | asker | asken | reask


with a side glance | sideways | distrustfully

glance askance, look askance, side glance

Middle English 'askance', from 'as' + 'canne' (side/corner)


suffix occurring in scientific, especially medical, words


asynchronous, synergy, symphony, synthesis, synchronize

Greek syn- (before a vowel or h) or sym- (before b, m, p), from syn 'together'


aspects | aspected | aspectual | subaspect | aspective | subaspects

Latin aspectus 'a looking at, view', from past participle of aspicere 'to look at'


asperity | exasperate | ad astra per aspera | asper


Latin asperitatem (nominative asperitas), from asper 'rough, harsh'


bitumen | tar-like substance | paving material

asphalts | asphalted | glasphalt | asphaltic | asphalter | deasphalt


asphyxial | acroasphyxia | postasphyxial

Greek asphuxia 'suffocation', from asphylein 'to deprive of protection'


Biological process, Death, Physical sensation

Greek asphuxia 'suffocation' from a- 'not' + sphynzein 'to choke'


assails | assailed | assailer | reassail | assailant | assailing


A person who intentionally kills another, particularly a professional killer of public or political figures | One who commits assassination as a profession | An individual who carries out targeted killings of high-profile individuals

assassins | assassinee | assassinate | assassinous | assassinated | assassinates

Derived from Arabic 'hashashin,' referring to a group of Nizari Ismaili Muslims.


An unlawful attack or attempt to commit a violent act | The act of attacking someone with force | A legal term for an attempted violent crime

assaults | assaulted | assaulter | assaultee | reassault | assaulting

From Latin adsaltus, from saltare (to jump)


assays | assayer | assayed | reassay | bioassay | assayers


assents | assented | assenter | assenting | assentive | disassent

Latin assentiri 'to agree with', from ad- 'to' + sentiri 'to feel'


asserts | asserted | reassert | assertor | unassert | deassert

Latin adserere 'to claim, assert', from ad- 'to' + serere 'to join, link'


To impose a penalty or charge, particularly as retribution for a violation | To levy a fee or tax as a consequence of an offense | To assign a value or judgment in a formal setting

reassess | assessor | assesses | assessed | assessee | assessing


Latin 'assēdere' meaning 'to sit by, assist', from 'ad-' (to) + 'sēdere' (to sit)


Latin asseveratus, past participle of asseverare 'to affirm, assert', from ad- 'to' + severus 'serious, strict'


Latin assiduus 'constant, diligent', from assidere 'to sit by, attend to', from ad- 'to' + sedere 'to sit'


assigns | assigned | assignor | assigner | reassign | unassign

Latin 'assignare' (ad- 'to' + signare 'to mark'), from 'signum' (mark, sign)


assists | assisted | assister | assistor | coassist | assistant

Latin assistere 'to stand by, help', from ad- 'to' + sistere 'to stand'


Latin assidēre 'to sit by, attend, be present'


assuager | assuaged | assuages | assuagers | assuageth | assuagest

Latin ad- 'to, toward' + suavis 'sweet, pleasant'


assume, presumption, assumption, reassume

assumed | assumes | assumer | reassume | assumers | assumest

Latin adsumere 'to take to oneself, appropriate', from ad- 'to' + sumere 'to take'


taking for granted | belief | supposition

Latin adsumptio(n-), from adsumere 'to take to, appropriate', from ad- 'to' + sumere 'to take'


derivational suffix affix bound morpheme | derivational

individual associated with a specific endeavor | performer of an action | expert in a field

chiliast | elegiast | utopiast | chiliasts | elegiasts | utopiasts


From Greek 'Astarte', the Hellenized form of the Phoenician goddess 'Ashtart' (or 'Ashtoret'), derived from the Semitic root 'str' meaning 'to be powerful' or 'to reign'.


a person whose abilities denoted by the first elem

a person whose skills tied to the first element are seen as lesser | someone whose capabilities linked to the initial component are deemed below standard

asteroid | Astereae | pilaster | monaster | poetaster | pilasters

From Latin -aster, from Greek -astēr, forming agent nouns with a pejorative or diminutive sense


aster | asterisk | asteroid | astrology | astronomy | astronaut | diasterism | geaster | monaster | disaster | astrobiology | astrobleme | astrocyte | astrocytic | astrodome | astrodynamics | astrogate | astrogator | astroglia | astrolabe | astrolatry | astrologer | astrological | astrometry

ἀστήρ | ἀστέρος (astḗr | astéros) | ἄστρον (ástron) ~star~ | Greek


asterisks | asterisked | asterisking | asteriskless | unasterisked | nonasterisked


From Old English 'æfter' (after) + 'earn' (rear, back), originally meaning 'in the rear'.


lacking strength | absence of force | diminished power

ἀσθενής (asthenḗs) | Greek sthenos : strength


difficulty breathing | shortness of breath

asthmatic | nonasthma | asthmatics | asthmalike | antiasthma | antasthmatic


pertaining to | characterized by | relating to

Greek -astikos, suffix derived from -ikos


Greek a- 'without' + stagma 'point/drop'


to shock | to amaze | to fill with sudden wonder

astounds | astounded | astoundeth | astoundest | astoundedly | astoundment

Middle English 'astounen', from Old French 'estoner' 'to stun, astonish'


Greek astragalos 'astragalos' (knucklebone)


celestial body | radiating | celestial body(ies)

astrobiology | astrology | astronomy | aster | asterisk | asteroid | astronaut | diasterism | geaster | monaster | disaster | astrobleme | astrocyte | astrocytic | astrodome | astrodynamics | astrogate | astrogator | astroglia | astrolabe | astrolatry | astrologer | astrological | astrometry

astrolaw | astronaut | astronomy | astrology | astrocyte | astroglia

Wikipedia | MorphoQuantics | Stein | Wikidata


to be upright | to position | to establish

Latin astus, past participle of agere 'to do, to drive'


astutely | unastute | astuteness | astutenesses


apart | into pieces | into separate parts

rend asunder, tear asunder, split asunder


Greek 'asymptotos' (not falling together)


movement to, toward, in addition to, act, do, drive, nurture, grow, love

ats | SATA | atgo | atone | atgar | atren


Latin -ata, feminine past participle suffix of verbs in -are, derived from the verb 'esse' (to be) or 'habere' (to have) in its perfect passive participle form, indicating a state or result.


reversion to an ancestral type | recurrence of a trait

Latin atavismus, from atavus 'great-grandfather' (from ad- 'to' + avus 'grandfather')


relating to or characterized by atavism | exhibiting reversion to an ancestral type


cause [target] to attain a state of [root]

ovate | irate | lyate | palate | ideate | notate

Latin -atus, past participle suffix of verbs in -are


become, became, form second-person plural present subjunctive of regular -are, -ere and -ire verbs


Latin past participle suffix -atus, from -are (frequentative/iterative verb ending) + -tus (past participle marker)


Greek ἀτελής (atelḗs), without end, incomplete


From Latin -ātor, agent noun suffix derived from the past participle stem of verbs ending in -āre (first conjugation), ultimately from the verb root.


wisdom | strategic warfare | intelligence


From Greek 'Athēnai' (Αθήναι), the ancient name of the city of Athens, derived from Athena, the goddess of wisdom and warfare.


dry outer layer of seeds | hard protective shell | bristly appendage

ἀθάρη (athárē) | Greek athēr : awn | chaff


competition | reward | intense labor | determination

athlete | athletic | decathlon | pentathlon | triathlon

ἆθλος (âthlos) ~contest | feat~ | ἄεθλος | Greek athlein : to contest for a prize athlos : a contest & athlon : a prize


contestant | competitor | one who strives

athletes | decathlete | triathlete | nonathlete | heptathlete | triathletes

Greek athlētēs 'contestant' from athlos 'contest'


prolonged continuation of an action initiated by the first participant | competition | event

readathon | sailathon | strollathon | marathon | walkathon | telethon

sexathon | runathon | eatathon | skiathon | jogathon | webathon

< marathon n. [< ancient Greek Μαραθών], more common in AmE OED


pertaining to | characterized by | having the nature of

problematic | symptomatic | cosmetic | heretic | synthetic | atomic | historic | parasitic | apologetic | public | tactic | topic | aquatic | enzymatic | lunatic

From Greek -atikos, formed from the suffix -ikos (adjectival) added to the stem of nouns ending in -atos or -atos, often via Latin -aticus.


pertaining to | characterized by | study of


denoting an action, a material, or a gerund, progressive, continuous, present participle


ongoing activity | the action or its outcome | action | outcome | condition | performance of | outcome of | condition of

creation, formation, preparation, education, navigation

beration | duration | taxation | citation | vexation | notation

From Latin -ātiōn- (stem of -ātiō), from past participle stem of -āre 'to make, perform'


one who practices | specialist | practitioner

Greek -istēs (suffix denoting an agent or practitioner)


performing action | associated with preceding element's function | resulting in | producing | forming adjectives

exploitative | representative | summative | assertive | supportive | additive | normative | superlative

vocative | negative | curative | talkative | privative | negatives

From Latin -ātīvus, from past participle stem of adāre 'to do, perform'


of or pertaining to Atlas | relating to the Atlantic Ocean

subatlantic | Atlanticism | Cisatlantic | transatlantic | amphiatlantic

Greek Atlas "the titan who holds up the sky" + -ic


atlantoaxial | atlantomastoid | atlantooccipital

Greek atlas (ατλας) 'bearer of the heavens'


atmometer | atmosphere | atmospheric | atmospherical

atmology | atmophile | atmometer | atmolysis | atmocline | atmosphere


Greek -graphos 'written' from -graph (to write/draw)


pertaining to | characterized by | place of

Latin -atorius, from -ator (agent noun suffix) + -ius (adjectival suffix)


ring-shaped coral reef | island formation

likely from Marshallese 'atoll' or similar Austronesian origins


atom | indivisible unit | fundamental particle

atomic, atomize, atomizer, subatomic, atomic bomb

atomy | atoms | atomic | adatom | atomize | atomism

Physics, Chemistry, Core concept, Indivisibility

Greek 'atomos' meaning 'uncuttable' or 'indivisible'


agent | one who performs an action | person or thing that does

creator, navigator, operator, terminator, illustrator

conjugator | commentator | procurators | conjugators | stellarator | plasticator

< classical Latin -ōr- | -or ... suffix of nouns of condition OEDanimate | -or ... suffix of nouns of condition OEDinanimate or animacy uncertain


performing the action denoted by the first element

one who carries out the action of the root element | a location where the root element's action occurs

-ōrius | -ōria | -ōrium OED | -ōria  OED

From Latin -atorius, from -ator (agent noun suffix) + -ius (adjective-forming suffix), ultimately from agere 'to do, drive'.


