LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

circinus

circinus m (genitive circinī)
Classical[ˈkɪr.kɪ.nʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈt͡ʃir.t͡ʃi.nus]

Meaning

  1. masculineA pair of compasses; a tool for measuring distances or constructing a circle.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

īnstrūmentum circulōrum
compass (tool)
circinus -ī (m) — in De Bello Gallico I, ch. 18

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecircinuscircinī
genitivecircinīcircinōrum
dativecircinōcircinīs
accusativecircinumcircinōs
ablativecircinōcircinīs
vocativecircinecircinī

circĭnus, i,
I. m.. = κίρκινος, a pair of compasses' flumen Dubis. ut circino circumductum, paene totum oppidum cingit, Caes. B. G. 1, 38: diducere, Vitr. 9, 7, 2: circino spatia dimetiri, id ib.; id. 10, 4, 1: ratio circini, Plin. 2, 15, 13, § 63.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker-der. Ancient Greek κίρκος (kírkos)bor. Latin circus Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Italic *-īnos Latin -inus Latin circinus From circus + -inus.

Descendants
  • EnglishCircinus
  • Englishcircinal
  • Frenchcerne
  • Italiancercine
  • Portuguesecérceo
  • Romaniancearcăn
  • Spanishcérceno
  • Spanishcercén
  • Spanishcerno
  • Spanishcerna

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesCircinusCircinus (διαβήτης: καρκίνος, Sext. Emp. M. 10.54; Anth. P. 6.295), a compass. The compass used by statuaries, architects, masons, and carpenters, is …

Quick answers

What does circinus mean in Latin?
circinus, a noun, means “A pair of compasses; a tool for measuring distances or constructing a circle.”.
What is the genitive of circinus?
The genitive singular is circinī. circinus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce circinus?
In classical Latin, [ˈkɪr.kɪ.nʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈt͡ʃir.t͡ʃi.nus].