origin

[ awr-i-jin, or- ]

noun

1. something from which anything arises or is derived; source; fountainhead:

   to follow a stream to its origin.

   Synonyms: foundation, root

   Antonyms: end, destination

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.

   Synonyms: descent, linage, birth

5. Anatomy.
   1. the point of derivation.
   2. the more fixed portion of a muscle.
6. Mathematics.
   1. the point in a Cartesian coordinate system where the axes intersect.
   2. Also called pole. the point from which rays designating specific angles originate and are measured from in a polar coordinate system with no axes.

origin

/ ˈɒrɪdʒɪn /

noun

1. a primary source; derivation
2. the beginning of something; first stage or part
3. often plural ancestry or parentage; birth; extraction
4. anatomy
   1. the end of a muscle, opposite its point of insertion
   2. the beginning of a nerve or blood vessel or the site where it first starts to branch out
5. maths
   1. the point of intersection of coordinate axes or planes
   2. the point whose coordinates are all zero See also pole 2
6. commerce the country from which a commodity or product originates

   shipment from origin

origin

/ ôr′ə-jĭn /

1. The point at which the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system intersect. The coordinates of the origin are (0,0) in two dimensions and (0,0,0) in three dimensions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of origin¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin orīgin-, stem of orīgō “beginning, source, lineage,” from or(īrī) “to rise” ( orient ) + -īgō, noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of origin¹

C16: from French origine, from Latin orīgō beginning, birth, from orīrī to rise, spring from

Example Sentences

“The origin of Brokpas is lost in antiquity,” a research article from the University of Delhi notes.

From The Daily Beast

The mythic origin of the feast was the creation of the world by the god Marduk.

From The Daily Beast

Some of the more notorious “green on blue” attacks have their origin in such outraged honor.

From The Daily Beast

Black Alice and Strix have origin stories that more closely resemble the archetypal comic heroes.

From The Daily Beast

The virus had to come from somewhere, but no one could figure out its origin.

From The Daily Beast

Just corporeal enough to attest humanity, yet sufficiently transparent to let the celestial origin shine through.

From Project Gutenberg

But not only has the name tobacco and the implements employed in its use caused much discussion but also the origin of the plant.

From Project Gutenberg

A marked increase indicates some pathologic condition at the site of their origin.

From Project Gutenberg

William King, archbishop of Dublin, died; author of a celebrated treatise on the origin of evil.

From Project Gutenberg

Carpenter were the leaders, and this is claimed to have been the origin of Mechanics' Institutes.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• ancestor
• ancestry
• connection
• element
• influence
• motive
• provenance
• root
• source