gradual erosion | progressive wearing down


atriotomy | atriocaval | atriovenous | atrioseptostomy

From Latin atrium 'courtyard, central court'


Latin atroc- (stem of atrox) 'fierce, cruel, savage', possibly from atrox 'fierce' + -osus 'full of'


From Latin atrocitas, from atrox 'fierce, cruel'


Greek 'atrophia' (lack of nourishment) from 'a-' (not) + 'trophe' (nourishment)


atrophying | panatrophy | lipoatrophy | dermatrophy

Greek atrophia 'wasting away', from a- 'without' + trophē 'nourishment'


atropoisomer | atropoisomers | atroposelective | atroposelectivity

Greek 'atrophos' (not turning/not changeable) from 'a-' (not) + 'tropos' (turn)


attached | attacher | deattach | attaching | attachers | attacheth

Latin ad- 'to, toward' + tangere 'to touch'


An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease | an aggressive action or attempt to harm or overcome | a sudden onset of symptoms in a medical condition

attacks | attacker | attacked | attackee | reattack | attacking


attains | attained | reattain | attainer | attaining | reattains

Latin adtingere 'to touch, reach', from ad- 'to' + tangere 'to touch'


Latin ad- 'to, toward' + tendere 'to stretch'


Arabic 'itr (perfume) via Persian 'itr and Urdu 'itr


to try | to endeavor | to make an effort

attempt, attempted, attempting, attempts

attempts | attempted | reattempt | attempter | attempting | reattempts

Latin 'attemptare' (to try), from 'ad-' (to) + 'temptare' (to touch, try)


to be present | to pay attention | to direct one's attention

attends | attended | attendee | attender | reattend | coattend


to certify | to bear witness | to confirm

attest, attestation, attestor, attestatory

attests | attested | attester | attestor | coattest | attesting

Latin ad- 'to, toward' + testārī 'to bear witness'


attics | atticky | Atticism | Atticize | atticful | Atticist

Greek Attikos, from Attica (the region of Athens)


attired | attirer | attires | attirers | attireth | attirest


Latin ad- 'to, toward' +itus, past participle of ire 'to go'


attomole | attobarn | attomolar | attobarns | attoparsec | attophysics

Measurement, Magnitude, Scientific notation

Greek 'a-' (alpha privative) + 'totos' (so much) or derived from the Greek letter alpha (α)


attorney general, power of attorney, attorney at law

Latin 'advocatus', past participle of 'advocare' meaning 'to call to one's aid', from 'ad-' (to) + 'vocare' (to call)


attracts | attracted | reattract | attractee | attractin | attractive

Latin ad- 'to, toward' + trahere 'to draw, pull'


attritions | attritional | attritionary | antiattrition | attritionally

Latin attritio(n-), from past participle stem of attritus, from attrere 'to rub against'


Latin suffix -atus, past participle suffix of verbs, indicating the state or result of the action.


abnormal, abrasion, absent, abstain, abstract, abstraction, aversion, avulsion


aviary, aviation, avian, aviculture, aviator

auspice, auspicious, avian, aviary, aviation, aviator


Old French 'auberg', from Frankish '*burg' (shelter/fort)


From Old French aubergine, from Arabic al-bādhinjān, from Persian bādhinjān


Old English aeburn, from aeb (ebony) + burn (brown)


auction | augend | augment | augmentation | augur | augury | august | inauguration


auctions | auctioned | reauction | auctioneer | auctioning | nonauction

Latin auctionem (nominative auctio) 'an increase, a bidding', from auctus, past participle of augere 'to increase'


From Latin audere 'to dare', past participle ausus.


audax "brave, bold, daring", from audere "to dare"


perceiving sound | paying attention to auditory stimuli | auditory perception | detecting auditory input | the process of perceiving auditory information

audible | audio | audiology | audit | audition | auditorium | auditory | audiologist | obedient | obey | audience (hearers | listeners) | audio (hearing (adj.)) | audition (hearing (noun)) | auditory (of hearing) | audience | auditor


auction | augend | augment | augmentation | augur | augury | august | inauguration | author | auxiliary | inaugurate


Latin auger 'bore, drill' (verb) and augur 'augur' (noun), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewg- 'to bore, pierce'


Old English -āht (plural of āht, meaning 'anything')


augments | augmented | augmenter | reaugment | augmentee | augmenting


augury | augurs | augured | augurer | augural | auguring

From Latin augur 'prophet, diviner', possibly from Etruscan or related to augere 'to increase'


grand, inspiring reverence | imposing, commanding respect

august, August, Augusta, Augustine, Augustus Cæsar

Augusty | augusts | augustly | augustness

From Latin augustus, past participle of augere 'to increase, enlarge, revere'


Latin augustus 'venerable, majestic', from augere 'to increase'


From Old English 'huc' or 'hawe', meaning hawk, related to Old Norse 'haukr'.


ἄημι (ἄϝημι) | αὐλός (aulós) | αὐλέω | αὔλησις | αὐλητής (aulētḗs)


precious metal | having the color of gold

aureate | aureole | Aurelia | Aurelius | aureola | Aureomycin™ | auric | auriferous | aurous | aurum


Aural | auricle | auricular | binaural | monaural

aural, auricle, auricular, binaural, monaural


aurally | monaural | endaural | subaural | supraural | interaural


Latin aureus 'golden, made of gold', from aurum 'gold'


Latin aureus 'golden' (from aurum 'gold') + -olea 'diminutive suffix'


Latin auricula, diminutive of auris 'ear'


auroral | auroras | aurorally | subauroral | auroraphobia | transauroral


aural, auricle, aurinasal, auscultate, auscultation


Latin auspice, from auspicia, from avis 'bird' + specere 'to look at'


aussie rules, aussie slang, aussie accent


Latin 'austerus' meaning 'harsh, dry, severe', possibly of Etruscan origin


southern direction | wind from the south

austral | australia | aurora australis | Auster | Australopithecus

Latin australis 'southern', from auster 'south wind'


region of Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding islands


Australian | Australiana | Australianise | Australianism | Australianist | Australianness

From Latin 'Australis' meaning 'southern', derived from 'austrum' (south wind/south). The specific form 'Australia' was coined in the 17th century from the Latin 'Terra Australis' (Southern Land).


From Old High German 'Ostarrîchi' (Eastern Realm), referring to the historical region of Austria.


originator | expander | actual | authentic

Latin auctor 'originator, producer' (from augere 'to increase')


author, authoritarian, authoritative, authority, authorize

authors | authored | coauthor | authorly | reauthor | authoring

Latin auctor 'originator, producer', from augere 'to increase'


internal | own | independently | self-directed | identical

autonomy, automatic, autobiography, autopilot

autos | autobus | autocue | autonym | autoion | nonauto

Cognatarium | Wikipedia | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | MorphoQuantics | http://leonsplanet.com/index.html | Stein


Greek autokeinos 'self-moving' (autos 'self' + kinein 'to move')


Greek autopsia 'the act of seeing for oneself', from autos 'self' + ops 'eye'


autumns | autumny | autumnal | autumnize | autumnally | autumntime

Old French autumpne, from Latin autumnus


auxanogram, auxanography, auxanology, auxanometer, auxesis, auxetic, auxin, auxochrome, auxology, auxotroph, auxotrophy, auxiliary

αὔξειν (aúxein), αὐξάνειν auxánein, αὔξησις (aúxēsis), αὐξητικός (auxētikós)


Latin 'auxiliarius' from 'auxilium' meaning 'help, aid'


auxanogram | auxanography | auxanology | auxanometer | auxesis | auxetic | auxin | auxochrome | auxology | auxotroph | auxotrophy | auxiliary | Auxocardia: enlargement of the heart

auxology | auxostat | auxotype | auxotroph | auxospore | auxotonic

αὔξειν (aúxein) | αὐξάνειν auxánein | αὔξησις (aúxēsis) | αὐξητικός (auxētikós) | Greek αὐξάνω | αὔξω (auxánō | aúxō)


avarice | avaricious | avarous | ave | avid | avidity | avidin

Latin preposition 'ad' meaning 'to, toward, near'


avarice, avaricious, avarous, ave, avid, avidity


Latin avant 'before' (from aperire 'to open')


marked by an insatiable hunger for possession | characterized by excessive eagerness to acquire


Latin avaritia 'greed', from avarus 'greedy'


embodiment | manifestation | representation

Sanskrit avatāra "descent" (ava- "down" + √tṛ "to cross")


Latin 'āvia' (unblocked way) from 'ā-' (away) + 'via' (way)


avers | avered | averred | avering | averral | averrer


averages | averaged | averager | deaverage | averagely | averagers

Old French 'avarie' (damage/loss) via 'avarier' (to damage)


opposed to | having a feeling of opposition

aversives | unaversive | aversively | nonaversive | proaversive | aversiveness

Latin 'aversus', past participle of 'avertere' meaning 'to turn away'


averts | averter | averted | averting | averters | averteth

Latin ad- 'to, toward' + vertere 'to turn'


to divert from a course | to shift away from a path

Latin avertere 'to turn away', from ad- 'to' + vertere 'to turn'


aviary, avian, aviation, aviator, aviculture

avicide | avivore | avitour | avicides | aviphile | avivores


Latin 'aviare' (to fly), from 'avis' (bird)


Examples: Protoavis ("first bird"); Argentavis ("Argentine bird"); Eoalulavis ("little-winged dawn bird")


avoids | avoider | avoided | avoiding | avoiders | avoidant

Latin 'evitare' (to shun, avoid), from 'ex-' (out) + 'vitare' (to shun, avoid)


avouched | avoucher | avouching | avouchers | disavouch | avoucheth

Old French avouer 'to acknowledge, confess'


of or relating to an uncle | resembling an uncle


awards | awarder | awarded | awardee | unaward | awarding


unaware | awarely | unawares | awareness | unawarely | hyperaware


cutaway | runaway | faraway | flyaway | towaway | walkaway


awes | inawe | aweless | awesome | overawe | overawed


awls | awlet | awlets | awlwort | bradawl | awllike

Old English 'æwel', a pointed tool for piercing holes


abaxial, adaxial, axilla, axial, axis, axle, axonometric, coaxial, preaxial

axes | axman | axlike | axhead | axless | axheads

From Greek áxōn 'axis, axle', from axínein 'to turn'


axed | axeth | axeman | unaxed | poleaxe | axelike


deservingness | intrinsic significance | importance

axiology | axiom | axiomatic | chronaxic

ἄξιος (áxios) "worth" | Greek axioun : to think worthy axios : worthy


underarm region | junction between arm and torso

Latin axilla 'armpit', diminutive of axilla (variant of axilla) or related to Greek axilla; ultimately from PIE *aks- 'armpit'.


of or pertaining to the armpit (uncommon as a prefix) | armpit

Latin axilla 'armpit', diminutive of axilla (archaic form of asella) or related to Greek axilla


self-evident truth | established principle

Greek axíōma 'that which is thought worthy'


unaxled | triaxles | axletrees | axleloads | transaxles

Middle English axel, from Old English axel


axopod | axotomy | axopods | axoglial | axoplasm | axotomize


Nahuatl 'axolotl' (water dog/water monster)


axon, axonography, axonometric, axonotmesis

axons | axonal | axonic | mesaxon | triaxon | monaxon

ἄξων, ἄξονος (áxōn, áxonos)


atypical, amoral, asymmetrical, anonymous, apolitical

Greek a- (alpha privativus) 'without, not'


azasugar | azadiene | azalogue | azaindole | azacyclic | azasugars

From French -azote (from Greek azōtos 'lifeless') + -ide, referring to compounds containing the azide ion (N3-).


