LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

adeps

adeps m (genitive adipis)
Classical[ˈa.dɛps]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.deps]

Meaning

  1. masculinefat, lard, grease
  2. masculinecorpulence, obesity
  3. masculinesapwood

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeadepsadipēs
genitiveadipisadipum
dativeadipīadipibus
accusativeadipemadipēs
ablativeadipeadipibus
vocativeadepsadipēs

ădeps, ĭpis, comm. (in Plin. and Serv., m.; in Cels., Quint., and Pallad., f.; in Col.
I. c.; cf. Prisc. 657 and 752 P.; Rudd. I. p. 34; Koffm. s. v.) [from ἄλειφα with interch. of d and l], the soft fat or grease of animals, suet, lard (the hard is called sevum).
A. Lit.: suilla, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 7: ursinus, Plin. 28, 11, 46, § 163: vulpinus, ib.: anserinus, ib. 48: caprina, Col. R. R. 6, 12, 5: ad creandas adipes, id. ib. 8, 14, 11. —And in the sense of sevum: adipe, qui prope omnes Italas lucernas illuminat, the tallow, Aug. de Mor. Manich. 2, 16.—Hence,
B. Metaph.
1. Of men: non mihi esse Lentuli somnum, nec Cassii adipes, nec Cethegi temeritatem pertimescendam, the corpulence, * Cic. Cat. 3, 7: dum sciat (declamator) sibi quoque tenuandas adipes, Quint. 2, 10, 6 (v. adipatus, crassus, crassedo).—
2. Of fat or fertile earth, marl, Plin. 17, 6, 4, § 42.—
3. In trees, that part of the wood which is soft and full of sap, also called alburnum, Plin. 16, 38, 72, § 182.!*? The form adipes, assumed by Prisc. 752 and 1293 P., on account of Varr. R. R. 2, 11, rests upon an error, since not adipes illa, but adeps suilla, should be read there, v. Schneid. ad h. l.

Origins

Unknown. Possibly cognate with or borrowed from Umbrian 𐌀𐌛𐌄𐌐𐌄𐌔 (ařepes), perhaps derived from Proto-Italic *ad-leipā, from Proto-Indo-European *leyp-, but this is disputed. Alternatively the Italic words are borrowed from Ancient Greek ἄλειφαρ (áleiphar) or a related Greek word.

Descendants
  • Englishadeps

Quick answers

What does adeps mean in Latin?
adeps, a noun, means “fat, lard, grease; corpulence, obesity; sapwood”.
What is the genitive of adeps?
The genitive singular is adipis. adeps is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce adeps?
In classical Latin, [ˈa.dɛps]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaː.deps].