LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

fībula

fībula f (genitive fībulae)
Classical[ˈfiː.bʊ.ɫa]Ecclesiastical[ˈfiː.bu.la]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. clasp, buckle, brooch, pin, latchet, brace
  2. connection, bond, fetter
  3. surgical instrument for drawing together the lips of a wound
  4. stitching needle drawn through the prepuce

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quā vestis in umerō fīgitur; parva et saepe aurea.
fībula -ae f — in Mille Verba, ch. Vestis et Ōrnāmenta

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefībulafībulae
genitivefībulaefībulārum
dativefībulaefībulīs
accusativefībulamfībulās
ablativefībulāfībulīs
vocativefībulafībulae

fībŭla (post-class. contr. fibla, Apic. 8, 7; Inscr. Orell. 2952;
I. plur. heterocl.: fibula, ōrum, n., Spart. Hadr. 10, 5), ae, f. contr. from figibula, from figo, that which serves to fasten two things together, a clasp, buckle, pin, latchet, brace.
I. In gen.
A. Lit.: ubi fibula vestem, Vitta coercuerat neglectos alba capillos, Ov. M. 2, 412; so on clothes (frequently set with gold and precious stones, and given as a mark of honor to deserving soldiers), Verg. A. 4, 139; 5, 313; 12, 274; Liv. 27, 19, 12; 39, 31, 18: fibula crinem Auro internectat, Verg. A. 7, 815: trabes binis utrimque fibulis ab extrema parte distinebantur, braces, * Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 6; Vitr. 1, 5: iligneae, ulmeae, etc., bands, fillets for making baskets, Cato, R. R. 31, 1.—
B. Transf.: P. Blessus Junium hominem nigrum, et macrum, et pandum, fibulam ferream dixit, Quint. 6, 3, 58.— Trop.: sententia clavi aliquā vel fibulā terminanda est, connection, Fronto Laud. Fun. 1: laxare fibulam delictis voluntariis, bonds, fetters, Tert. Cor. Mil. 11.—
II. In partic.
A. A surgical instrument for drawing together the lips of a wound, Gr. ἀγκτήρ, Cels. 5, 26, 23; 7, 4.—
B. A stitching-needle drawn through the prepuce, Cels. 7, 25, 3; Mart. 7, 82, 1; 11, 75, 8; Juv. 6, 73; 379; Sen. ap. Lact. 1, 16; Tert. Cor. Mil. 11; id. Pudic. 16.

Origins

Syncopic form of *fīvibula, from fīvō (“to fix, fasten, thrust in”, archaic form of fīgō) + -bula (instrumental nominal suffix).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanfíbula
  • Englishfibula
  • Frenchfibule
  • Italianfibula
  • Portuguesefíbula
  • Romanianfibulă
  • Spanishfíbula
  • Galicianfíbula
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianhiolă
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianfibbia
  • Venetanfibiafrom Italian fibbia
  • Venetanfiuba
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanfibla
Vulgar Latin
  • Romanianfiularefrom unknown *fībulāria
  • unknown*fībella
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianfiube
  • Ladinfibla
Gallo-Italic
  • Ligurianfübia
  • Lombardfübia
  • Lombardfiggia
  • Piedmontesefübia
  • Piedmontesefimbria

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesFibulaFibula (περόνη, περονίς· πόρπη, ἐπιπορπίς· ἐνετή), a brooch consisting of a pin (acus), and of a curved portion furnished with a hook (κλείς, Hom. Od.…

Quick answers

What does fībula mean in Latin?
fībula, a noun, means “clasp, buckle, brooch, pin, latchet, brace; connection, bond, fetter; surgical instrument for drawing together the lips of a wound”.
What is the genitive of fībula?
The genitive singular is fībulae. fībula is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce fībula?
In classical Latin, [ˈfiː.bʊ.ɫa]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfiː.bu.la].