Greek azalē (dry) + laos (people), referring to the plant's tendency to wither


benzodiazepine derivative | tranquilizer

prazepam | oxazepam | temazepam | lorazepam | halazepam | iclazepam

From Latin benz(e) + diazepam, where diazepam is derived from Greek dia- 'two' + azepine, a chemical suffix indicating a seven-membered ring containing nitrogen.


azidoethyl | azidolysis | azidocillin | azidomethyl | azidosilane | azidosilanes

from azide (chemical group) derived from nitrogen (Greek nitrogen/nitron)


Arabic as-samt (the direction) or as-simta (the path/way), from the root s-m-t meaning 'to go' or 'to travel'. The term entered European languages via Medieval Latin as 'azimut' or 'azimuthus'.


azothermia: raised temperature due to nitrogenous substances in blood

French azote, nitrogen; from Greek άζωτικός (ázōtikós) ἀ- (a-, no, without) + ζωή (zōḗ, life)), mephitic air


a person who is narrow-minded | materialistic | or obsessed with middle-class respectability

babbitts | babbittry | babbitted | babbitting

derived from the character 'Babbitt' in Sinclair Lewis's 1922 novel 'Babbitt'


to speak rapidly and incoherently | meaningless chatter

babbler | babbled | babbles | babblery | babblers | ecobabble

imitative of the sound of rapid, indistinct speech


An attractive young woman | a term of endearment for a young woman | a person, especially a woman, considered attractive.

babez | babehood | grandbabe | superbabe | cyberbabe | superbabes

Babe comes from Old English 'bāb', meaning child.


confusion | noise | unintelligible speech

babels | babelize | Babelish | Babelian | Babeldom | babelized

Biblical reference to the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11)


baboons | baboonery | baboonish | babooning | baboonlike | antibaboon


babyish | babyism | crybaby | babygro | babying | merbaby

Middle English babi, of imitative origin


Babylonic | Babylonian | Babylonish | Babylonical | panbabylonism


baculiform | baculum | bacteria | bacillary | bacillus | bacitracin | debacle | lactobacillus | imbecile

bacs | nebacumab | edobacomab | panobacumab | raxibacumab


baccate, bacciferous, bacciform, baccivorous


Latin bacca (berry) + -ulus (diminutive suffix)


Latin bacchanalia, from bacchanal (relating to Bacchus)


bacchanal, bacchanalia, bacchic, bacchic, bacchylidean

Latin Bacchus, name of the Roman god of wine


From Old English 'bæc' or 'bēac', related to 'boy' and 'beast', originally meaning 'young one' or 'offspring'.


an unmarried man | a person eligible for marriage who has not yet married

bachelordom | bachelorette | bachelorship | bachelorhoods | bachelorettes

from Latin baculus via French, originally denoting a student with a staff


thiobacillus | microbacillus | lactobacillus | Lactobacillus | Paenibacillus | Actinobacillus

Latin bacillus 'little staff, rod', diminutive of baculum 'stick, staff'


behind an object/structure (locative/directional) | behind | back

backpack, backward, backstage, backyard, backside

aback | backs | backer | backup | backed | backal

Old English bacca 'back' (the part of the body)


cured meat | meat from the side of a pig

bacons | bacony | baconed | baconer | Baconian | baconers

Middle English bacoun, from Old French bacon


beta-lactam ring structure | antibiotic class

From Greek 'baktēria' (bacteria) + '-am' (from lactam, from lactose)


bacteria, bacterial, bacteriochlorophyll, bacterioid, bacterioidal, bacteriologic, bacteriological, bacteriologist, bacteriology, bacteriolysis, bacteriolytic, bacteriophage, bacteriophagic, bacteriophagous, bacteriostasis, bacteriostat, bacteriostatic

Greek bakterion 'small rod' (diminutive of baktron 'rod')


bads | badly | baddie | badass | badman | badfic


emblem | insignia | token of distinction

badger | badges | badged | badgers | rebadge | badgered


baffled | baffles | baffler | bafflers | bafflegab | unbaffled

Middle English 'bafflen', possibly related to 'buffet' (to strike/buffet)


bags | baggy | debag | unbag | rebag | ragbag


originating from or relating to the Bahamas

Derived from the proper noun 'Bahamas' + the suffix '-ian'


Old High German 'bana' (blow, strike) from Proto-Germanic '*bananą', ultimately from Proto-Indo-European '*bʰeh₂-' (to strike, beat). The semantic shift from 'blow/strike' to 'track/path' occurred via the notion of a 'beaten path' or 'beaten track'.


bail (all senses except a hoop or support), bailey, bailie, bailiff, bailiwick

bails | bailed | bailer | bailor | bailee | bailout

Old French bail (to deliver, to hand over)


law enforcement officer | official | bailiff

bailiffs | Bailiffs | bailiffship | bailiffships


atypical, amoral, anonymous, asymmetrical, apolitical

Greek prefix a- (before vowels) or an- (before consonants) from an- 'not, without'


Old English bǣrdd, from Proto-Germanic *bardaz


bairns | bairnly | bairnish | bairnlike | stepbairn | bairnhood

Middle English 'berne', related to 'born'


baits | baiter | baited | rebait | baiting | baiters

Middle English 'bait', related to 'bate' (to lure)


baked | baker | bakes | bakery | rebake | bakers


a person who bakes | owner of a communal oven | proper noun referring to such a person

from Old English 'bæcere', meaning a baker


βάλλειν (bállein), βολή (bolḗ), βλῆμα (blêma)


balancer | balances | imbalance | unbalance | rebalance | balancers

Latin 'bilanx' (two-scaled) from 'bis' (twice) + 'lanx' (scale, dish)


a platform projecting from the wall of a building

balconies, balcony door, balcony railing


Archibald | Baldwin | Theobald | Leopold

baldy | balds | baldly | baldie | balden | balded

Old English 'bald' meaning 'bold, brave, confident', from Proto-Germanic '*balda-', possibly from PIE '*bhel-' (to shine, flash) or '*bhelh-' (to speak, shout).


Origin uncertain, possibly from 'balder' (foolish) + 'dash' (to speak hastily), first recorded in the 17th century.


amoral, atypical, anonymous, asymmetrical, apolitical

baler | bales | baled | balers | unbale | haybale

Greek prefix a- (before a vowel) or an- (before a consonant) meaning 'not' or 'without'


balky | balks | balked | balker | balking | balkish

Middle English balk (a ridge or barrier)


Balkanic | Balkanize | Balkanise | balkanite | Balkanism | Balkanian


balls | baller | balled | ballsy | deball | oddball


ballads | balladry | balladic | ballader | balladeer | balladers

Old French ballad, from ballad (Middle English), from Old French ballade


ballast, ballastize, ballasted, ballasting

ballasts | ballasted | deballast | unballast | ballasting | deballasts


ballets | preballet | balletgoer | unballetic | balletomane | balletgoers


Greek ballistikos 'of a missile/throwing' from ballein 'to throw'


balloons | balloony | ballooned | ballooner | balloonry | balloonist


ballots | balloted | balloter | balloters | ballotless | unballoted

French ballotte, diminutive of boule 'ball', referring to the small balls used for voting


Origin uncertain, possibly from 'ballock' (testicle) as an intensifier, or from 'bally' meaning 'very' in 19th-century British slang.


extravagant publicity | noisy fanfare | hype

From Irish 'bailiú' (gathering, collection), likely via the phrase 'bailiú an tí' (gathering of the house/estate), evolving to mean a noisy gathering or public display.


balmy | balms | balmily | balmify | balmlike | balmless


From Latin balneum 'bath', from Greek balaneion


Spanish 'balsa' (raft) or referring to the wood 'madera de balsa'


balsams | balsamy | balsamic | balsamous | balsamics | balsamroot

Greek balsamon, from Syriac balsama, from Persian balsam


Baltic | of or relating to the Baltic Sea or the Baltic region

Latin 'Balticus' relating to the Baltic Sea


Origin uncertain, possibly from dialectal bamboozle or related to bamble (to deceive), first recorded in the early 19th century.


bans | baned | unban | banat | banner | baning


lacking | freshness | originality | commonplace

banally | banalize | banalized | banalizes | banalness | banalizing

Old French banal, from Frankish *ban- (proclamation/edict)


bandage | bandana | bandolier | contraband | bend (heraldry)

bands | bander | bandog | banded | inband | imband


Old Frankish *bandwito (one who is outlawed)


Latin 'abandonare' from 'ab-' (away) + 'donare' (to give)


to carry on or pursue (a pursuit, argument, etc.) in a rambling or inconclusive way | to spread or distribute loosely

From Middle Dutch banden 'to bind, tie', related to Old English band 'bond, tie'. The sense evolved from 'binding together' to 'carrying on' (as in carrying on a conversation) and then to 'rambling' or 'distributing loosely'.


banished | banishes | banisher | rebanish | banishee | banishing

Old French banir 'to proclaim, proclaim an outlaw'


banjoes | banjoist | banjouke | banjolin | banjoists | banjolike

Likely from Mandinka 'banya' (gourd) + 'jomo' (to pick/pluck), though the exact etymology is debated and uncertain.


seat | platform | financial institution's counter

bench | bank (all senses) | bankroll | bankrupt | banquet | banquette | cutbank | embankment | mountebank

banks | banky | embank | banker | banked | unbank

Middle English banke Middle French banque OItalian banca : orig., table, moneylender's exchange table OHG bank : bench


banners | bannered | bannerman | bannerette | bannerlike | bannerless


public proclamation | announcement | summons

From Old English 'bann' meaning 'command, proclamation', from Proto-Germanic '*bannam', related to Gothic 'bannan' (to summon).


banquets | banqueter | banqueted | banqueters | banqueting | banquetter

Old French 'banquet' (a small cake/buffet), from 'banquet' (a morsel)


a loud or irritable woman | a female spirit in Irish folklore


Middle English 'bantam' (referring to a breed of small poultry)


playful exchange | teasing | lighthearted talk

banters | bantery | bantered | banterer | bantering | banterers

From Old French 'bante' meaning 'taunt' or 'jest', of uncertain origin, possibly from a Germanic source.


