LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

cuspis

cuspis f (genitive cuspidis)
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininepoint, tip (of a pointed object)
  2. femininespit (for cooking)
  3. femininesting (of an insect etc.)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

summa pars acūta hastae vel iaculī.
cuspis -idis f — in Mille Verba, Castra in Aegyptō

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Acies · Acumen · Cacumen · Mucro · Cuspis

1. Acies is the sharpness of a line adapted for cutting; acumen, of a tip or point adapted for sticking. Figuratively, the acies mentis is shown in the keen sifting of what is confused, in clear perception; the acumen mentis is the fathoming of that which is deeply hidden, in subtle discovery. 2. Acumen and cacumen mean a natural head or top; acumen, of a cone, beak, and so forth; cacumen, particularly that of a mountain: mucro and cuspis mean an artificial head, for the purpose of piercing and wounding; mucro, that of a sword, dagger, and so forth; cuspis, that of a spear, arrow, etc., like αἰχμή. (vi. 5.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecuspiscuspidēs
genitivecuspidiscuspidum
dativecuspidīcuspidibus
accusativecuspidemcuspidēs
ablativecuspidecuspidibus
vocativecuspiscuspidēs

cuspis, ĭdis, f. etym. dub.,
I. a point, the pointed end of any thing (freq., esp. in the poets).
I. Prop.: asserum, * Caes. B. C. 2, 2: vomeris, Plin. 18, 18, 48, § 172. acuta contorum, Verg. A. 5, 208: acuta teli, Ov. M. 1, 470: hastae, id. ib. 5, 9; 6, 78: jaculi, id. ib. 7, 673: medicata, Sil. 13, 197: aquilae, the pointed end of the standard; Gr. στύραξ, Suet. Caes. 62 et saep.—
II. Meton. (pars pro toto).
A. A spear, javelin, lance, Verg. A. 11, 41; 12, 386; Hor. C. 4, 6, 8; id. S. 2, 1, 14; Ov. M. 6, 673; Liv 4, 38, 3 and 4; 8, 7, 9 and 11; Plin. 34, 15, 45, § 152 al.—
B. A spit, Mart. 14, 221, 2.—
C. The trident of Neptune, Ov. M. 12, 580; cf. triplex, id. ib. 12, 594; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 181.—
D. The sting of a bee, Plin. 21, 13, 45, § 78.—
E. A scorpion's sting, Ov. M. 2, 199.—
F. A pointed tube, Varr. R. R. 1, 8, 4.

Origins

Unknown origin. Possibly from an earlier *kuri-spid-, a compound of curis (“alternative form of quiris (“spear”)”) + a Proto-Italic noun *spis (“lance”); the latter would be from Proto-Indo-European *spey- (“sharp point”), and related to Latvian spina and Russian спина (spina). However, dvandva compounds are quite abnormal within Latin, in addition to curis possibly being from the same unknown origin as cuspis to begin with.

Descendants
  • Catalancúspide
  • Frenchcopeaufrom Old French coispel
  • Catalancospellfrom Old French coispel
  • Spanishcospelfrom Old French coispel
  • Italiancuspide
  • Portuguesecúspide
  • Spanishcúspide
  • Englishcusp
  • Englishcuspid
  • Normancoîpelfrom Old French coispel

Quick answers

What does cuspis mean in Latin?
cuspis, a noun, means “point, tip (of a pointed object); spit (for cooking); sting (of an insect etc.)”.
What is the genitive of cuspis?
The genitive singular is cuspidis. cuspis is feminine, third declension.