LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

folliculus

folliculus m (genitive folliculī)
Classical[fɔlˈlɪ.kʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[folˈliː.ku.lus]

Meaning

  1. masculinea small bellows
  2. masculinea small sack
  3. masculinean inflated ball (for sport)
  4. masculinea bud
  5. masculinehusk, pod, shell, skin
  6. Late Latinmasculinesac
  7. Late Latinmasculinebladder (urinary)
  8. Late Latinmasculinescrotum

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefolliculusfolliculī
genitivefolliculīfolliculōrum
dativefolliculōfolliculīs
accusativefolliculumfolliculōs
ablativefolliculōfolliculīs
vocativefolliculefolliculī

follĭcŭlus, i, m. dim. follis,
I. a small bag or sack.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: folliculis frumentum vehere, Liv. 9, 13, 9: quidam judicatus est parentem occidisse: ei statim ... os obvolutum est folliculo et praeligatum, Cic. Inv. 2, 50, 149.—Of a matricide: statim folliculo lupino os obvolutum est, Auct. Her. 1, 13, 23.—
B. Esp. (cf. follis, I. B.), a ball to play with, inflated with air; a wind-ball (cf.: pila, globus, sphaera): post bella civilia ad pilam, folliculumque transiit, Suet. Aug. 83.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen., a husk, pod, shell, skin, follicle: latentem frugem ruptis velamentis suis, quae folliculos agricolae vocant, adaperire, Sen. Q. N. 5, 18, 3: gluma est grani folliculus, Varr. R. R. 1, 48, 1: cum spica se exserit folliculo, Sen. Ep. 124, 11. —So of fruits, Varr. R. R. 1, 48, 1; Col. 2, 8, 5; Plin. 24, 8, 33, § 49; 24, 9, 40, § 65: folliculus animalium, id. 30, 12, 37, § 111: muliebris, i. q. vulva, acc. to Serv. Verg. G. 3, 136.—Poet., the shell of an egg: teretes (cicadarum), Lucr. 5, 803; and of the human body, as the husk or shell of the soul: ego, si qui sum et quo folliculo sum indutus, queo, Lucil. ap. Non. 110, 27.—
B. Esp., as med. t. t. (late Lat.).
1. A sac: ventris, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 17, 154.—
2. The bladder, Cael. Aur. Tard. 4, 3, 24.—
3. The scrotum, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 17, 165; id. Tard. 3, 8, 106; called in full, folliculum genitale, id. ib. 3, 8, 104.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-der. Latin follis Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Proto-Italic *-kelos Latin -culus Latin folliculus From follis (“purse, sack”) + -culus.

Borrowings
  • Catalanfol·licle
  • Englishfollicle
  • Frenchfollicule
  • Italianfollicolo
  • Portuguesefolículo
  • Romanianfolicul
  • Spanishfolículo
  • Russianфолликул
Elsewhere
  • Romanianfolcel
  • Italianfilugellofrom Vulgar Latin *follicellus
  • Portuguesefolhelhofrom Vulgar Latin *folliclus
  • Portuguesefolilhofrom Vulgar Latin *folliclus
  • Spanishhollejofrom Vulgar Latin *folliclus
  • Galicianfolellofrom Vulgar Latin *folliclus

In English words that came into English from folliculus

  • folliclefolliculus
  • folliculogenesisfolliculus

Quick answers

What does folliculus mean in Latin?
folliculus, a noun, means “a small bellows; a small sack; an inflated ball (for sport)”.
What is the genitive of folliculus?
The genitive singular is folliculī. folliculus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce folliculus?
In classical Latin, [fɔlˈlɪ.kʊ.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [folˈliː.ku.lus].