bar, barbell, barrage, barrier, barrister, embargo, embarrass

upbar | rebar | unbar | baric | imbar | bebar


indicating 'son of' | in Hebraic-origin names


abarognosis, antibaryon, baresthesia, bariatric, baritone, barognosis, barogram, barograph, barometer, barometric, barophobia, barostat, barycentre, barycentric, baryogenesis, baryon, barysphere, baryton, barytone, hyperbaric, hypobaric, isobar, isobaric


barb | Barbados | Barbarossa | barbate | barbel | barbellate | barber | barbet | barbette | barbul | rebarbative

barb, Barbados, Barbarossa, barbate, barbel, barbellate, barber, barbet, barbette, barbul, rebarbative

barbed | debarb | barbing | debarbs | barbless | barbwire


Barbara | barbarian | barbaric | barbarous | Barbary | Berber | rhubarb

From Greek barbaros 'foreign, foreign-speaking', from barbarizein 'to stammer', imitative of foreign speech.


barbecues, barbecued, barbecuing, barbecue sauce, backyard barbecue

From Spanish barbacoa, via Taino barabicoa 'sacred wooden frame for cooking meat'


whisker-like appendage | sensory filament

Old French barbe 'beard', from Frankish *barba or similar Germanic source


a weightlifting bar with weights at each end | a heavy rod with weights at each end

Compound of bar (from Old French barre) + bell (from Middle English bel)


one who cuts hair | person who trims beards

barbers | barbered | barbering | barberess | barbershop | barberfish


fortified gateway | outer defense | stronghold

Old French barbacane, from Italian barbaccano


a type of organic acid | a chemical compound

amobarbital, barbital, barbiturate, barbituric, phenobarbital, secobarbital

From Latin barbituric acid (barbituricum), derived from the name of the goddess Barbita and the suffix -uric, coined by Adolf von Baeyer in 1864.


barbiturate, phenobarbital, secobarbital, pentobarbital

Chemical compound, Pharmacology, Sedative

From German Barbital, coined by Emil Fischer in 1904, named after the Barbary coast (North Africa) where the plant Barbary fig (Opuntia ficus-indica) grows, which was mistakenly thought to be the source of the compound's ingredients.


barbituric acid | sedative-hypnotic drug class

coined from 'barbituric acid', from 'barbiturate' (derived from 'barbituric acid')


bards | barded | bardic | bardish | bardism | bardess


bared | bares | barer | barely | barest | barers

Old English bǣr 'naked, bare, empty', from Proto-Germanic *bairaz, from PIE *bher- 'to bear, carry'


bargains | bargainer | bargained | bargainor | bargainers | bargainous

Middle English 'bargain' (an agreement, a compact)


bargee | barges | barged | barger | bargees | bargers

Middle Dutch 'barge' (flat-bottomed boat)


Greek barytonos (barys 'heavy' + tonos 'tone')


barns | barny | imbarn | embarn | barnie | barnful


Scottish dialectal variant of 'burnet' (a plant), or potentially a surname; not a standard English morpheme with a transparent etymological root in general linguistics.


barology | barostat | barogram | barometer | barophile | barometry

Latin 'barra' or 'baris' meaning barrel or cask


barons | baronry | baronic | baroness | baronesses

Old French baron < Frankish *baro "warrior, free man"


baroquey | baroquely | unbaroque | baroquest | baroqueness


barracks | barracked | barracker | barrackings

Middle French 'barracon' (small building/hut)


a desolate or unproductive area | a place lacking in fertility or habitation | an uninhabited and barren region

barrens | barrener | barrenly | nonbarren | barreners | barrenness

from Old English 'barren', from Proto-Germanic *barōniz, meaning 'barren'


barricade, barricaded, barrier, barrier_island, barrier_reef, barring, barrio, barrister

Old French 'barre' (bar, rod, or obstacle)


barrier | obstacle | defensive structure

barricaded | barricader | barricaders | unbarricade | unbarricaded | unbarricades

French 'barricade', from 'barrique' (barrel)


barriers | barrierless | barrierlike | cyberbarrier | multibarrier | barrierlessly

Old French barriere 'enclosure, barrier'


barrowfuls | handbarrows | barrowloads | wheelbarrows | wheelbarrowed | wheelbarrowing


barters | bartered | barterer | bartering | barterers | unbartered

From Old French 'barater' meaning 'to cheat, swindle, or trade', likely of Germanic origin.


abarognosis | antibaryon | baresthesia | bariatric | baritone | barognosis | barogram | barograph | barometer | barometric | barophobia | barostat | barycentre | barycentric | baryogenesis | baryon | barysphere | baryton | barytone | hyperbaric | hypobaric | isobar | isobaric | barycenter | barytes

barysphere | barycenter | barycentric | barycenters


Latin 'basaltēs' from Greek 'basanēs' (test stone)


bashy | bashes | basher | bashed | bashers | bashing


From Ottoman Turkish başa (commander), from Persian pāshā, ultimately from Turkish baş 'head'


Derived from the verb 'bash' + the suffix '-ing' (from Old English -ung/-ungu)


basionym | basilect | basipetal | basionyms | basilects | basiconic


basins | basined | basinal | basinful | subbasin | washbasin

Latin 'basinum' (bowl, basin), from 'basus' (hollow, empty)


foundation | base | bottom | underlying principle

Greek basis 'step, pedestal, foundation'


to lie exposed to warmth and light | to enjoy warmth

basks | abask | basked | basking | basketh | baskings


baskets | basketry | basketful | basketeer | basketane | basketball


bassoon, bassist, double bass, bass guitar, bass voice, sea bass, striped bass

bassy | basses | bassist | basslet | midbass | bassman

Old French 'basse' (feminine of 'bas' meaning low), from Latin 'bassus' (thick, deep); note: homographic with 'bass' (fish) from Old English 'bæss'.


bassets | basseted | basseting | bassetings

From French basset, from bas 'low' (referring to the dog's short legs)


bassoons | bassooner | bassoonist | bassooners | bassoonists

French basson, from Italian bassone, augmentative of basso 'low' (from Latin bassus 'low, deep')


basted | bastes | baster | basters | lambaste | unbasted

From Old English 'bastian' meaning 'to bind or wrap', related to 'baste' (to sew loosely) and 'bast' (fiber/binding material).


batches | batched | batcher | rebatch | batching | prebatch

Middle English 'bacche' (a bundle or cluster)


βαίνω ("baínō")


baths | bathtub | eyebath | sunbath | bathful | batheth


sudden descent | loss of dignity | anticlimax


bathymetry | bathyscape | bathysphere | batholith | batholithic | batholitic | bathometer | bathophobia | bathos | bathyscaphe | bathymeter | bathymetric | bathymetrical | bathypelagic | isobathic | bathyscaph | bathythermograph

bathyal | bathymetry | bathyphyll | bathyphase | bathymeter | bathyscope


batiks | batiked | batiker | batiking | batikers

Javanese 'batik' (from 'amba' to write + 'titik' to dot)


batons | batonic | batonlike | batonless


battened | battener | batteners | battenboard | battenboards

Middle English batten, related to 'battening' (to fasten)


battered | batterer | batteree | battering | battereth | batterings


set | group | unit of artillery | series of strikes

French 'batterie', from 'battre' 'to beat'


series of connected objects | unit of stored energy | artillery formation

nonbattery | biobattery | nanobattery | batteryless | batterylike | antibattery

French batterie 'drumming, beating, or artillery' from battre 'to beat'


battler | battles | battled | battleth | battlest | gunbattle

Old French 'bataille' from 'battre' 'to beat'


Old High German 'baur', from Proto-Germanic '*bawaz', from Proto-Indo-European '*bʰuH-' (to grow, be)


named after Pierre Berthier's student, Michel Édouard Bauxite


bawdy | bawdily | bawdship | bawdiness | bawdships | bawdinesses

Middle English 'bawde', related to 'bawdiness'


bawls | bawled | bawler | bawling | bawlers | bawlings

Middle English bawlen, likely imitative of the sound of crying


bays | bayed | embay | imbay | unbay | bebay

From Old English 'bǣg' meaning a hollow in a hill or mountain side.


a long pointed blade attached to the muzzle of a rifle for use as a spear or bayonet

bayonets | bayoneted | bayoneting | bayonetted | bayonetting | bayonetings


bazaars | bazaarlike | superbazaar | cyberbazaar | superbazaars | cyberbazaars


multiple meanings | consult specific words with this affix | completely | excessively | encircle | induce transformation | provided with | adorned with | surrounded by | surrounded by (negative or humorous)

forming derivative verbs | with sense of 'around' OED | this use is similar to by(e)- OED

Cognatarium | MorphoQuantics | Wikipedia | Stein


beachfront, beachhead, beachwear, beachcomber

beachy | beached | beachie | beaches | unbeach | beachies

Old English 'bece' or 'bece' (uncertain, but derived from Germanic origins)


beacons | beaconed | beaconing | beaconage | Beaconite | aerobeacon


beads | beady | beaded | beader | beadily | beaders


From Old English 'bēadl' meaning messenger or official, related to 'bēodan' (to bid/command).


From Old English 'begle' or 'beagal', a hound used for tracking, possibly of Germanic origin.


beaks | beaky | debeak | beaked | debeaks | beaking


Named after the chemist Edmund Davy, who used a specific glass vessel in 1836


ray of light | stream of particles | a structural timber

abeam | beams | beamy | beamer | beamed | embeam


beans | beany | beanie | beaner | beaned | beanbag


abear | bears | beary | upbear | bearer | abears

Middle English beren : Old English beran


beardo | beards | beardy | bearded | beardos | beardie

From Old English 'barbe', from Proto-Germanic '*barbaz', from Proto-Indo-European '*bhardho-' (beard).


