Thesaurus
/θɪˈsɔːrəs/noun
A reference work that lists words grouped by meaning, often with synonyms.
Did you know?Thesauros in Greek meant a storehouse or treasure chamber, and the same root survives in the word treasury — so a thesaurus was originally a place where wealth was kept, not words.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dhes-
“to place, set, put”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θησαυρός (thēsaurós)
“a store, treasure, or treasure chamber”
Latin
Latin
thesaurus
“a treasury or storehouse; a collection of valuables”
16th Century
English
thesaurus
“a treasury or storehouse of knowledge or words”
19th Century
English
thesaurus
“a dictionary arranged by concepts and meanings, especially of synonyms”
Explore more surprising origins