Big Picture Group
We are a research group that explores how information visualization can make complex data accessible, useful, and even fun.
Dictionary
Learn about the origin of words and how much they are used
Etymology of the word 'mortgage'.
Word histories can be revealing — consider that the word "mortgage" comes from the Latin for "dead pledge." By presenting these etymologies in a clear, accessible form, we can help users better understand the words they look up on Google.
"Mellifluous," of course, means to speak in honeyed tones:

Etymology of the word 'mellifluous'.
The simple branching flow chart to traces back the origins of words. There's a saying that language is "fossilized poetry" and the diagrams make the fossils easy to see. Some words are surprising, but some are quite logical.

Etymology of the word 'logic'.
We also added graphs of use over time, showing how a word's popularity has waxed and waned in books. For instance, "tsunami" has experienced a wave of mentions:

Usage over time of the word 'tsunami'.
Meanwhile, mustaches came into style, fell back, and now are coming back into style:

Usage over time of the word 'mustache'.
Check out each of these examples — mortgage, mellifluous, logic, tsunami, and mustache — or other word histories by searching on Google for "define:" plus your favorite word.