Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “drizzle” come from?

Drizzle comes from Middle English drislen, from Old English drysnan, originally meaning to fall in fine drops.

drizzle (English): To rain lightly; To shed slowly in minute drops...

Definitions

  1. To rain lightly; To shed slowly in minute drops...

Ancestry of “drizzle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdryseling—
2Middle Englishdrysninga falling of dew
3Old Englishdrysnanto extinguish

Words derived from “drizzle”

  • drizzly
  • drizzler
  • bedrizzle
  • drizzleable
Every word from Old English drysnan →