LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

frutex

frutex m (genitive fruticis)
Classical[ˈfrʊ.tɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈfruː.teks]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculineshrub, bush
  2. masculinetrunk (of a tree)
  3. derogatoryinformalmasculineblockhead

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

parva arbor multīs rāmīs; frutex hominem nōn superat.
frutex -icis m — in Mille Verba, Arborēs et Plantae
virgae crēscentēs, arbor parva
frutex fruticis (m) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 16

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativefrutexfruticēs
genitivefruticisfruticum
dativefruticīfruticibus
accusativefruticemfruticēs
ablativefruticefruticibus
vocativefrutexfruticēs

frŭtex, ĭcis, m. (
I. fem.: Nilotica, Mart. Cap. 3, § 225) [prob. kindr. with βρύω, to sprout forth], a shrub, bush (cf. arbor).
I. Lit.: ex surculo vel arbor procedit, ut olea, ficus, pirus; vel frutex, ut violae, rosae, arundines; vel tertium quiddam, quod neque arborem neque fruticem proprie dixerimus, sicuti est vitis, Col. Arb. 1, 2; Col. 8, 15, 5; Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 156; Ov. A. A. 3, 249; Petr. 135: numerosus, Plin. 18, 24, 55, § 199: olerum, Col. 11, 3, 63: lupini, id. 2, 14, 5: sucus fruticis recentis, Plin. 23, 3, 35, § 71: frutices inter membra condebant, Lucr. 5, 956: his genus omne silvarum fruticumque viret, Verg. G. 2, 21: in montuosis locis et fruticibus, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 16; collect. in the sing.: venari asello comite cum vellet leo, Contexit illum frutice, Phaedr. 1, 11, 4.—
II. Transf.
A. Perh., the lower part of the stem of a tree, the trunk: quercus antiqua singulos repente ramos a frutice dedit, Suet. Vesp. 5 (al. radice).—
B. As a term of reproach, like caudex, stipes, blockhead: nec veri simile loquere nec verum, frutex, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 13 Lorenz (Ritschl, rupex); App. Mag. p. 317; v. Oud. ad h. l.

Origins

Uncertain; proposed derivations include: * From Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil, brew, sprout?”), via shortening of *frūto-, and then connected to Old English brēowan (“to brew”). * From Proto-Indo-European *bʰruto- or *bʰrutós and then connected to Old High German brōz (“bud, scion, offshoot”), Middle High German briezen (“to bud, swell”) and Old Irish broth (“awn, hair”). Compare English breast, Proto-Celtic *brusū (“belly, abdomen, breast”) and Proto-Slavic *břȗxo (“belly”), all ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). * From a root common to Ancient Greek βρύω (brúō, “to swell”) and (perhaps) Proto-West Germanic *krūd (“plant, herb”). * From Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewd-. Cognates include Old English brēotan (“to break”), Old Irish broth (“awn”) and maybe Lithuanian brùzgas (“bush, shrub”). Compare Latin fruticare (“to sprout”).

Descendants
  • Englishfrutex
  • Italianfrutice
  • Portuguesefrútice
  • Spanishfrútice

In English words that came into English from frutex

  • suffrutexsuffrutex
  • fruticulosefruticosus
  • subshrubsuffrutex
  • fruticetumfruticetum
  • frutescentfrutēscēns
  • frutexfrutex

Quick answers

What does frutex mean in Latin?
frutex, a noun, means “shrub, bush; trunk (of a tree); blockhead”.
What is the genitive of frutex?
The genitive singular is fruticis. frutex is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce frutex?
In classical Latin, [ˈfrʊ.tɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfruː.teks].
Which English words come from frutex?
English words that go back to Latin frutex include frutex, suffrutex, fruticulose, subshrub, fruticetum and frutescent.