origins
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or·i·gin
(ôr′ə-jĭn, ŏr′-)n.
1. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived.
2. often origins Ancestry: "We cannot escape our origins, however hard we try" (James Baldwin).
3. The fact of originating; rise or derivation: The rumor had its origin in an impulsive remark.
4. Anatomy The point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction.
5. Mathematics The point of intersection of coordinate axes, as in the Cartesian coordinate system.
[Middle English origine, ancestry, from Latin orīgō, orīgin-, from orīrī, to arise, be born; see er- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: origin, inception, source, root1
These nouns signify the point at which something originates. Origin is the point at which something comes into existence: The origins of some words are unknown. When origin refers to people, it means parentage or ancestry: "He came ... of mixed French and Scottish origin" (Charlotte Brontë).
Inception is the beginning, as of an action or process: The researcher was involved in the project from its inception. Source signifies the point at which something springs into being or from which it derives or is obtained: "The mysterious ... is the source of all true art and science" (Albert Einstein).
Root denotes what is considered the fundamental cause of or basic reason for something: "Lack of money is the root of all evil" (George Bernard Shaw).
These nouns signify the point at which something originates. Origin is the point at which something comes into existence: The origins of some words are unknown. When origin refers to people, it means parentage or ancestry: "He came ... of mixed French and Scottish origin" (Charlotte Brontë).
Inception is the beginning, as of an action or process: The researcher was involved in the project from its inception. Source signifies the point at which something springs into being or from which it derives or is obtained: "The mysterious ... is the source of all true art and science" (Albert Einstein).
Root denotes what is considered the fundamental cause of or basic reason for something: "Lack of money is the root of all evil" (George Bernard Shaw).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Origins
etiology. — aetiological, adj.
the study of human origins. — anthropogenic, anthropogenetic adj.
the science of origins.
the state of being aboriginal or native to a particular area. — autochthonous, adj.
the study of the causes for and origin of any phenomena. Also spelled aetiology. — etiological, adj.
the state or process of deriving from the same source or origins, as different parts deriving from the same embryo tissues. — isogenic, isogenetic, adj.
the theory that the entire human race is descended from a single ancestral pair. Also monogenesis, monogeny. — monogenist, n. — monogenistic, adj.
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Spanish / Español
origin
(ˈoridʒin) noun the place or point from which anything first comes; the cause. the origin(s) of the English language; the origin of the disagreement.origen
oˈriginal (əˈri-) adjective1. existing at the beginning; first. This part of the house is new but the rest is original.original
2. (able to produce ideas which are) new, fresh or not thought of before. original ideas; He has a very original mind.original
3. (of a painting etc) by the artist etc, from which copies may be made. The original painting is in the museum, but there are hundreds of copies.original
noun1. the earliest version. This is the original – all the others are copies.original
2. a model from which a painting etc is made. She is the original of the famous portrait.original
oˌrigiˈnality (əridʒiˈnӕ-) nounHis writing shows originality.originalidad
oˈriginally adverboriginate (əˈridʒineit) verb to bring or come into being. That style of painting originated in China.originar, crear, dar lugar a
ˈorigins noun plural a person's place of birth, family background etc. He tried to hide his origins. orígenes
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.