OpenEtymologyOpenEtymology Lookup for Chrome
A free Chrome extension that shows where an English word comes from, right on the page you are reading.
Chrome on phones and tablets can’t install extensions. Open this page in Chrome on a computer to add it.
How it works
- Select a word
Double-click or highlight an English word on any ordinary web page.
- Click the icon
A small OpenEtymology icon appears next to the word. Nothing is looked up until you click it.
- Read the card
A compact card opens beside the word. You stay on the page, and Esc or a click elsewhere closes it.
- Save or switch
Star the word to keep it for review, or switch between English and English–Chinese with EN | 中.
What the card shows, and what else it does
- Pronunciation
- US and UK IPA.
- Word structure
- The parts a word is built from and what they mean, such as com (with) + pan (bread) in companion.
- Origin
- A short history of the word, with “More” for the full note.
- Meaning
- The core definition in one line.
- EN | 中
- Switch between English-only and English–Chinese content. The extension remembers your choice.
- Saved words
- Keep words with the sentence you found them in, then search, sort, delete, or export them as CSV or an Anki deck. They are stored in your browser.
- Toolbar popup
- Type a word into the extension’s toolbar popup to look it up without selecting anything.
Who it’s for
- People who read in English on the web and want to understand unfamiliar words without leaving the article.
- English learners who find that knowing a word’s parts and origin makes it easier to remember.
- Anyone curious about where everyday words come from.
The OpenEtymology dictionary on this site, the same word database behind the wordDNA app, supplies every entry; the extension brings it to the pages you read.
Privacy
- Selecting text sends nothing. Only when you ask for a lookup is that single word sent to openetymology.com.
- Lookups carry no cookies and not the address of the page you are reading.
- Saved words stay in your browser and are never uploaded.
- No account, no ads and no tracking in the extension.
Questions
Is it free?
Yes. The extension is free and needs no account.
Does it work on every website?
It works on ordinary web pages (http and https) in Chrome on a computer. It doesn’t show the icon for text you are editing, in text fields or editors, and it doesn’t run inside embedded frames.
Why doesn’t it work on chrome:// pages or the Chrome Web Store?
Chrome doesn’t let extensions run on its own pages, such as chrome://settings, or in the Chrome Web Store. The built-in PDF viewer is also off-limits.
Which words can it look up?
Single English words in the OpenEtymology dictionary. If a form such as a plural has no entry, the card says so and suggests the base word; if one dictionary has no entry, it offers the other.
Is my data uploaded?
Only the word you choose to look up, sent to openetymology.com to fetch its entry. Your selections, saved words and reading history stay in your browser.
Look up words as you read
Add OpenEtymology Lookup to Chrome on your computer. It takes a few seconds and you can remove it at any time.
Add to ChromeInstall in Chrome on your computerChrome on phones and tablets can’t install extensions. Open this page in Chrome on a computer to add it.