An animal of exceptional size or strength | A creature perceived as more powerful than usual | A being regarded as formidable in size or capability

beasts | obeast | beastly | beastie | obeasts | unbeast

Derived from Old English 'beast', meaning a large or powerful animal.


consecrated | favored by divine power | spiritually endowed

beats | abeat | beaten | beater | upbeat | beated

Latin beatus 'happy, blessed', past participle of beare 'to make happy'


a person belonging to a subculture of writers and artists characterized by nonconformity and bohemianism

blend of 'beat' (meaning exhausted or beaten down) and 'hipster'


beau, beau geste, beau monde, beautician, beautiful, beauty, beaux-arts

beauish | beauship | beauless | beautillion | beautillions


Old French 'beau' (beautiful) + 'mont' (mountain)


aesthetic pleasure | attractiveness | loveliness

unbeauty | nonbeauty | beautydom | beautyless | antibeauty | beautylessness


A man with a beard | a person who has a beard | someone who wears a beard

beavers | beavery | beavered | beaverly | beavering | beaverite


a style of jazz characterized by fast tempos and complex harmonies

onomatopoeic or nonsense word used in jazz culture


Old English beon 'to be' + cam 'past tense of come'


Old English 'be' (by) + 'cæswæ' (case/cause)


Middle English beckon, from beck (a gesture) + -en (verb suffix)


abed | beds | embed | beddy | unbed | bedbug


bedlams | bedlamite | bedlamites | bedlamisms

Middle English, from Anglo-French bedlam, from Medieval Latin Bethlem, from Greek Bethlehem


Arabic badawī (بادوي) 'of the desert', from bada (بدا) 'to be open, to appear'


bees | beey | beely | beedom | beeswax | beehive


beechy | beeches | beechen | beechnut | beechnuts | beechwood

From Old English bēce, from Proto-Germanic *bōkiz (source also of German Buche, Dutch beuk), from PIE *bhāg- 'beech tree'


beefy | beefs | beefer | beefalo | beefing | beefily

Old French bief, boef 'beef, ox', from Latin bubo 'ox'


an alcoholic beverage made from fermented cereal grains

beers | beery | beerily | beerish | nonbeer | beerful

From Proto-Germanic *beuzą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂w- 'to flow, foam'


beetled | beetlers | dorbeetle | beetleskin | beetlelike | beetlehead

Middle English beetle, related to Old English bēotela


beforely | beforehand | beforeness | beforetime | beforemath | beforesaid

Old English beforan "in front of, before"


begs | beggar | begged | outbeg | begger | begging


begins | rebegin | beginner | rebegins | begining | beginning

Old English beginnan 'to take in hand, undertake'


to start | to commence | to set in motion


Old English be-' (about) + háfan (to hold)


Hebrew בְּהֵמוֹת (behemot), plural of בְּהֵמָה (behemah) 'beast, cattle'


at the back of | in a position further back | following


to be necessary | to be proper | to be incumbent

Old English behoffan 'to need, to be necessary'


Named after the village of Béage in the Ardèche department of France, where the wool was originally produced.


decibel | gigabel | nanobel | decibels | centibel | belchild


to emit gas from the stomach through the mouth

belchy | belched | belches | belcher | inbelch | belching

Middle English belchen, related to Old English belcan


Middle English 'belfry', from Old French 'belefry'


From Latin 'Belgae', the name of a Gallic tribe, via Old French 'Belgique'


trust | conviction | acceptance of truth

beliefs | unbelief | disbelief | misbelief | nonbelief | unbeliefs

Old English 'geleafa' (faith, trust), from 'ge-' (intensive prefix) + 'leaf' (consent, permission, belief)


to accept as true | to have faith | to trust

believable, unbelievable, belief, believer

believer | believes | believed | believeth | believers | believest

Proto-Germanic *belaiban 'to remain, stay'


a tool for blowing air, typically with a flexible bag | a loud sound produced by a metallic object

bells | belled | cowbell | bellboy | barbell | bellman

Old English belwes (pl. of beli) : bellows Old English belg : leather bag, purse, bellows


bellicose, belligerent, antebellum, bellum


From Latin bellus "pretty, fine, handsome"


From Latin belliger 'waging war', from bellum 'war' + gerere 'to wage, carry'


to roar | to shout | to make a deep sound

bellows | bellowed | bellower | rebellow | bellowing | bellowers


bellyache, bellyband, bellybutton, bellyful, bellyless, bellypump, bellywrap

bellyfuls | bellyings | bellyakes | bellyaches | bellyached | bellyflops


From Old French 'belmont', meaning 'beautiful mountain' (bel + mont)


to be a member of | to be part of | to be in the possession of

belongs | belonger | belonging | belongeth | belongers | belongest

Old English belǣgan 'to surround, encompass'


strip of material | band | encircling strap

belts | belty | belted | belter | unbelt | Belter

Old English belt 'band, girdle, strip of cloth'


Italian belvedere 'beautiful view', from bello 'beautiful' + vedere 'to see'


benefactor | benefit | beneficial | beneficent | beneficence | benevolent | benign | benignant | benignity | benevolence | benevolent (good hearted) | benediction (good speech | prayer) | benefit (good deed) | benefactor (good doer) | beneficiary (good doee | good receiver)

Latin 'bene' (adv.) 'well, good', from PIE *bheh₂- 'to speak, praise'

Wikipedia | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | http://leonsplanet.com/index.html | Wikidata


benched | benches | bencher | benching | benchtop | benchlet


to curve | to flex | to deviate from a straight line

bendy | bends | bender | unbend | bended | rebend

Proto-Germanic *bendaną "to bend, bind" (from PIE *bʰendʰ- "to bind, tie"), related to Old English bēon "to be" and Old Norse binda.


Latin beneficus 'doing good', from bene 'well' + facere 'to do'


nonbeneficiary | beneficiaryship | beneficiaryships

Latin beneficus 'doing good', from bonus 'good' + facere 'to make'


beneficial, beneficiary, beneficent, benefaction

benefits | benefited | benefiter | benefiting | benefitted | benefiters


Portmanteau of Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg


Bengali | Bengalese | Bengalize | Bengaliness

From Bengali 'Bānglā', derived from 'Bangā'


benignly | unbenign | benignant | nonbenign | benignness | benignancy

Latin benignus 'kindly, well-disposed', from bene 'well' + genus 'birth, race, kind'


depth within the sea | measure of oceanic depth


a cyclic aromatic hydrocarbon with six carbon atoms in a ring structure | a colorless, volatile liquid with a sweet odor

Benzedrine™ | benzene | benzine | benzocaine | benzoic | benzoin | benzoyl | benzyl

Benzedrine™, benzene, benzine, benzocaine, benzoic, benzoin, benzoyl, benzyl

benzyl | benzylic | dibenzyl | bibenzyl | benzamide | benzyloxy


From French benzine, from German Benzol, from Latin benzoic acid (via Arabic luban jawi 'frankincense'), referring to the resin from which it was originally derived.


support or carry a load | withstand or tolerate something | give birth to offspring

bear, burden, birth, birthrate, burden, burdened, burdensome, bearable, bearish, bearlike, bearskin, beartrap, bearhug, bearberry, bearcat, bearclaw, bearfoot, bearhug, bearlike, bearskin, beartrap, bearhug, bearberry, bearcat, bearclaw, bearfoot, bearhug, bearlike, bearskin, beartrap


Latin 're-' (back/again) + 'batterere' (to beat)


bergs | bergen | Bergen | bergens | fatberg | bergwind

Old English beorg, Proto-Germanic *bergaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bhergh- 'high, hill'


thiamine deficiency | vitamin B1 deficiency


berlins | Berliner | Berlinese | berlinite

From Polabian *berl- or *berlъ, meaning 'swamp' or 'marsh', referring to the city's location on the Spree River.


Old English 'berman' (to bear, carry) < Proto-Germanic '*beraną'


From Old English 'bærnan' (to burn), related to 'bærn' (barn, originally a place for burning/drying grain).


Germanic personal name Bernhard, composed of the elements 'bern' (bear) and 'hard' (brave, strong, hardy)


From the town of Bernstein (now Starogard Gdański, Poland), named for the amber trade; the word itself derives from Old High German 'bern' (amber) + 'stein' (stone)


pineberry | berryings | gooseberry | goldenberry | berrypecker | blueberrying


Adelbert, Albert, Bertha, Bertram, Egbert, Englebert, Gilbert, Herbert, Humbert, Robert, Wilbert

Proto-Germanic *berhtaz "bright, famous" (from PIE *bhergh- "to rise high, be visible")


a transparent precious stone | green mineral

beryllium | berylline | beryllide | beryllate | beryllides | berylliums


beseechers | beseechings | beseechingly | beseechments | beseechingness

Old English besēcan 'to seek, search for'


betas | nonbeta | betager | betaware | labetalol | betalight

Greek beta (β) 'second letter of the alphabet'


From Old English 'bētan' (to take, seize) + 'ac' (away, off), related to 'take'.


dwelling | residence [in Hebrew-derived names]

Beth, Bethany, Bethel, Bethesda, Bethlehem

Hebrew beth, bet : house bet : second letter of the Hebrew alphabet: ב beta, second letter of the Greek alphabet: Β alphabet


Hebrew beth-lechem (beth "house" + lechem "bread")


to abandon | to deceive | to violate trust

Old French 'trair' from Frankish '*trajan'


betters | bettered | embetter | betterer | betterfy | bettering

Old English 'betera', comparative of 'gōd'


Old French 'bevrage' from 'boire' 'to drink'


Persian 'bēy' or 'bāy' meaning lord, master, or person


on the further side of | exceeding | surpassing

beyonds | beyondish | beyondness | beyondward | therebeyond

Old English be- "by" + ginnan "gap/void"


dual | characterized by two parts | performed two times | numeral two | done once again

bicycle, binary, bisect, bilateral, biennial

rebin | binned | binman | binbag | binner | binful

MorphoQuantics | Wikipedia | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | Cognatarium | Stein | Wikidata


bibber | bibbers | biblike | bibless | Bibgate | biballs

Cognatarium | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | http://leonsplanet.com/index.html | Wikidata


bibliography, bibliography, biblical, bible, bibliophile

βίβλος (bíblos) | βιβλίον (biblíon) ~book~ | βιβλίον (biblíon) "book" | Greek biblion : book biblos : papyrus Byblos (now Dschebēl) in Phoenicia were papyrus was grown


Greek biblion 'little book' (diminutive of biblos 'book')


bibliotics | bibliology | bibliomane | biblioblog | bibliogram | bibliophile

βίβλος (bíblos) | βιβλίον (biblíon) ~book~ | < Greek βιβλίο- stem and comb. form of βιβλίον book OED | Greek

MorphoQuantics | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | Cognatarium | Stein | Wikidata


bibulously | bibulousness | omnibibulous


bickers | bickered | bickerer | bickerers | bickerment | bickerments

From Middle Dutch 'bickeren' meaning 'to quarrel' or 'to bicker', possibly of imitative origin.


bids | rebid | forbid | outbid | bidder | rebids

Old English biddan 'to ask, entreat, or command'


a device for washing the nether regions with a spray of water

French 'bidet' (little ass), diminutive of 'cul'


Latin 'bene' (adv.) 'well, good', from PIE *bheh₂- 'to speak, say, praise'


German 'Bier', from Old High German 'bīr', from Latin 'bibere' (to drink)


Latin bifurcus 'two-pronged', from bi- 'two' + furca 'fork'


bigs | biggy | bigly | bigwig | biggen | bigfin


Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, Narragansett Bay

From Old English 'bīht' (bend, curve), from Proto-Germanic '*bihtaz', related to 'bend'.


