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Thesaurus

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a book of synonyms

Where does the word "thesaurus" come from? It comes from Greek thēsauros, passing through Latin before entering English (1820s).

thēsauros→thesaurus→thesaurus

Greek · ancient

"treasure, storehouse"

Greek, the root of 'treasure'

Latin · ancient

Roman writers used it for a treasury or storehouse

English · 1820s

Roget's Thesaurus of 1852 fixed the sense 'book of synonyms'

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Read the full story

Thesaurus’s story begins in Greek: thēsauros meant “treasure, storehouse.” Greek, the root of 'treasure'. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as thesaurus. Roman writers used it for a treasury or storehouse. It reached English by 1820s as thesaurus. Roget's Thesaurus of 1852 fixed the sense 'book of synonyms'. Today, thesaurus means a book of synonyms.