LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

fascinum

fascinum n (genitive fascinī)
Classical[ˈfas.kɪ.nũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈfaʃ.ʃi.num]

Meaning

  1. neutera charm, spell, witchcraft
  2. broadlyneutera penis, phallus, especially that of a human
  3. broadlyneuteran artificial phallus, dildo
    Prōfert Oenothea scorteum fascinum, quod ut oleō et minūtō pipere atque ū̆rtīcae trītō circumdedit sēmine[…]Then Oenothea takes out a leather dildo and, having covered it in oil, pepper and ground nettle seeds […]c. 27 CE – 66 CE, Petronius, Satyricon 138
  4. broadlyneutera kind of seashell

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefascinumfascina
genitivefascinīfascinōrum
dativefascinōfascinīs
accusativefascinumfascina
ablativefascinōfascinīs
vocativefascinumfascina

fascĭnum, i, n. (-ĭnus, i, m.) [quasi bascanum, βάσκανον, Cloat. Ver. ap. Gell. 16, 12, 4; but cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 88, 16].
I. A bewitching, witchcraft, Plin. 26, 10, 62, § 96; Symm. Ep. 1, 7.—
II. Transf.
A. I. q. membrum virile (because an image of it was hung round the necks of children as a preventive against witchcraft; cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 97 Müll.), Hor. Epod. 8, 18; Petr. 138; Arn. 5, 176.—Also in the form fascinus, i. m., Verg. Cat. 5, 20; and personified, Fascĭnus, i, as a deity, the Phallus, Plin. 28, 4, 7, § 39.—
B. A kind of sea-shell, App. Mag. p. 297, 11.

Origins

Unknown; compare Ancient Greek βάσκανος (báskanos, “sorcerer, slanderer”, adjective and noun), possibly from the same European substrate language. Sometimes connected with fascis (“bundle”), via semantic link "to bind with magic"; even if ultimately unrelated, semantic influence from fascis is quite likely regardless.

Descendants
  • Englishfascinum
  • Italianfascino
  • Portuguesefascínio

In English words that came into English from fascinum

  • fascinatefascinātus

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesFascinumFascinum (βασκανία), fascination, en, chantment. The belief that some persons had the power of injuring others by their looks was prevalent among the …

Quick answers

What does fascinum mean in Latin?
fascinum, a noun, means “a charm, spell, witchcraft”.
What is the genitive of fascinum?
The genitive singular is fascinī. fascinum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce fascinum?
In classical Latin, [ˈfas.kɪ.nũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfaʃ.ʃi.num].