bigots | bigoty | bigoted | bigotly | bigotous | unbigoted

French 'bigot' (devout person, later used derisively)


biker | bikes | biked | bikers | bikeway | skybike

shortened from 'bicycle', from Greek 'kyklos' (wheel)


bikinis | bikinied | bikinilike | bikiniless


biles | bileful | bilestone | bilestones

Latin 'bilem' (nominative 'bilis') meaning 'gall, bitterness'


bilged | bilges | bilgeway | bilgeways | bilgewater | bilgewaters


Latin bilingi 'having two sides', from bi- 'two' + -lingus 'tongue, side'


biliously | unbilious | nonbilious | biliousness | antibilious | biliousnesses


From Latin '-abilitas', from '-abilis' (capable of) + '-tas' (state/quality)


bilks | bilker | bilked | bilkers | bilking


bill (document), billboard, billet (position, lodging), billet-doux, billfold

bills | rebill | billed | biller | Billie | waybill

Latin billa 'bill, list' or bilis 'gall, bile' (etymology is uncertain, possibly from Gaulish)


a written order or note | a banknote | a ticket

billet-doux, billet of exchange, greenback, banknote

billets | billeted | billeting | billethead | billetings | billetless

Document, Currency, Ticket, Written Communication

Middle French billet 'small letter, note', from Old French billette 'little piece of wood', diminutive of bille 'stick, log'


billowy | billowed | embillow | billowing | billoweth | embillows


to tie | to fasten | to secure | to obligate

bind, binding, binder, bondage, unbind, rebind

binds | upbind | rebind | unbind | binder | binded

Latin 'bindere' meaning 'to tie, fasten'


to consume excessively | to do in excess

binged | binges | binger | bingers | bingeing | bingeful

From Old English 'bēgan' meaning 'to bend, bow, or stoop', referring to the physical posture of leaning over food.


existence | relating to living organisms | material of organisms | active

biology, biography, biosphere, antibiotic

biome | biose | bionic | biotic | biodot | biotag

Wikipedia | MorphoQuantics | Cognatarium | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | Stein | Wikidata


relating to life | pertaining to living organisms


eobiont | symbiont | epibiont | eobionts | probiont | geobiont

Greek -bios 'life' + -ont 'being' (from participle of einai)


examination of tissue | specimen sampling

rebiopsy | prebiopsy | postbiopsy | cryobiopsy | neurobiopsy

Greek bios "life" + logos "study/reason" (via biological roots)


biology, biography, biome, antibiotic, photosynthesis


manner of existing | lifestyle | approach to life | state of being

eubiosis | symbiosis | anabiosis | dysbiosis | probiosis | antibiosis

βίος + -ωσις OED


relating to life | relating to existence | relating to living organisms

aerobiosis | anabiosis | anhydrobiosis | anoxybiosis | antibiosis | catabiosis | chemobiosis | cryobiosis | cryptobiosis | ectosymbiosis | endosymbiosis | necrobiosis | osmobiosis | symbiosis | trophobiosis | anabiotic | aero-biotic | symbiotic

endobiotic | aerobiotic | parabiotic | metabiotic | xylobiotic | ectobiotic

βιωτικός  OED

< ancient Greek βιωτικός ...Forming adjectives relating to states or strategies of existence OED


birchy | birches | birched | birchen | Bircher | bircher

From Old English birc(e) (Northumbrian), birce (West Saxon), from Proto-Germanic *berkiz, from PIE *bherH- 'to shine, brown'


An aircraft with fixed wings and powered by propellers or jets | A type of flying machine | A vehicle with wings and engines

birdo | birdy | birder | birdie | birded | birdly


births | rebirth | birthed | birther | unbirth | inbirth

Old English 'byrth' (noun of action from 'byrgan' to give birth), from Proto-Germanic '*burthiz', from PIE '*bher-' to bear, carry


bilingual, bisect, biscuit, bisque, bisecting

aquabis | bisamide | bisimide | bisimine | bisureas | bisphenol

bis | ~twice~ | bini | ~in twos~ | Latin bis : double


high-ranking religious official | overseer

bishop, episcopal, episcopate, episcopacy

bishops | unbishop | cobishop | bishoply | bishopric | unbishops


bismuto, subsalitrato de bismuto, bismuto subgálico


bisques | bisqued | bisqueware | bisquewares


bits | qubit | biter | bitty | bitsy | rebit


bilateral, bilateralism, bilateralist, bilateralism


From Proto-Germanic *bitrą (bitter), from PIE *bheidh- (to pierce, split)


From Old French bitorne, from Late Latin bitto, bitonis, of unknown origin, possibly imitative of the bird's call.


resembling | containing | consisting of bitumen


business, businessman, businesswoman, businessmanlike, businesslike

bizzo | bizjet | showbiz | bizjets | bizspeak | showbizzy

From Old French 'biznes' or 'besogne', meaning 'business, occupation, toil', derived from the verb 'besogner' (to work, to do business).


bizarrely | unbizarre | bizarreness | bizarrenesses


to talk foolishly | to chatter | idle talk

blabs | blabby | blabbed | blabbing | blabtale | blabbings


to apply blacking | to make black | to darken

blacks | Blacky | blacken | blacked | blacker | blackly


Proper noun referring to a place or person named Blackstone | A language or dialect associated with Blackstone (e.g., Blackstonian)


bladderfuls | bladderpods | neobladders | gallbladders | bladderworts | bladderworms

Middle English 'bladdere', from Old English 'blædre'


sharp edge | cutting tool | thin leaf-like part

blades | bladed | bladers | bladelet | axeblade | twiblade

Old English blæd 'leaf, petal, blade of grass'


assign responsibility for | fault | censure

blamed | blames | blamer | blamers | blameth | blamest

Old French 'blamer' from Frankish '*blaman'


blanch, Blanche, blancmange, blank, blanket, carte blanche, Casablanca, Mont Blanc

Old French 'blanc', from Frankish '*blank'


blanched | blanches | blancher | emblanch | blanching | blanchers


a sweet food made from milk, sugar, and gelatin or cornstarch


blands | blandly | blandish | blandify | blandness | blandiose

Middle French bland 'mild, gentle, or sweet'


to flatter | to coax | to persuade through gentle flattery


blankets | blankety | blanketed | blanketly | blanketing | blanketman


blasphemes | blasphemed | blasphemer | blasphemers | blasphemeth | blasphemest

Greek blasphēmos 'slanderous' + phēmē 'speaking'


early developmental stage | early organism stage | initial outgrowth | nucleated cell | emerging growth

blastema | blastochyle | blastocoel | blastocoele | blastocyst | blastoderm | blastoma | blastula | cytotrophoblast | diploblasty | ectoblast | endoblast | entoblast | fibroblast | osteoblast | sideroblast | blastogenesis | blastocyte

blastoma | blastoid | blastomas | blastoderm | blastocyte | blastomere

βλαστο-  OED


blastema, blastochyle, blastocoel, blastocoele, blastocyst, blastoderm, blastoma, blastula, cytotrophoblast, diploblasty, ectoblast, endoblast, entoblast, fibroblast, osteoblast, sideroblast


ablaze | blazer | blazed | blazen | blazes | blazers

Middle English blāse, from Old English blæse 'torch, flame'


disposed toward | prone to | fond of | suitable for | capable of executing the base verb | individual/entity inclined toward | possessing the characteristic of | able to be | method | tool | location

noble | stable | humble | tumble | fable

From Latin -bilis, from -ere + -bilis (capable of), related to the verb stem.


to make white | to remove color | to lighten

bleachy | bleacher | bleached | bleaches | rebleach | bleaching

Middle English blēchen, from Old English blāecan 'to make white'


bleaks | bleakly | bleakish | bleakness | bleaknesses | bleakonomics

Old Norse bleikr "pale, white, or bright"


to make a characteristic wavering cry | sound of a sheep or goat

bleats | bleaty | bleated | bleater | debleat | bleating


bleeds | bleeder | bleeded | rebleed | bebleed | bleeding


contractions with prefixes Greek ballein : to throw


blemishes | blemished | blemisher | blemishing | blemisheth | blemishers


blenched | blencher | blenching | blenchers | unblenched | unblenching


blennorrhea | blennogenous | blennorrheas | blennorrhagia


From Middle English 'blenden', from Old English 'blendan' 'to mix, mingle'


eyelid | eyelash | of or pertaining to the eyelid

blepharism | blepharitis | blepharospasm | blepharoplasty

blepharostat | blepharotomy | blepharospasm | blepharoplast | blepharostats | blepharospasms


to confer holy status | to consecrate | to confer well-being

blessed | blesser | blesses | blessee | unbless | bebless

Old English blētsian 'to consecrate, hallow'


Old English blētsian 'to consecrate, make holy'


blethers | blethered | bletherer | blethering | bletherers | bletherings

Scots origin, likely imitative or related to dialectal speech


a destructive disease or pestilence | to cause decay or ruin | a state of moral or social corruption

blights | blighted | blighter | blighten | blighting | blighters

Old English blæst 'blast, sudden gust' or blæce 'blotch'


blimps | blimpy | blimpish | blimplike | blimpishness

Likely an onomatopoeic formation or a variation of 'blimp' related to the sound of air or a shortening of a larger term, though origin is somewhat obscure.


