English → Latin
“quill” in Latin
spīnathorn; thorny tree or shrub; thorn; spine; prickleplēctruma plectrum; tool for playing a stringed instrument; a lyre, lutepectencomb; pubic hair; hair
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
quill
The feather of a goose, penna anserina.
The dart of a porcupine, spina.
The reed of weavers, *fistula textoria.
The instrument with which some stringed instruments are struck, plectrum (for the lyra): pecten, -inis (for the cithara, Freund). To strike with the quill, pectine pulsare (†).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for quill?
- The usual Latin words for “quill” are spīna, plēctrum, pecten. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.