LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

culex

culex m (genitive culicis)
Classical[ˈkʊ.ɫɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈkuː.leks]

Meaning

  1. masculinegnat, midge; mosquito
    Indus elephantus haud curat culicem.An Indian elephant does not worry about a gnat.Erasmus, Adagia; 1.10.66

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeculexculicēs
genitiveculicisculicum
dativeculicīculicibus
accusativeculicemculicēs
ablativeculiceculicibus
vocativeculexculicēs

cŭlex, ĭcis, m. (f., Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 22),
I. a gnat, midge (comprising very many species), Plin. 11, 2, 1, § 2 sq.; 11, 35, 41, § 118; 17, 27, 44, § 255; Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 14; Lucr. 3, 391; Hor. S. 1, 5, 14; Col. 11, 3, 60; Mart. 3, 93, 9 al.—Also the title of a writing of Verg.; cf. Heyn. Verg. tom. iv. prooem.—As a term of reproach for a wanton lover, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 22.
culex, ĭcis, v. culix.

Origins

From Proto-Indo-European *ḱuH-ló-, see also Old Armenian սլաք (slakʻ, “roasting spit”), Irish cuil (“mosquito”), and Welsh cylion (“gnats”).

Descendants
  • Catalancúlex
  • Italianculice
  • Frenchcousin
  • Italiancugino
  • Esperantokulo
  • Hebrewכולכית

In English words that came into English from culex

  • culicidalculex
  • culiciformculex
  • culexculex

Quick answers

What does culex mean in Latin?
culex, a noun, means “gnat, midge; mosquito”.
What is the genitive of culex?
The genitive singular is culicis. culex is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce culex?
In classical Latin, [ˈkʊ.ɫɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkuː.leks].
Which English words come from culex?
English words that go back to Latin culex include culicidal, culiciform and culex.