Unable to see due to physical or neurological causes | Lacking sight | Inability to perceive visually.

blinds | blinded | blindly | blinder | unblind | blinden

From Old English 'blēndan' meaning 'to blind'.


to close and open eyes quickly | to flash briefly

blinks | blinky | blinker | blinked | blinkie | blinkle

imitative of the sound or action of rapid eye movement


a short, sharp sound | a small, indistinct visual spot


blissed | blisses | enbliss | embliss | unbliss | blissen


blistery | blistered | beblister | blistering | blisterlike | antiblister

Middle English 'blister', likely related to 'blaze'


blithen | blithely | blitheful | blitheness | blithesome | blitheless


blitzed | blitzes | blitzar | blitzing | blitzars | unblitzed

German Blitz 'lightning', from Old High German blītzo, from Proto-Germanic *blīhtaz


a severe snowstorm | heavy snow with strong winds

blizzards | blizzardy | blizzardly | blizzardous | blizzardlike

Middle English blizzard, likely from 'bluster'


bloats | bloaty | bloater | debloat | bloating | bloaters

Middle English bloten, from Old French bloater 'to swell', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch blozen 'to blush' and German blähen 'to swell'.


blocs | nonbloc | superbloc | superblocs


blocky | unblock | blocked | blocker | diblock | reblock


blokes | blokey | blokeish | blokedom | blokeyness | blokeishly

British slang, possibly from 'blockhead'


blonds | blondie | blonden | blondly | blondish | blondies


bloody | bloods | oxblood | blooded | blooden | beblood

From Old English blōd, from Proto-Germanic *blōdą, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ed- 'to eat' (referring to blood as the 'food' of the body).


abloom | blooms | bloomy | bloomed | bloomer | rebloom


blossoms | blossomy | blossomed | emblossom | reblossom | blossomly


blots | blotto | blotch | blotty | beblot | reblot


blouses | bloused | unblouse | deblouse | unblouses | deblouses

French blouse, of unknown origin, perhaps from Germanic


to inflate or swell, either physically or metaphorically (as with pride) | to puff up or expand

blows | blowy | ablow | upblow | blower | blowed

From Old English 'blāwan', meaning to blow or inflate.


covered with | penetrated by | affected by

flyblown, full-blown, overblown, windblown

unblown | inblown | outblown | endblown | windblown | handblown


blubbery | blubbers | blubbered | beblubber | blubberer | blubbering

Middle English blubere, related to blubbering/fatty mass


to strike with a heavy object | heavy instrument for striking

bludgeons | bludgeoned | bludgeoner | bludgeoning | bludgeoners | bludgeonings

likely from Middle English bludgeon (a club)


blue, blueberry, bluebird, bluegrass, bluebell

black-and-blue, bright_blue, dark-blue, gray-blue, grayish-blue, grey-blue, greyish-blue, light-blue, lilac-blue, mauve-blue, pale_blue, peacock-blue, powder_blue, powdery-blue, purple-blue, purplish-blue, silver-blue, silvery-blue, sky-blue, true-blue, violet-blue

blues | Bluey | bluey | blued | bluely | unblue


bluffs | bluffy | bluffer | bluffly | bluffed | rebluff

From Dutch 'bluffen' meaning 'to boast' or 'to bluff', possibly from 'bluf' (boldness, bluff).


Latin 'flos' (genitive 'floris') meaning 'flower'


blunderers | blunderings | blunderingly | blunderheads | blunderously

Middle English blunderen 'to stumble, blunder'


blunts | bluntly | blunted | blunten | blunting | bluntish


blurs | ablur | blurry | unblur | deblur | beblur

Middle English bluren (to smudge, smear, or blur)


blurts | blurted | blurter | blurting | blurters | blurtings


to redden | to flush | to show embarrassment

ablush | blushy | blushed | blusher | blushes | blushet

Middle English blushen, related to blush


to blow noisily | to speak loudly and aggressively | to act with empty bravado

blustery | blusters | blusterer | blustered | blustering | blusterous


Compound of Blut 'blood' + Wurst 'sausage'


Old English blīðe 'gentle, kind, cheerful'


boars | boarish | boarhide | boarlike | boarfish | wereboar


boardwalk, boardroom, boarder, boarder, boarder

boards | onboard | boarder | boarded | deboard | reboard

Old English bord 'plank, planking, side of a ship'


boasts | boasted | boaster | boastly | boasting | boastful

Middle English boast (to brag, to vaunt)


boats | boaty | boater | boated | boates | boatel

Old English bāt, from Proto-Germanic *baitōz, from PIE *bʰeyd- 'to build'


a cylinder or spindle for holding thread or yarn

bobbins | bobbinet | bobbinless | bobbinlike | bobbinwork

Middle English boben (to bob, move up and down)


corporeal, corporation, corpus, corpulent

Latin 'corpus' (genitive 'corporis') meaning 'body'


tight-fitting upper garment | part of a dress


having | possessing | characterized by a certain body

two-bodied, three-bodied, four-bodied, six-bodied, many-bodied


physical form | corpse | flesh | substance

nobody | embody | unbody | unibody | orebody | midbody

Old English 'bōdy' (corpse, physical form)


From Middle Dutch boer, from Old Dutch *bōi, from Proto-Germanic *bōwiz (farmstead, dwelling).


bogs | boggy | boglet | bogger | bograt | bogroll

From Old English 'bōg' (marsh, fen), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'bogge' and German 'Bog' (archaic/dialectal for marsh).


bogeys | bogeyed | bogeyman | bogeying | bogeyland | bogeywoman

Middle English bogge, from Old English boga or related Germanic roots meaning 'fright' or 'demon'


to confuse | to bewilder | to disconcert

boggled | boggles | boggler | bogglers | bogglesome

Origin uncertain, possibly from dialectal 'boggle' meaning to hesitate or balk; entered standard English in the 16th century.


French 'bohémien', originally referring to people believed to come from Bohemia


Latin Bohemia, from Old High German Bahaia, from the Slavic name for the region (Boii tribe)


to heat liquid until it bubbles | to cook in boiling liquid

aboil | boiler | boiled | reboil | upboil | emboil


boisterously | unboisterous | boisterousness | overboisterously

Middle English boisterous (originally meaning 'rough' or 'wild')


βῶλος (bôlos)


bolds | boldly | unbold | boldens | nonbold | unbolds

Old English 'bald' (thick, prominent) or 'bold' (brave)


Named after Simón Bolívar, liberator of several South American countries


From the Quechua name 'Puliwya' or 'Bolivia', named after Simón Bolívar


short post or pillar used for mooring boats or controlling traffic

from Dutch bollard, from Middle Dutch bolle 'bulb, knob'


Russian bol'she (more) + -vik (suffix denoting person/agent)


Middle French 'boulsier' (to cushion/pad)


bolted | unbolt | bolter | rebolt | bolting | unbolts

Old English 'bolt' (arrow, dart, or fastener)


An action or statement that provokes a strong emotional or physical response | A forceful impact or effect | A sudden and intense reaction

bomber | bombee | bombed | bombie | bombees | bombers


to attack with bombs | to strike heavily

bombards | bombarded | bombarder | bombarding | bombardman | bombarders


bombasts | bombastic | bombastry | bombastical | unbombastic | nonbombastic

Italian 'bombast' (originally meaning padding/stuffing)


bonify | bonitary | bona fide | bonanza | bon appetit | bon-bon | bonhomie | Bon Homme Richard | bonito | bon mot | bonny | bonus | bon voyage | debonair | pro bono publico | summum bonum | boon | bountiful | bounty

Cognatarium | http://www.palosverdes.com/jesse/pvphs/www—freecollege—com—vocab.htm | Wikidata


bonds | bonded | bonder | rebond | debond | bondman

Old English bond 'a tie, fastening, or prisoner'


hard part of a vertebrate skeleton | rigid structure

boner | bones | boned | debone | boners | unbone


Sound of a doorbell | ringing sound | chime


bonnets | unbonnet | bonneted | sunbonnet | unbonnets | bonneting

Old French bonnet, diminutive of bonnet (bonnet/cap)


boos | booed | booer | booing | booers | booings

Middle English, from Old English bōgian 'to fear', of Germanic origin.


Stupid, foolish | lacking in intelligence | senseless

boobs | boobed | manboob | boobage | boobish | outboob


A tropical seabird of the Sulidae family | a bird traditionally viewed as foolish | a member of the genera Sula or Papasula


a large amount of money | loot | stolen goods

From Dutch boedel 'property, estate', from Middle Dutch boetel, from Old French botel 'bundle, package'


boogied | boogies | boogieman | boogieing | boogieboard | boogieboards

Likely derived from the verb 'boogie' meaning to dance, possibly influenced by 'boogie-woogie' (a piano style) or African roots, popularized in the 1940s-50s.


written work | volume | collection of pages

books | booky | booked | booker | rebook | unbook

Proto-Germanic *bōkō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰōgos, from *bʰeh₂- 'beech' (referring to runes carved on beech wood)


booker, bookkeeper, booking, booked, books

From English 'book' + agentive suffix '-er'


To shout loudly | To exclaim forcefully | To make a thunderous sound

booms | boomy | boomer | kaboom | boomed | boomlet


boors | boorish | boorishly | unboorish | boorishness


to push | to thrust | to increase | to strengthen

boosts | booster | boosted | deboost | upboost | boosters

Middle French 'bouster' (to push, thrust)


boots | reboot | booted | booter | unboot | bootleg

Middle English 'bote' (footwear) or 'boot' (kick)


booths | boothman | Boothian | boothlike | boothmate | telebooth


stolen goods | illegally acquired items | spoils of theft

Derived from Old English 'bōt', originally meaning compensation, later extended to mean stolen goods.


boozer | boozed | boozes | boozers | boozefest | boozehead

Origin uncertain, possibly from Scottish 'boose' or Dutch 'boos' (drunk), first attested in the 19th century.


borders | bordered | borderer | emborder | deborder | bordering


boreoarctic | boreotropic | boreonemoral | boreotropics | boreotropical


brought forth | existing from birth | originating from

Old English 'boren', past participle of 'beran' 'to bear'


airborne, widespread, newborn, ill-borne

inborne | seaborne | skyborne | shipborne | foodborne | windborne

Old English boren, past participle of beran 'to carry'


Maryborough | headboroughs | boroughholder | boroughmasters | boroughholders

Old English -burh 'fortified place, stronghold'


to take with intent to return | to use temporarily

borrows | borrower | borrowed | reborrow | inborrow | borrowee

Old English borhian 'to pledge, to make a bond'


bosoms | bosomy | embosom | unbosom | bosomed | embosoms


bossy | emboss | bosses | bosser | bossed | deboss


Bostonian, Boston Celtics, Boston Common

Proper Noun, Location, Geographic Origin

Named after Boston, Lincolnshire, England, which was named after St. Botolph's town.


automated software | robot | computer program

bots | mobot | botty | botfly | botnet | fembot


botanic | botanist | botanology | botany | botanica | ethnobotany

βοτάνη | βότανον (botánē | bótanon) | βοτανικός | Greek botanē : a plant boskein : to feed


botchy | botched | botches | botcher | botching | botchers

From Old French 'botchier' meaning 'to patch up' or 'to mend', originally referring to the work of a botcher (a butcher or one who mends leather).


to annoy | to disturb | to cause trouble

bothers | bothered | botherer | bebother | bothering | botherers

Middle English botheren, of unknown origin, perhaps from Low German or Dutch botteren 'to beat, thump'


bottled | bottler | bottlers | unbottle | rebottle | embottle


bell-bottom, bellbottom, flat-bottom, rock-bottom, round-bottom, bottomless

bottoms | bottomy | bottomry | bottomed | bottomer | bottoming


botulism (poisoning) | toxin from Clostridium botulinum

Named after the bacterium Clostridium botulinum


Latin 'bos' (genitive 'bovis') meaning 'cow, ox'


From Old French 'bouchier' (butcher), derived from 'boucher' (to butcher), ultimately from Frankish or Old High German roots related to 'bucca' (cheek/jowl) or 'buccula' (little cheek), referring to the cheek of the animal being slaughtered.


