15 Ancient Greek Words You Didn’t Realize You Knew

Below is a list of 15 English words borrowed / derived from Ancient Greek. Given the original (romanized) word in Ancient Greek can you guess the common English word used today?
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Gyovhne
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Last updated: June 14, 2021
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First submittedJune 14, 2021
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Ancient Greek (romanized)
Meaning
English
hélix + pterón
"spiral wings"
helicopter
akrobátēs
"walking on tiptoe"
acrobat
koimētḗrion
"sleeping place"
cemetery
deinós + saûros
"terrible lizard"
dinosaur
melímēlon
"honey apple"
marmalade
mousikḗ
"of the Muses"
music
oikonomía
"management of a household"
economy
boútūron
"cow cheese"
butter
mākhanā́
"contrivance" / "device"
machine
pápuros
"papyrus"
paper
eirōneía
"feigned ignorance"
irony
rhīnókerōs
"horned nose"
rhinoceros
théatron
"place for viewing”
theater
présbus
"elder"
priest
túrannos
"absolute ruler"
tyrant
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2 Comments
+5
Level 78
Oct 2, 2025
Could you please accept theatre as an alternative spelling to theater? I also tried economics, rather than economy.
+2
Level 81
Oct 2, 2025
You're not the only one!