LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

gutta

gutta f (genitive guttae)
Classical[ˈɡʊt.ta]Ecclesiastical[ˈɡut.ta]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. femininea drop of fluid, especially of natural substances (e.g., water, blood)
    Near-synonym: stīlla
  2. femininea teardrop
    cum repetō noctem, quā tot mihi cāra relīquī,When I recall the night, on which so many [things] dear to me I left behind, even now a teardrop falls from my eyes.8 CE – 12 CE, Ovidius, Tristia 1.3.3-4
  3. femininein pluralspots or specks (of an animal or stone)
  4. femininea small ornament under the triglyphs of a Doric column

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

minima pars aquae; guttae pluviae cadunt.
gutta -ae f — in Mille Verba, Caelum et Tempestātēs

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Gutta · Stilla · Stiria

Gutta is a natural, stilla (στίλη, σταλάξαι), an artificial measured drop. Further, the principal notion in gutta is that of smallness, hence guttatim means drop by drop; whereas in stilla the principal notion is that of humidity, hence stillatim means trickling or dripping. Stilla means a liquid; stiria (στερεά) a frozen drop. (iii. 4.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeguttaguttae
genitiveguttaeguttārum
dativeguttaeguttīs
accusativeguttamguttās
ablativeguttāguttīs
vocativeguttaguttae

gutta, ae (archaic
I. gen. sing. guttaiï, Lucr. 6, 614), f. etym. dub., a drop of a fluid (cf.: stilla, stiria).
I. Lit.: numerus quem in cadentibus guttis, quod intervallis distinguitur, notare possumus, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 186: guttae imbrium quasi cruentae, id. N. D. 2, 5, 14: gutta cavat lapidem, consumitur annulus usu, Ov. P. 4, 10, 5: si ego in os meum hodie vini guttam indidi, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 30: guttam haud habeo sanguinis (prae metu), id. Most. 2, 2, 76; cf. Verg. A. 3, 28: gutta per attonitas ibat oborta genas, i. e. tears, Ov. P. 2, 3, 90: succina, i. e. amber, Mart. 6, 15, 2; the same, Phaëthontis, id. 4, 32, 1: Arabicae, perh. oil of myrrh, App. M. 2, p. 118; cf. Sid. Carm. 5, 43: sanguinis in facie non haeret gutta, i. e. no blush, Juv. 11, 54.—
B. Transf.
1. Guttae, natural spots, specks on animals, stones, etc.: nigraque caeruleis variari corpora (anguis) guttis, Ov. M. 4, 578; cf. id. ib. 5, 461: (apium) paribus lita corpora guttis, Verg. G. 4, 99: lapis interstinctus aureis guttis, Plin. 36, 8, 13, § 63; 29, 4, 27, § 84.—
2. In archit., a small ornament under the triglyphs of a Doric column, drops, Vitr. 4, 3.—
II. Trop., a drop, i. e. a little bit, a little (ante-class. and very rare): gutta dulcedinis, Lucr. 4, 1060: certi consilī, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 4.
Gutta, ae, m.,
I. a Roman surname, Cic. Clu. 26, 71; 36, 98.

Origins

Of unknown origin. May be related to Old Armenian կաթն (katʻn, “milk”), or may have some connection to Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- (“to pour”).

Descendants
  • Catalangota
  • Italiangoccia
  • Italiangotta
  • Occitangotafrom Old Occitan gota
  • Frenchgouttefrom Old French gote
  • Englishgoutfrom Old French gote
  • Englishgouttefrom Old French gote
  • Portuguesegotafrom Old Galician-Portuguese gota
  • Romaniangută
  • Sardinianguta

In English words that came into English from gutta

  • guttergutta
  • goutgutta
  • guttagutta
  • gouttegutta
  • guttationgutta
  • guttateguttātus
  • guttiformgutta
  • guttygutta
  • guttulaguttula
  • guttuleguttula
  • gttgutta
  • guttiferousguttifera
  • guttatimguttātim

Quick answers

What does gutta mean in Latin?
gutta, a noun, means “a drop of fluid, especially of natural substances (e.g., water, blood); a teardrop; spots or specks (of an animal or stone)”.
What is the genitive of gutta?
The genitive singular is guttae. gutta is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce gutta?
In classical Latin, [ˈɡʊt.ta]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɡut.ta].
Which English words come from gutta?
English words that go back to Latin gutta include gutter, gout, gutta, goutte, guttation and guttiform.