French 'bouffant', from 'bouffer' 'to puff out'


acquired | purchased | obtained via payment

boughts | boughten | unbought | overbought | shopbought | storebought


Provençal 'bolhi' (to boil) + 'abaissar' (to lower)


boulders | bouldery | boulderer | boulderers | boulderlike | boulderless

Middle English 'boulder', related to 'boll' (lump/ball)


French 'boulevard' (originally a bulwark/rampart)


to spring back | to rebound | to move up and down

bouncer | bounced | bouncers | debounce | bounceth | debounced

Middle English bouncen, from Old French bons (good/stout)


bounds | bounded | inbound | bounder | bounden | upbound

Old English bunden, past participle of binden 'to bind'


Old French 'bonte' (goodness/generosity)


a type of whiskey distilled primarily from corn

bourbons | bourbonic | Bourbonic | Bourbonist | Bourbonism

from Bourbon County, Kentucky, where the spirit was first aged and popularized in the late 18th century


middle class | pertaining to the bourgeoisie

bourgeoise | bourgeoises | unbourgeois | bourgeoised | nonbourgeois | bourgeoising

Old French 'borgeois' from 'bourg' (town)


bourgeois, bourgeoisify, bourgeoisification, petit-bourgeoisie

Old French 'borgeis' (dweller in a borough/town)


Old English bùrn "stream" or bourn "boundary"


Greek a- (alpha privative) + bous 'ox' (referring to the absence of horns)


Old French 'bout' (end, extremity, or point)


bovines | bovinely | nonbovine | antibovine


bows | elbow | bower | bowed | oxbow | embow


to remove offensive or objectionable material

bowdlerize | bowdlerise | Bowdlerise | bowdlerism | bowdlerizes | bowdlerised

derived from Thomas Bowdler, who published a sanitized version of Shakespeare's plays


bowels | embowel | unbowel | disbowel | unbowels | nonbowel


amoral, atypical, anonymous, asymmetry, atheist

Greek prefix a- (before a vowel) or an- (before a consonant) meaning 'not' or 'without'


a deep, round container | a hollow depression

bowls | bowler | bowled | embowl | bowling | bowlful

Old English 'bolla' (hollow object, bowl)


a type of knot | a loop at the end of a rope

From Middle English 'bowline', referring to a rope used to fasten the bow of a sail to the yard.


abox | boxy | boxer | boxen | boxed | boxes


boys | boyz | boysy | unboy | boyly | cowboy

Old English 'bōy' (boy, servant), of unknown origin, possibly from Old French 'boi' (boy, servant) or a Germanic root related to 'bōwan' (to dwell)


refuse to engage with | protest by withdrawal

boycotts | boycotted | boycotter | boycottee | boycotting | boycotters

Eponymous; named after Captain Charles Boycott


From Old French 'boiel' or 'bueil', diminutive of 'bois' (wood) or related to 'belle' (beautiful), originally referring to a young man or lover.


a women's undergarment for breast support | a shortened form of brassiere | a type of supportive undergarment

brami | braless | handbra | demibra | unbraed | bralette

Clipping of French 'brassière', a term for a supportive undergarment.


brace (all senses), bracelet, bracer, bracero, embrace

bracer | braces | braced | embrace | unbrace | bracers


denoting brevity | referring to the abbreviated segment of the arm | or the upper arm region | applied in its primary sense or to signify the arm | conveying 'short' or, less frequently, 'small'

brachycephalic | brachycardia | amphibrach | brachistochrone | brachycephaly | brachydactyly | brachyury | dibrach | tribrach | brachycranial | brachydactylic | brachylogy | brachypterous | brachyuran

brachycardia | amphibrach | brachistochrone | brachycephaly | brachydactyly | brachyury | dibrach | tribrach | brachycephalic | brachycranial | brachydactylic | brachylogy | brachypterous | brachyuran

brachylogy | brachydome | brachydomes | brachyblast | brachyodont | brachyfacial

Attribute adder | Descriptives | Anomalous form

Greek βραχύς (brakhús) | short | little | shallow | βραχύς (brakhús) | Greek bradys : slow | Greek brachys : short


brackety | bracketry | unbracket | bracketing | unbrackets | bracketers

Latin 'bracchium' meaning 'arm' or 'forearm', referring to the curved shape resembling an arm or the supporting structure of a bracket.


bracts | bracted | bractlet | bractlets | bractless | bractiform

Latin bractea "small plate, thin sheet of metal"


bradycardia | bradysuria | bradytelic | bradykinin | bradylogia

bradypnea | bradytroph | bradyseism | bradylalia | bradyzoite | bradypnoea

Greek βραδύς (bradús) | slow | βραδύς (bradús) | βράδος (brádos)


to boast | to gloat | to express excessive pride

brags | braggy | bragger | bragged | outbrag | braggie

Middle English braggen; origin uncertain, possibly related to 'brag' (to boast) or imitative.


braggarts | braggartry | braggartly | braggartism

Middle English braggart, from brag (to boast)


abraid | upbraid | abraids | braided | unbraid | braider


brailler | brailles | braillers | nonbraille


the soft substance enclosed in the skull of vertebrates | the intellectual faculty

brainy | brains | brained | debrain | brainer | brainal


braked | unbrake | airbrake | brakeman | unbraked | unbrakes

Middle English breken, from Old English brecan 'to break'


branch, branching, branchlet, branchy, branchless

brans | branny | branmeal | branlike | brantail | brantails

From Old English 'branc' (branch, bough), from Proto-Germanic '*branxaz', related to 'branch' and 'branching'.


branchiopneustic, branchiopod, nudibranch, branchiopodan, branchiopodous

branchy | branched | brancher | debranch | branching | subbranch


Latin branchia 'gills' (from Greek branchia)


respiratory organ in aquatic animals | respiratory organs in aquatic animals

branchiopneustic | branchiopod | nudibranch | branchiopodan | branchiopodous | abranchiate | branchiae | Elasmobranchii | tetrabranchiate

βράγχιον (bránkhion) | Greek branchia : gills


branchiopneustic | branchiopod | nudibranch | branchiopodan | branchiopodous

branchioma | branchiomas | Branchiopoda | branchiomere | branchiogenic | branchiomeric


scorch with heat | blunt weapon | distinctive symbol | identifier | emblem

brand-new, brandish, brandy, branding iron

brand (all senses), brandish, brandling, brand-new, brandy, firebrand

brands | rebrand | branded | brander | cobrand | debrand

Middle English Old English brand, brond : flame, torch, sword


From Old English 'brand' meaning 'sword' or 'flame', derived from Proto-Germanic '*brandaz'.


a distilled alcoholic beverage made from wine or fermented fruit | a type of spirit | a strong liquor

Derived from Dutch 'brandewijn', meaning 'burnt wine' (from 'branden' to burn + 'wijn' wine).


brashy | brashly | brashness | stonebrash | brashnesses

Middle English brash (meaning 'brittle' or 'broken'), likely related to 'brash' (noisy/impudent)


brassy | brassie | brasses | brassen | brassies | brassily

Old French brassiere 'arm band', from bras 'arm'


French brasserie, from brasser 'to brew'


brats | bratty | fanbrat | bratling | brattily | brattish


From Middle High German brâtwürst, from brâwen 'to roast' + Würst 'sausage'.


Proto-Germanic *brūnaz, from PIE *bhrūnos


braves | braved | braven | bravely | embrave | unbrave


bravura, bravura performance, display of bravura


brawls | brawly | brawler | brawled | brawlers | brawling


brawny | brawns | brawner | brawners | brawnily | brawniness

Middle English 'brawn', from Old French 'braon' 'flesh, muscle'


to make a loud, harsh cry | sound of a donkey

brays | brayer | brayed | outbray | brayings | outbrays


to coat with brass | to alloy with copper and zinc


large metal container for burning fuel | hearth

Middle French 'brasier' from 'braise' (live coal)


breach, breach of contract, breach of promise, breach of trust, breach of warranty, breach of the peace, breach of duty, breach of faith, breach of confidence, breach of obligation

breachy | breaches | breached | breacher | breaching | prebreach


food made of flour and water | baked dough

breads | bready | breaded | breaden | breader | breadbox

Old English brēad 'slice, piece, morsel'


distance from side to side | width | extent


cause something to fracture or split apart | disrupt or interrupt continuity | terminate a relationship or agreement

break | breakable | breakage | breakaway | breakdown | breaker | break-even | breakfast | breakfront | break-in | breakneck | breakout | breakthrough | breakup | breakwater | outbreak | unbreakable | brake | breach

breaky | upbreak | breaker | breakup | tobreak | unbreak

Old English brecan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- 'to break'


The physical chest area | The figurative center of emotions and feelings | The innermost thoughts and heart

abreast | breasts | breasty | breasted | unbreast | breastie

Derived from Old English 'brōst' meaning chest or breast.


breaths | breathy | breathed | breathly | breathily | dogbreath


breach, breech, breechcloth, breechblock

unbreech | breeching | nonbreech | breechings | breechless | breechcloth

Middle English breche, from Old English bryce 'a break, fracture'


to produce offspring | type of animal | lineage

breeds | breedy | upbreed | breeder | inbreed | breeded

Old English brēdan "to bring forth, breed, produce"


Middle English 'brese', related to Old English 'brēas'


breastplate, breastbone, breastfeed, breaststroke

From Old English 'brēost', meaning breast or chest, from Proto-Germanic '*brēstaz'.


From the name of the region Brittany (Breton: Breizh)


Old English 'bret' meaning board, plank, or table


brief | short in duration | relating to 2/2 time with the half-note as the beat

brevis | breviare | OItalian brigare : to contend | to struggle briga : strife | quarrel


breviary, brevity, abridge, abbreviate, brief

brevets | brevetcy | breveted | breveting | brevetted | unbreveted

French 'brevet' (patent, warrant, or brief summary)


brevity, brief, breviloquent, abbreviate, abbreviature


to boil | to prepare a drink | to concoct

brews | brewed | rebrew | brewery | brewing | brewpub


to give money or a gift to influence someone's behavior

from Latin 'bribare' meaning 'to give a gratuity', possibly from Old French 'bribe' meaning 'a morsel of food'


block of baked clay | solid mass | building material

bricks | bricky | brickie | bricker | unbrick | rebrick


brides | brided | bridely | bridebed | bridegift | brideless


bridges | bridged | bridger | bridgey | bridgers | unbridged


briefs | briefly | briefer | debrief | briefed | rebrief


two-masted warship | vessel for detaining captives | gang of thieves

brig, brigade, brigadier, brigand, brigantine

From Latin 'brigantia' (high, lofty) or 'brigare' (to plunder), likely via Old French 'brigand' and 'brigade'. The core semantic link is 'high' (status/height) evolving into 'robber' (one who operates from high ground or is elevated in status) and 'military unit' (organized group).