Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: origine, from Latin origo, from oriri 'to rise'

origin

 noun
     
or‧i‧gin W2 [uncountable and countable]
1 also origins [plural] the place or situation in which something begins to exist
origin of
a new theory to explain the origins of the universe
in origin
Most coughs are viral in origin.
The word is French in origin.
The tradition has its origins in the Middle Ages.
old folk tales of unknown origin
country/place of origin (=where something came from)
All meat should be clearly labelled with its country of origin.
2 also origins [plural] the country, race, or type of family which someone comes from [↪ extraction]
of French/German/Asian etc origin
Two thirds of the pupils are of Asian origin.
The form asks for information about the person's ethnic origin.
Immigrants rarely return to their country of origin.
She never forgot her humble origins (=low class or social position).
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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