LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)

lūcifer1

lūcifer (feminine lūcifera, neuter lūciferum)
Classical[ˈɫuː.kɪ.fɛr]Ecclesiastical[ˈluː.t͡ʃi.fer]

Meaning

  1. adjectivelight-bringing

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativein -er
lūcifer		lūciferalūciferum
genitivelūciferīlūciferaelūciferī
dativelūciferōlūciferaelūciferō
accusativelūciferumlūciferamlūciferum
ablativelūciferōlūciferālūciferō
vocativelūciferlūciferalūciferum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativelūciferīlūciferaelūcifera
genitivelūciferōrumlūciferārumlūciferōrum
dativelūciferīslūciferīslūciferīs
accusativelūciferōslūciferāslūcifera
ablativelūciferīslūciferīslūciferīs
vocativelūciferīlūciferaelūcifera

lūcĭfer, fĕra, fĕrum, adj. lux-fero,
I. light-bringing: itaque ut apud Graecos Dianam, eamque Luciferam, sic apud nostros Junonem Lucinam in pariendo invocant, Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 68: pars Lunae, Lucr. 5, 726: equi, the horses of Luna, Ov. H. 11, 46: manus, i. e. of Lucina, id. ib. 20, 192.— Poet., bringing safety, Prud. Psych. 625.— Hence,
II. Subst.: Lūcĭfer, fĕri, m.
A. The morning-star, the planet Venus: stella Lucifer interdiu, noctu Hesperus ita circumeunt, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 17: stella Veneris, quae Φωσφόρος Graece, Latine dicitur Lucifer, cum antegreditur solem, cum subsequitur autem Hesperos, Cic. N. D. 2, 20, 53: si dormire incipis ortu Luciferi, Juv. 8, 12; 13, 158; cf. Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 36; Tib. 1, 10 (9), 62; Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 71.—
B. The fabled son of Aurora and Cephalus, and father of Ceyx, Hyg. Astr. 2, 42; Ov. M. 11, 271; 346; acc. to others, a son of Jupiter, Serv. Verg. A. 4, 130.—
C. Poet. transf., day: memento Venturum paucis me tibi Luciferis, Prop. 2, 15 (3, 12), 28: omnis, Ov. F. 1, 46: tres, id. ib. 3, 877.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*lewk-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*léwks
  3. Proto-Italic*louks
  4. Latinlūcifer

Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *bʰorós Proto-Italic *-foros Latin -fer Latin lūcifer From lūx (“light”) + -fer (“-carrying”). Compare Old Armenian լուսաւոր (lusawor) and Ancient Greek φωσφόρος (phōsphóros).

Descendants
  • Catalanlucífer
  • Englishlucifer
  • Spanishlucífero
  • Romanianluceafăr
  • Englishluciferous
  • Dutchluciferfrom English lucifer

In English words that came into English from lūcifer

  • luciferouslūcifer
  • luciferinlūcifer
proper noun · masculinesecond declension
Lūcifer2
Lūcifer m sg (genitive Lūciferī)
Classical[ˈɫuː.kɪ.fɛr]Ecclesiastical[ˈluː.t͡ʃi.fer]

Meaning

  1. morning star, daystar, planet Venus
  2. Lucifer
  3. GreekLucifer, the fabled son of Aurora and Cephalus, and father of Ceyx
  4. poeticday

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeLūcifer—
genitiveLūciferī—
dativeLūciferō—
accusativeLūciferum—
ablativeLūciferō—
vocativeLūcifer—

Origins

From lūx + -fer, calque of Ancient Greek Φωσφόρος (Phōsphóros).

Descendants
  • RomanianLuceafăr
  • SpanishLuzbel
  • CatalanLlucifer
  • Catalanlucífer
  • FrenchLucifer
  • Englishluciferous
  • EnglishLucifer
  • Italianlucifero
  • ItalianLucifero
  • Portugueselucífero

In English words that came into English from Lūcifer

  • LuciferLūcifer

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

Biography & mythologyLuciferLucifer. bishop of Cagliari, hence surnamed Calaritanus, first appears in ecclesiastical history as joint legate with Eusebius of Vercelli [EUSEBIUS V…

Quick answers

What does lūcifer mean in Latin?
lūcifer, a adjective, means “light-bringing”.
How do you pronounce lūcifer?
In classical Latin, [ˈɫuː.kɪ.fɛr]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈluː.t͡ʃi.fer].
Where does lūcifer come from?
Proto-Indo-European *lewk- → Proto-Indo-European *léwks → Proto-Italic *louks → Latin lūcifer.