LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinefourth declension

lūsus1

lūsus m (genitive lūsūs)
Classical[ˈɫuː.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈluː.s̬us]

Meaning

  1. a playing, play, sport, game
  2. toying, dalliance
  3. jest, mockery, fun

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

lūdus, lūdicrum
lūsus -ūs (m) — in Aeneis, ch. 13

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativelūsuslūsūs
genitivelūsūslūsuum
dativelūsuīlūsibus
accusativelūsumlūsūs
ablativelūsūlūsibus
vocativelūsuslūsūs

lūsus, ūs, m. ludo,
I. a playing, play, game (not in Cic.).
I. Lit.: virgineis exercent lusibus undas Naides, Ov. M. 14, 556: aleae, Suet. Calig. 41: calculorum, Plin. Ep. 7, 24: nec me offenderit lusus in pueris, Quint. 1, 3, 10; cf. id. 1, 1, 20: eburneas litterarum formas in lusum offerre, id. 1, 1, 26: ediscere inter lusum, id. 1, 1, 36: in lusu duodecim scriptorum, id. 11, 2, 38: regnum lusu sortiri, i. e. by throwing dice, Tac. A. 13, 15: solent quidam et cogere ad lusum, Dig. 11, 5, 2. —
II. Transf.
A. Play, sport, game (that is done by way of amusement): fas est et carmine remitti, non dico continuo ac longo, sed hoc arguto et brevi. Lusus vocantur, Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 10: Trojae lusum exhibuit, Suet. Claud. 21.—
B. Sportive dalliance, toying: sunt apti lusibus anni, Ov. Am. 2, 3, 13; Prop. 1, 10, 9.—
C. Jest, fun, mockery: dant de se respondentibus venustissimos lusus, i. e. make themselves ridiculous, Quint. 5, 13, 46: lusum ludere aliquem, Gell. 18, 13, 4.

Origins

From the perfect passive participle of lūdō (“play (a game, sport)”).

verbfirst/second-declension participle
lūsus2
lūsus (feminine lūsa, neuter lūsum)
Classical[ˈɫuː.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈluː.s̬us]

Meaning

  1. participleplayed (a game or sport), having been played.
  2. participlepracticed, having been practiced.
  3. participlemocked, mimicked, having been mocked.
  4. participleteased, ridiculed, having been teased.
  5. participledeceived, tricked, having been deceived.

lūsus, a, um, Part., from ludo.

Origins

From the perfect passive participle of lūdō (“play (a game, sport)”).

proper noun · masculinesecond declension
Lūsus3
Lūsus m sg (genitive Lūsī)
Classical[ˈɫuː.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈluː.s̬us]

Meaning

  1. RomanLusus (the supposed son or companion of Bacchus, god of wine and divine madness, to whom Portuguese national mythology attributed the foundation of ancient Lusitania and the fatherhood of the Lusitanians)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeLūsus—
genitiveLūsī—
dativeLūsō—
accusativeLūsum—
ablativeLūsō—
vocativeLūse—

Origins

Latin lūsus Latin Lūsus From lūsus (“a play(ing), a game”), from lūdō (“to play (at a game)”).

Descendants
  • EnglishLusus
  • PortugueseLuso
  • Portugueseluso

Quick answers

What does lūsus mean in Latin?
lūsus, a noun, means “a playing, play, sport, game; toying, dalliance; jest, mockery, fun”.
What is the genitive of lūsus?
The genitive singular is lūsūs. lūsus is masculine, fourth declension.
How do you pronounce lūsus?
In classical Latin, [ˈɫuː.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈluː.s̬us].