LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

cutis

cutis f (genitive cutis)
Classical[ˈkʊ.tɪs]Ecclesiastical[ˈkuː.tis]

Meaning

  1. feminineliving human skin
    Near-synonyms: pellis, corium, scortum
  2. femininerind, surface
  3. femininefigurativelythe appearance, outside of something
  4. femininehide, leather

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

summum tegumentum corporis
cutis -is (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 5, 8, 17

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Tergus · Cutis · Pellis · Vellus

Tergus and cutis denote the outermost covering of the flesh, as merely bare skin; tergus (from στορχάζειν, to enclose), the coarse skin of an animal, which covers the soft and eatable flesh, like δέρμα; cutis (κύτος), the finer skin of human beings, which protects the sensitive flesh like χρώς; whereas pellis and vellus denote the flesh together with a covering; pellis (from palla) more bristly, consisting of pili, like δορά; vellus (from εἶλαρ? or villus?), more woolly, consisting of villi, like μαλλός. Men have cutis; elephants, snakes, etc. tergora; lions, goats, dogs, etc., pelles; sheep, vellera. Juven. x. 192. Deformem pro cute pellem. (v. 17.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativecutiscutēs
genitivecutiscutium
dativecutīcutibus
accusativecutem
cutim		cutēs
cutīs
ablativecute
cutī		cutibus
vocativecutiscutēs

cŭtis, is (acc. cutem, App. Mag. p. 306, 14), f. kindr. with κύτος; Sanscr. gudh; Germ. Haut,
I. the skin.
I. Prop., Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 3; Cels. 2, 8; Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 183 sq.; Quint. 11, 3, 78; Hor. C. 1, 28, 13; id. A. P. 476; Sen. Ep. 95, 16; 123, 7 al.—In plur., Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 200; 11, 37, 45, § 128.—
b. Prov.: curare cutem, to take care of one's skin, i. e. to make much of one's self, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 29; 1, 4, 15 (for which pelliculam curare, id. S. 2, 5, 38): cogere aliquem intra suam cutem, Sen. Ep. 9, 13: cute perditus, sick in one's body, Pers. 1, 23: ego te intus et in cute novi, I know you thoroughly, id. 3, 30.—
B. Transf.
1. Hide, leather: calceus est sartā terque quaterque cute, Mart. 1, 103, 6.—
2. A soft coating, covering of any thing; the skin, rind, surface (several times in the Nat. Hist. of Pliny): casiae, Plin. 12, 19, 43, § 95: nucleorum, id. 15, 10, 9, § 36: uvarum, id. 15, 28, 34, § 112: lauri, id. 27, 10, 60, § 84: summa terrae, id. 20, 19, 79, § 207.—
II. Trop., the external appearance, surface, outside: tenerā quādam elocutionis cute, Quint. 5, 12, 18: imaginem virtutis effingere et solam ut sic dixerim cutem, id. 10, 2, 15; Gell. 18, 4, 2.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *kutis, from Proto-Indo-European *kuH-t-, zero-grade form of *(s)kewH- (“to cover”) without s-mobile. Cognates include Ancient Greek σκύλος (skúlos, “hide”), Welsh cwd (“scrotum”), Lithuanian kutỹs (“purse”), Old English hȳd (English hide), Old English scēo (“sky”) (English sky), German Haut (“skin”), German Hoden (“scrotum”) and Sanskrit स्कुनाति (skunā́ti, “to cover”). Related to culus.

Elsewhere
  • Italiancoticafrom Vulgar Latin *cutica
  • Italiancotechinofrom Vulgar Latin *cutica
  • Frenchcouennefrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Italiancotennafrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Catalancotnafrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Catalancornafrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Occitancodenafrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Portuguesecôdeafrom Vulgar Latin *cutina
  • Emiliancòdgafrom Vulgar Latin *cutica
  • Emiliancudgafrom Vulgar Latin *cutica
Italo-Romance
  • Italiancote
  • Italiancute
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Aragonesecote
  • Gasconcot
  • Gasconcoth

Quick answers

What does cutis mean in Latin?
cutis, a noun, means “living human skin; rind, surface; the appearance, outside of something”.
What is the genitive of cutis?
The genitive singular is cutis. cutis is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce cutis?
In classical Latin, [ˈkʊ.tɪs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkuː.tis].