noun · masculinethird declension
apex
apex m (genitive apicis)
Classical[ˈa.pɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.peks]
Meaning
- masculineThe extreme end of a thing; the point, summit, top.
- literallymasculineThe small rod (generally of olive wood) at the top of the flamen's cap, wound around with a woolen cord or "thread".
- masculineThe conical leathern cap of an ancient Roman priest (the Flamen), ornamented with this rod.
- masculineAny hat or helmet; a crown.
- literallymasculineA projecting point or summit.
- figurativelyliterallymasculineThe highest ornament or honor; the crown of a thing.
- masculineThe macron (long mark over a vowel).
- masculineThe tilde.
- masculineA letter or any other writing.
- masculineThe forms or outlines of the letters.
- EcclesiasticalLatinfigurativelymasculine(of the point or apex of a Hebrew letter) The least particle, tittle.
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | apex | apicēs |
| genitive | apicis | apicum |
| dative | apicī | apicibus |
| accusative | apicem | apicēs |
| ablative | apice | apicibus |
| vocative | apex | apicēs |
ăpex, ĭcis, m. etym. acc. to Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 270, and Paul. ex Fest. p. 18 Müll., from apo, to join to, whence aptus; cf. Van. Etym. p. 33,
I. the extreme end of a thing, the point, summit, top (syn.: cacumen, summa, fastigium, culmen, vertex); hence,
I. Lit., the small rod at the top of the flamen's cap, wound round with wool, Serv. ad Verg. A. 2, 683; 10, 270.—Hence,
II. Transf.
A. (As pars pro toto.) The conical cap of the flamen, ornamented with this rod:
QVEI. APICEM. INSIGNE. DIALIS. FLAMINIS. GESISTEI, Epitaph. Scip. Grotef. 2, 299: apicem dialem, Liv. 6, 41: apex e capite prolapsus, Val. Max. 1, 1, n. 4.—Hence, of the priesthood itself: homo honestus non apice insignis, Sen. ap. Lact. 17, 6.—B. Any hat or helmet, a crown:
ab aquilā Tarquinio apicem impositum putent, Cic. Leg. 1, 1: regum apices, Hor. C. 3, 21, 20: ardet apex capiti, Verg. A. 10, 270; 2, 683.—Of birds, the crest, Plin. 11, 37, 44, § 121.—C. A projecting point or summit.
1. Lit., of trees:
lauri, Verg. A. 7, 66.—Of a headland: sublimis, Juv. 12, 72: montis apex, Sil. 12, 709; so Vulg. Judith, 7, 3.—Of the point of a sickle, Col. 4, 25, 1.—Of the summit of a flame, Ov. M. 10, 279 et saep.—2. Trop., the highest ornament or honor, the crown of a thing:
apex est senectutis auctoritas, Cic. Sen. 17, 60: hinc apicem Fortuna sustulit, hic posuisse gaudet, Hor. C. 1, 34, 14.—D. 1.. In gram., the long mark over a vowel, Quint. 1, 7, 2; 1, 4, 10; 1, 5, 23;
Victor. p. 2469 P.—Hence, trop.: nullum apicem quaestionis praetermittere, Arn. 3 init.—2. The forms or outlines of the letters:
litterarum apices, Gell. 13, 30, 10; 17, 9, 12.—Hence (per synecdochen), E. A letter or any other writing:
apicum oblator, Sid. Ep. 6, 8: Augusti apices, i. e. rescripts, Cod. Just. 2, 8, 6 fin.—F. Of the point or apex of a Hebrew letter, put fig. for the least particle, tittle (eccl. Lat.; Gr. ἡ κεραία):
iota unum aut unus apex non praeteribit a lege, Vulg. Matt. 5, 18; ib. Luc. 16, 17.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
apex icis, m
1 AP-, the extreme end, point, summit, top: lauri, V.: montis, O.: sublimis (of a headland), Iu.: levis, a tongue of flame, V.—A hat, helmet, crown: regum apices, H.: summus, the top of the helmet, V.: hinc apicem Fortuna Sustulit, the crown, H.: dialis, the flamen's hat, i. e. the priestly office, L. — Fig., the highest ornament: apex est senectutis auctoritas.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *apeks, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep- (“to join, fit”). De Vaan approches this connection with caution since a link with apiō is through some meanings feasible in addition to the observation that most ex, -icis are technical terms without Indo-European origin.
Descendants
- Catalanàpex
- Englishapex
- Frenchapex
- GermanApex
- Italianapice
- Portugueseápice
- Portugueseápex
- Romanianapex
- Spanishápice
- Spanishápex