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origin

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈɒrɪdʒɪn/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈɔrɪdʒɪn, ˈɑr-/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ôri jin, or-)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•i•gin /ˈɔrɪdʒɪn, ˈɑr-/USA pronunciation   n. 
  1. [countable* usually: singular] a source from which anything arises or comes.
  2. the first years or stage of existence:[countable* often: plural]a woman of mysterious origins.
  3. descent:[uncountable]was clearly of Scandinavian origin.
See -ori-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
or•i•gin  (ôri jin, or-),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. something from which anything arises or is derived;
    source;
    fountainhead:to follow a stream to its origin.
  2. rise or derivation from a particular source:the origin of a word.
  3. the first stage of existence;
    beginning:the origin of Quakerism in America.
  4. ancestry;
    parentage;
    extraction:to be of Scottish origin.
  5. Anatomy
    • the point of derivation.
    • the more fixed portion of a muscle.
  6. Mathematics
    • the point in a Cartesian coordinate system where the axes intersect.
    • Also called pole. the point from which rays designating specific angles originate in a polar coordinate system with no axes.
  • Latin orīgin- (stem of orīgō) beginning, source, lineage, derivative of orīrī to rise; compare orient
  • Middle English 1350–1400
    1. root, foundation. 4. birth, lineage, descent.
    1. destination, end.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
origin /ˈɒrɪdʒɪn/ n
  1. a primary source; derivation
  2. the beginning of something; first stage or part
  3. (often plural) ancestry or parentage; birth; extraction
    • the end of a muscle, opposite its point of insertion
    • the beginning of a nerve or blood vessel or the site where it first starts to branch out
    • the point of intersection of coordinate axes or planes
    • the point whose coordinates are all zero
  4. the country from which a commodity or product originates: shipment from origin
Etymology: 16th Century: from French origine, from Latin orīgō beginning, birth, from orīrī to rise, spring from
'origin' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: the origin of [the universe, life, the species], the origins of [civilization, modern philosophy], the origin of the [stream, river], more...

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "origin" in the title:

"..are such that confusion as to origin is likely"
'origin' as a point of departure
'original' and 'of origin' synonyms?
a bit round the bend -- origin
"A frog in the well" - is it of English origin?
a woman of humble origin/origins
"account of origin" in contract?
and, 'depending' on ethnic origin, [gerund or preposition?]
Are for foreign or are of foreign origin.
As a result of: Cause or origin?
as were 37% on country of origin
ascribe the origin to Chinese
banal of origin
bastard origin
be of a more recent origin
be of material origin beyond a reasonable doubt
bear right/left - origin
Book Title True Meaning: "Origin of Consciousness in..."
cause or origin
Changing the word from its origin.
chap origin of the word
citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. [Omitted Serial Comma?]
countries of origin
cup of joe [= coffee] Origin?
Cut off your nose to spite your face- Origin vs figurative
do foods of plant origin
Don't grass on me -- origin
English Expression Origin: Nutty as a Fruitcake
English philosophy/psychology words of German origin
Etymology or origin of English words.
more...

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