Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “turd” come from?

Turd comes from Middle English toord, from Old English tord, from Proto-Germanic turdą, from Proto-Indo-European der-, a root meaning to tear or flay.

turd (English): A piece of solid animal or human feces; A...

Definitions

  1. A piece of solid animal or human feces; A...

Ancestry of “turd”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishtoordAlternative form of tord
2Old Englishtorda turd
3Proto-West Germanic*tord—
4Proto-Germanicturdąmanure; mud
5Proto-Indo-Europeander-to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to...

Words derived from “turd”

  • turdy
  • turdball
  • turdpile
  • turdlicker
  • turdish
  • turdlet
  • turdbucket
Every word from Proto-Indo-European der- →