26984 words

origin

11 definitions • 17 examples
1
the beginning or cause of something:

Examples:

It's a book about the origin of the universe.
Her unhappy childhood was the origin of her problems later in life.
What's the origin of this saying? (= Where did it come from?)
2
used to describe the particular way in which something started to exist or someone started their life:

Examples:

The story has obscure origins (= no one knows how it started).
3
where a person was born:

Examples:

He is of North African origin.
What is your country of origin?
4
where an object was made:

Examples:

The furniture was French in origin.
5
the end of a muscle attached to the bone that does not move when the muscle is used
6
the thing from which something comes, or the place where it began:

Examples:

[ C ] the origins of language
[ U ] He studied the origin and development of the nervous system.
7
A person’s origin is the country from which the person comes:

Examples:

[ U ] The population is of Indian or Pakistani origin.
8
The origin is the zero point on a number line (= drawing that represents all the numbers that exist), or the point where the horizontal and vertical lines on a graph (= drawing) cross.
9
the beginning or cause of something:

Examples:

The origins of this practice date back to the time of the Depression.
Whether entrepreneurs are self-employed or working as employees, they are often at the origin of radical innovations.
10
the place where something was made or came from:

Examples:

The furniture was French in origin.
The origin of the money that financed the deal was unclear.
All these products must state their country of origin clearly on the packaging.
11
the place where a person was born:

Examples:

He is of North African origin.
What is your country of origin?

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