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

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

It has no single origin, but draws on folk dance traditions across Europe and Africa and was consolidated as a dance style within the US country music scene in the 20th Century.

From BBC

“There are many centers where nearly 99 percent of teachers are of Hispanic origin.”

From Salon

It's named after the Farsi word for "my darling" and features an ear-tingling riff on the santur - a hammered dulcimer of Iranian origin.

From BBC

In both cases, French police have identified suspects of Moldovan origin.

From BBC

This means that they warrant further investigation to determine whether they are biological in origin.

From BBC

Related Words

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