LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

dēspectus

dēspectus m (genitive dēspectūs)
Classical[deːsˈpɛk.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[desˈpɛk.tus]

Meaning

  1. a prospect, panorama (view from above)
  2. a looking down upon; a view
  3. a spectacle (object of contempt)
  4. a despising, contempt

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedēspectusdēspectūs
genitivedēspectūsdēspectuum
dativedēspectuīdēspectibus
accusativedēspectumdēspectūs
ablativedēspectūdēspectibus
vocativedēspectusdēspectūs

dēspectus, a, um, Part., from despicio.
dēspectus, ūs, m. despicio.
I. A looking down upon; hence, a view or prospect from an elevated place (repeatedly in Caes.; elsewh. rare; not in Cic.): erat ex oppido Alesia despectus in campum, Caes. B. G. 7, 79, 3: in mare, id. ib. 3, 14 fin.: sub terras, Lucr. 4, 417: qua longe pelago despectus aperto, Stat. Th. 5, 351.—In plur., concr., points of view, heights: cum ex omnibus partibus altissimas rupes despectusque haberet (oppidum), Caes. B. G. 2, 29, 3.—
II. Transf. (only dat.), a spectacle, an object of contempt: despectui me habet, Vulg. Gen. 16, 5; id. 2 Esdr. 4, 4.—
B. A despising, contempt: ludibrio et despectui esse oppositum, Auct. Her. 4, 39, 51.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindēspectus

Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *speḱ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *spéḱyeti Proto-Italic *spekjō Latin speciō Latin dēspiciō Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin dēspectus From dēspiciō + -tus (forming action nouns).

Descendants
  • Catalandespit
  • Italiandispetto
  • Englishdespitefrom Old French despit
  • Frenchdépitfrom Old French despit
  • Portuguesedespeito
  • Spanishdespecho
  • Dalmatiandispiat
  • Galiciandespeito
  • Piedmontesedispet

Quick answers

What does dēspectus mean in Latin?
dēspectus, a noun, means “a prospect, panorama (view from above); a looking down upon; a view”.
What is the genitive of dēspectus?
The genitive singular is dēspectūs. dēspectus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce dēspectus?
In classical Latin, [deːsˈpɛk.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [desˈpɛk.tus].
Where does dēspectus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *de → Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ → Proto-Italic *dē → Latin dēspectus.