LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

bractea

bractea f (genitive bracteae)

Meaning

  1. femininegold leaf (or other thin sheet of metal), foil
  2. feminineveneer
  3. femininefigurativelyshow, glitter

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativebracteabracteae
bratteae
genitivebracteae
bratteae		bracteārum
bratteārum
dativebracteae
bratteae		bracteīs
bratteīs
accusativebracteam
bratteam		bracteās
bratteās
ablativebracteābracteīs
bratteīs
vocativebracteabracteae
bratteae

bractĕa (also brattĕa), ae, f. perh. kindr. with βράχω, to rattle,
I. a thin plate of metal, gold-leaf (thicker plates of metal are called laminae; cf. Isid. Orig. 16, 18, 2: bractea dicitur tenuissima lamina): aranea bratteaque auri, * Lucr. 4, 729: leni crepitabat brattea vento, Verg. A. 6, 209: inspice, quam tenuis bractea ligna tegat, Ov. A. A. 3, 232; Mart. 8, 33, 6; Plin. 33, 3, 19, § 61; cf. argenteae, id. 37, 7, 31, § 105.—
B. Poet.: viva, the golden fleece of Spanish sheep, Mart. 9, 62, 4.—
C. Meton., thin layers of wood, veneers (opp. lamina): ligni, Plin. 16, 43, 84, § 232.—
II. Trop., show, glitter: eloquentiae, Sol. praef. 2.

Origins

Perhaps related to Ancient Greek βράχω (brákhō, “to rattle”).

Descendants
  • Englishbract
  • Frenchbractée

Quick answers

What does bractea mean in Latin?
bractea, a noun, means “gold leaf (or other thin sheet of metal), foil; veneer; show, glitter”.
What is the genitive of bractea?
The genitive singular is bracteae. bractea is feminine, first declension.