1. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived. 2. Ancestry: “We cannot escape our origins, however hard we try” (James Baldwin). 3. The fact of originating; rise or derivation: The rumor had its origin in an impulsive remark.4.Anatomy The point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction. 5.Mathematics The point of intersection of coordinate axes, as in the Cartesian coordinate system.
ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English origine, ancestry, from Latin org, orgin-, from orr, to arise, be born. See er-1 in Appendix I.
SYNONYMS:
origin, inception, source, root1 These nouns signify the point at which something originates. Origin is the point at which something comes into existence: The origins of some words are unknown. When origin refers to people, it means parentage or ancestry: “He came . . . of mixed French and Scottish origin” (Charlotte Brontë). Inception is the beginning, as of an action or process: The researcher was involved in the project from its inception.Source signifies the point at which something springs into being or from which it derives or is obtained: “The mysterious . . . is the source of all true art and science” (Albert Einstein). Root often denotes what is considered the fundamental cause of or basic reason for something: “Lack of money is the root of all evil” (George Bernard Shaw).
ôr
-j
n, 
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, or
