What does acephalus mean in Latin?

acephalus, a adjective, means “Without a head, chief or leader.; Of a hexameter which begins with a short syllable.; Acephalite”.

How do you pronounce acephalus?

In classical Latin, [aˈkɛ.pʰa.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [aˈt͡ʃɛː.fa.lus].

adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

acephalus (feminine acephala, neuter acephalum)

Classical[aˈkɛ.pʰa.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[aˈt͡ʃɛː.fa.lus]

adjectiveWithout a head, chief or leader.
adjectiveOf a hexameter which begins with a short syllable.
adjectiveAcephalite; pertaining to a Monophysite heresy.
Hoc tempore eadem acephalorum heresis sub anathemate condemnatur.At the same time [as the reign of Justinian, son of Heraclius], the headless ones' heresy was condemned with anathema.c. 703, Bede, Chronica Minor:
Medieval LatinadjectiveHeathen.
Medieval LatinadjectiveWithout a fixed diocese.

singular
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	acephalus	acephala	acephalum
genitive	acephalī	acephalae	acephalī
dative	acephalō	acephalae	acephalō
accusative	acephalum	acephalam	acephalum
ablative	acephalō	acephalā	acephalō
vocative	acephale	acephala	acephalum

plural
form	masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative	acephalī	acephalae	acephala
genitive	acephalōrum	acephalārum	acephalōrum
dative	acephalīs	acephalīs	acephalīs
accusative	acephalōs	acephalās	acephala
ablative	acephalīs	acephalīs	acephalīs
vocative	acephalī	acephalae	acephala

ăcĕphălus, i, adj., = ἀκέφαλος.

I. Without head, without chief or leader.— Subst.: ăcĕphăli, a sect of heretics, Isid. Or. 8, 5, 66; cf. 5, 39, 39 sq.—

II. In prosody, of a hexameter which begins with a short syllable (e. g. ἐπειδή), Vel. Long. p. 2219 P.

From Ancient Greek ἀκέφαλος (aképhalos, “headless”).

Descendants