LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

manipulus

manipulus m (genitive manipulī)
Classical[maˈnɪ.pʊ.ɫʊs]Ecclesiastical[maˈniː.pu.lus]

Meaning

  1. historicalmasculinea maniple (a double company of soldiers employed in the Roman legions between the Samnite Wars and the Marian reforms (3rd–2nd centuries BC), varying from 60–120 men)
  2. masculinehandful, bundle
  3. masculineteam, troupe

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemanipulusmanipulī
maniplī
genitivemanipulī
maniplī		manipulōrum
maniplōrum
dativemanipulō
maniplō		manipulīs
maniplīs
accusativemanipulum
maniplum		manipulōs
maniplōs
ablativemanipulō
maniplō		manipulīs
maniplīs
vocativemanipule
maniple		manipulī
maniplī

mănĭpŭlus (sync. mănīplus, in poets; plur.:
I. inter manipula, Spart. Hadrian. 10), i, m. manus-pleo, plenus, a handful, a bundle.
I. Lit.: de his (herbis) manipulos fieri, Varr. R. R. 1, 49: manipulos obligare, Col. 11, 2, 40: vincire, id. 2, 19, 2: alligari, Plin. 18, 28, 67, § 262: filicumque maniplis Sternere humum, Verg. G. 3, 297: nexos deferre maniplos, Col. 10, 315: maniplos solvere, the bundles of hay, Juv. 8, 153.—
II. Transf.
A. = ἁλτῆρες, pieces of metal held in the hand during gymnastic exercises, to increase the momentum of a leap or stroke, Cael. Aur. Tard. 5, 2, 38.—
B. Because the ancient Romans adopted a pole, with a handful of hay or straw twisted about it, as the standard of a company of soldiers; in milit. lang., a certain number of soldiers belonging to the same standard, a company, maniple; generally applied to infantry, and only by way of exception to cavalry: miles pulcre centuriatus est expuncto in manipulo, Plaut. Curc. 4, 4, 29: pertica suspensos portabat longa maniplos: Unde maniplaris nomina miles habet, Ov. F. 3, 117: adeo ut iidem ordines, manipulique constarent, Caes. B. C. 2, 28: manipulos laxare, id. B. G. 2, 25: continere ad signa manipulos, id. ib. 6, 33: in legione sunt manipuli triginta, Gell. 16, 4, 6.—Of cavalry: infrenati manipli, Sil. 4, 316: App. M. 9, p. 221, 5.—Comically: manipulus farum, a troop, band, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 6.

Origins

From manus (“hand”) and root of pleō (“fill”): a "handful".

Elsewhere
  • Catalanmaniple
  • Catalanmanípul
  • Englishmaniple
  • Frenchmanipule
  • Italianmanipolo
  • Portuguesemanípulo
  • Romanianmanipul
  • Spanishmanípulo
Ibero-Romance
  • Spanishmanopla
  • Portuguesemanoplafrom Spanish manopla
  • Portuguesemanápulafrom Spanish manopla
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanmanyopla
  • Catalanmanyopa
Italo-Romance
  • Italianmanopola

In English words that came into English from manipulus

  • manipulationmanipulus
  • maniplemanipulus
  • manipularmanipulāris

Quick answers

What does manipulus mean in Latin?
manipulus, a noun, means “a maniple (a double company of soldiers employed in the Roman legions between the Samnite Wars and the Marian reforms (3rd–2nd centuries BC), varying from 60–120 men); handful, bundle; team, troupe”.
What is the genitive of manipulus?
The genitive singular is manipulī. manipulus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce manipulus?
In classical Latin, [maˈnɪ.pʊ.ɫʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [maˈniː.pu.lus].
Which English words come from manipulus?
English words that go back to Latin manipulus include manipulation, maniple and manipular.