LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

fōmes

fōmes m (genitive fōmitis)
Classical[ˈfoː.mɛs]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɔː.mes]

Meaning

  1. tinder, kindling
    Ac prīmum silicī scintillam excūdit Achātēs, succēpitque ignem foliīs, atque ārida circumAnd Achates first struck a spark from flint, and caught the fire on leaves, and so he spread dry fuel around, and hastened a flame within the tinder.29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.174–176
  2. Medieval Latintinderbox
  3. New Latinfomite

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefōmesfōmitēs
genitivefōmitisfōmitum
dativefōmitīfōmitibus
accusativefōmitemfōmitēs
ablativefōmitefōmitibus
vocativefōmesfōmitēs

fōmes, ĭtis, m. foveo,
I. kindling-wood, touch-wood, tinder.
I. Lit.: silici scintillam excudit Achates . . . rapuitque in fomite flammam, Verg. A. 1, 176; Luc. 8, 776; Plin. 16, 40, 77, § 208.—
B. Trop. (postclass.): fomes et incitabulum ingenii virtutisque, Gell. 15, 2, 3: peccati, Prud. Apoth. 942: invidiae, Vulg. Gen. 37, 8.—
II. Transf.: fomites sunt assulae ex arboribus, dum caeduntur, excussae: dictae, quod in eo opere occupati cibis potuque confoventur, etc., Paul. ex Fest. p. 85 Müll.; cf.: Fomes πελέκημα, Gloss. Labb.

Origins

From Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ-. Related to Latin foveō (“to keep warm”), compare Latin fōmentum (“compress, poultice; kindling; mitigation”).

In English words that came into English from fōmes

  • fomitefōmes
  • fomesfōmes

Quick answers

What does fōmes mean in Latin?
fōmes, a noun, means “tinder, kindling; tinderbox; fomite”.
What is the genitive of fōmes?
The genitive singular is fōmitis. fōmes is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce fōmes?
In classical Latin, [ˈfoː.mɛs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfɔː.mes].