LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

hāmus

hāmus m (genitive hāmī)
Classical[ˈhaː.mʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈaː.mus]

Meaning

  1. A hook
  2. A fishhook
  3. The barb of an arrow

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

ferrum curvum, quō piscēs capiuntur
hāmus -ī (m) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 10, 11, 17

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativehāmushāmī
genitivehāmīhāmōrum
dativehāmōhāmīs
accusativehāmumhāmōs
ablativehāmōhāmīs
vocativehāmehāmī

hāmus, i, m. kindr. with ἁπ-, ἅπτω,
I. a hook.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: taleae pedem longae, ferreis hamis infixis, totae in terram infodiebantur, Caes. B. G. 7, 73 fin.: hamis ferreis pectitur stupa, heckles, Plin. 19, 1, 3, § 17: loricam consertam hamis, little hooks, Verg. A. 3, 467.—
B. In partic.
1. A fish-hook; hence, in gen., an angle (so most freq.): hisce hami atque haec harundines sunt nobis quaestu, Plaut. Rud. 2, 1, 5: divine Plato escam malorum appellat voluptatem, quod ea videlicet homines capiantur, ut pisces hamo, * Cic. de Sen. 13, 44 (al. om. hamo; cf. Klotz in h. l.): occultum visus decurrere piscis ad hamum, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 74; 1, 16, 51; Ov. M. 3, 586; 15, 101; id. H. 19, 13 et saep.: instrumento piscatoris legato, ... hami quoque et cetera ejusmodi usibus destinata debentur, Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 66.—
b. Transf., as a figure of enticement, allurement, artifice (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): meus hic est: hamum vorat, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 21; id. Curc. 3, 61: si vafer unus et alter Insidiatorem praeroso fugerit hamo, Hor. S. 2, 5, 25: munera magna quidem misit, sed misit in hamo, Mart. 6, 63, 5; cf.: munera illitos cibis hamos aemulabantur, Plin. Pan. 43 fin. (for which: viscata hamataque munera, id. Ep. 9, 30, 2).—
2. A hook as a surgical instrument, Cels. 7, 7, 15.—
II. Transf., of things hooked or crooked, the talons of a hawk, Ov. M. 11, 342; thorns, id. de Nuce, 115; a kind of pastry. App. M. 10, p. 245.

Origins

Of unknown origin. Possibly related to Proto-Germanic *hamô (“collar, harness, fishnet”). Traditionally compared to Ancient Greek χάβος (khábos, “muzzle, curved”), but De Vaan rejects the possibility of a loan due to the vowel length.

Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanham
  • Occitanam
  • Frenchhameçonfrom Old French ameçon
  • Galloainfrom Old French aim
  • Normanainfrom Old French aim
  • Galloameçonfrom Old French ameçon
  • Old Occitananzol
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianamo
  • Italianlamo
  • Gallureseamufrom Corsican ambu
  • Sassareseamufrom Corsican ambu
  • Dalmatianjam
  • Neapolitanamo
  • Sicilianamu
Ibero-Romance
  • Portugueseanzol
  • Spanishanzuelo
  • Galicianamocelo
  • Asturiananzuelu
  • Galiciananzol
Borrowings
  • Spanishhamo
  • Basqueamu
  • Interlinguahamo
Insular Romance
  • Campidanesegamu
  • Logudoreseamu
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianam
  • Ladinamo
  • Romansham
  • Romanshamp
  • Romanshom
  • Romanshomm
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianlâm
  • Emilianlam
  • Ligurianlammo
  • Lombardlam
  • Old Lombardamiçol
  • Piedmonteseamussò

Quick answers

What does hāmus mean in Latin?
hāmus, a noun, means “A hook; A fishhook; The barb of an arrow”.
What is the genitive of hāmus?
The genitive singular is hāmī. hāmus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce hāmus?
In classical Latin, [ˈhaː.mʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈaː.mus].