LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

alveolus

alveolus m (genitive alveolī)
Classical[aɫˈwe.ɔ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[alˈvɛː.o.lus]

Meaning

  1. masculinea small hollow or cavity
  2. masculinea tray, trough, basin
  3. masculinea small gaming board upon which the dice are thrown
  4. masculinea small channel of a river
  5. masculinea weaver's shuttle (from its shape)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativealveolusalveolī
genitivealveolīalveolōrum
dativealveolōalveolīs
accusativealveolumalveolōs
ablativealveolōalveolīs
vocativealveolealveolī

alvĕŏlus, i, m. dim. alveus,
I. a small hollow or cavity.
I. A tray, trough, basin: alveolus ligneus, Phaedr. 2, 5; * Liv. 28, 45; so Juv. 5, 88; Col. 8, 5, 13: intriverat panes in alveolo, * Vulg. Dan. 13, 32.—
II. (In Paul. ex Fest. p. 8 Müll., as neutr.: alveolum: tabula aleatoria.) A small gaming-board, upon which the dice were thrown (cf. alveus, C.), Varr. ap. Gell. 1, 20: alveolum poscere, * Cic. Fin. 5, 20.—
III. The small channel of a river, Curt. 6, 4.—
IV. And from its shape, a weaver's shuttle (cf. Germ. Schiff), Hier. Ep. 130.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewlósder. Proto-Italic *aulos? Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der. Proto-Indo-European *-wósder. Proto-Italic *alwos? Latin alvus Proto-Indo-European *-éyos Proto-Italic *-ejos Proto-Italic *-eos Latin -eus Latin alveus Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -olus Latin alveolus From alveus (“a hollow, cavity”) + -olus (diminutive nominal suffix).

Descendants
  • Catalanalvèol
  • Englishalveolus
  • Frenchalvéole
  • Italianalveolo
  • Portuguesealvéolo
  • Romanianalveolă
  • Spanishalvéolo
  • Italianalbiolofrom Vulgar Latin *albiolus
  • Romanianalbioarăfrom Vulgar Latin *albiolus
  • Albaniannullë

In English words that came into English from alveolus

  • alveolusalveolus
  • alveolatealveolatus
  • alveolarealveolus
  • alveoliformalveolus

Quick answers

What does alveolus mean in Latin?
alveolus, a noun, means “a small hollow or cavity; a tray, trough, basin; a small gaming board upon which the dice are thrown”.
What is the genitive of alveolus?
The genitive singular is alveolī. alveolus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce alveolus?
In classical Latin, [aɫˈwe.ɔ.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [alˈvɛː.o.lus].
Which English words come from alveolus?
English words that go back to Latin alveolus include alveolus, alveolare, alveoliform and alveolate.