English word origin

Etymology of grot

From grotto, by shortening, or French grotte.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A grotto.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From grotto, by shortening, or French grotte.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentiongrottefr

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "grotte"
      },
      "expansion": "French grotte"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
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      "grotto#English"
    ],
    [
      "grotte",
      "grotte#French"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A grotto."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "poetic"
      ],
      "recordId": "17faab601fa4d8ba93bbca8a34ad17cc2b96f3b9cd6b173d0bf5fea684a6c7ae",
      "rawRecordSha256": "0a9098faa3d5af11ae9a471b2cfc2d7ecf415ba627053367074cefbeebcd726c",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Any unpleasant substance or material. · A miserable person.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Back-formation from grotty.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "back-form",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grotty"
      },
      "expansion": "Back-formation from grotty"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "grotty",
      "grotty#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Any unpleasant substance or material.",
        "A miserable person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "slang",
        "uncountable",
        "countable"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for grot →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Z3JvdA