etymologist

noun

: a specialist in etymology

Examples of etymologist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Interestingly, etymologists disagree about whether gumbo gets its name from kombo (the Choctaw word for filé) or gombo (the word for okra in several West African languages). Leslie Brenner, Dallas News, 30 Mar. 2023 In a series of essays written for The New England Journal of Medicine between 1971 and 1973, Thomas, a physician, an immunology researcher, and an etymologist, takes a wide-ranging, poetic look at biology. The Editors, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of etymologist was in 1604

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Etymologist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etymologist. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!