LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

īnstrūmentum

īnstrūmentum n (genitive īnstrūmentī)
Classical[ĩː.struːˈmɛn.tũː]Ecclesiastical[in.struˈmɛn.tum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. An instrument, tool, utensil
  2. collectivesupply, provision
  3. generalparaphernalia, equipment
  4. records, documents

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

omne quō artifex opus suum facit.
īnstrūmentum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeīnstrūmentumīnstrūmenta
extrumentora
genitiveīnstrūmentīīnstrūmentōrum
dativeīnstrūmentōīnstrūmentīs
accusativeīnstrūmentumīnstrūmenta
extrumentora
ablativeīnstrūmentōīnstrūmentīs
vocativeīnstrūmentumīnstrūmenta

instrūmentum, i, n. id.,
I. an implement of any kind, a utensil, tool, instrument (class.).
I. Lit.: militare, Caes. B. G. 6, 30: culinarum argentea, Just. 38, 10, 4: crudelia jussae instrumenta necis, Ov. M. 3, 698.—
2. Esp., sing. collect., instruments, apparatus, material, stock, furniture (freq. and class.): instrumentum ac ornamenta villae, Cic. Dom. 24, 62: orationes magna impensā magnoque instrumento tueri, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21, § 53: belli instrumentum et apparatus, id. Ac. 2, 1, 3: rusticum, Phaedr. 4, 4, 24; Val. Max. 4, 4, 6: hostium spolia, monumenta imperatorum, decora atque ornamenta fanorum, in instrumento atque in supellectile Verris nominabuntur, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 44, § 97; cf. Pall. 1, 43, 1: hibernorum, Caes. B. C. 5, 31: bellicum, Liv. 42, 53, 4: nauticum, id. 30, 10, 3: venatorium, Plin. Ep. 3, 19, 3: piscationis, Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 41.—Esp., in law, the personalty, chattels, or stock of a farm, business, trade, etc.: fundo legato, neque instrumentum fundi ... ad legatarium pertinet, Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 34: instrumento cauponio legato, ea debentur, quae in cauponis usum parata sunt, velut vasa, id. ib. 3, 6, 61: pistoris, id. ib. § 64: medici, Dig. 33, 7, 18, § 10; cf.: in fanis alia vasorum sunt et sacrae supellectilis, alia ornamentorum, quae vasorum sunt instrumenti instar habent, quibus sacrificia conficiuntur, apparatus, Macr. S. 3, 11, 5. —
II. Trop.
A. Of writings, an instrument, document, record: opus est intueri omne litis instrumentum, Quint. 12, 8, 12: aerearum tabularum tria milia ... instrumentum imperii pulcherrimum ac vetustissimum, Suet. Vesp. 8: publici instrumenti auctoritas, id. Calig. 8: emtionis, Dig. 24, 1, 58: si scriptum fuerit instrumento, promisisse aliquem, Paul. Sent. 5, 7, 2: instrumentorum obligatio desideratur, id. ib. 2, 17, 13. —
B. Store, provision, supply, means, assistance, furtherance, etc.: oratoris, provision, supply, Cic. de Or. 1, 36, 165: causarum, id. ib. 2, 34, 146.—Absol.: quid viatici, quid instrumenti satis sit, i. e. for a journey, Cic. Att. 12, 32, 2: instrumenta ad obtinendam sapientiam, means, id. Leg. 1, 22, 59: virtutis, id. Cat. 2, 5, 9: naturae, id. Brut. 77, 268: graviorum artium, id. ib. 97: dicendi, Quint. 12, 11, 24: ciborum, i. e. organs of digestion, Plin. 7, 50, 51, § 168.—
C. Ornament, embellishment: felices ornent haec instrumenta libellos, Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 9: anilia, apparel, dress, id. M. 14, 766; Suet. Aug. 73.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Italic*en
  3. Proto-Italic*en-
  4. Latinīnstrūmentum

Proto-Indo-European *ster- Proto-Indo-European *sterh₃- Proto-Indo-European *strew- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *stréweti Proto-Italic *strowō Latin struō Latin īnstruō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Latin īnstrūmentum From īnstruō (“build, construct; arrange”) + -mentum.

Descendants
  • Catalaninstrument
  • Englishinstrumentfrom Old French instrument
  • Frenchinstrumentfrom Old French instrument
  • GermanInstrumentfrom Middle High German instrument
  • Italianstrumento
  • Occitaninstrument
  • Portugueseinstrumento
  • Romanianinstrument
  • Spanishinstrumento
  • Dutchinstrumentfrom Middle Dutch instrument

In English words that came into English from īnstrūmentum

  • instrumentīnstrūmentum
  • instrumentalīnstrūmentālis

Quick answers

What does īnstrūmentum mean in Latin?
īnstrūmentum, a noun, means “An instrument, tool, utensil; supply, provision; paraphernalia, equipment”.
What is the genitive of īnstrūmentum?
The genitive singular is īnstrūmentī. īnstrūmentum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce īnstrūmentum?
In classical Latin, [ĩː.struːˈmɛn.tũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [in.struˈmɛn.tum].
Where does īnstrūmentum come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁én → Proto-Italic *en → Proto-Italic *en- → Latin īnstrūmentum.