LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

modius1

modius m (genitive modiī or modī)

Meaning

  1. historicalmasculinemodius, a unit of dry measure (especially for grain) of about a peck or 9 litres

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemodiusmodiī
genitivemodiī
modī		modiōrum
dativemodiōmodiīs
accusativemodiummodiōs
ablativemodiōmodiīs
vocativemodiemodiī

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

ad denarios L in singulos modios annona pervenerat
corn had gone up to 50 denarii the bushel.

mŏdĭus, ii (
I. gen. plur. modiūm: qui CCCC. modium quinque milia, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 36, § 83: modiorum, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 72), m. (neutr. collat. form: mŏdĭum, ii, n., Cato, R. R. 58; so in plur.: modia vicena, Plin. 18, 16, 43, § 145) [modus], the Roman corn-measure, a measure, peck, containing sixteen sextarii, or the sixth part of a Greek medimnus (class.): salis modium, Cato, R. R. 58: tritici modius, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 10, 30: siligneae farinae modius, Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 88: modium populo dare asse, Cic. Off. 2, 17, 58: agri Leontini decumae tertio anno venierunt tritici medimnum XXXVI., hoc est tritici modium CC. et XVI. milibus, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 46, § 110: non minorem quam decem milium modiorum navem fabricare, Ulp. Fragm. 3, 6.— Prov.: verum illud est, quod dicitur, multos modios salis simul edendos esse, ut amicitiae munus expletum sit, Cic. Lael. 19, 67: modio nummos metiri, to measure one's money by the peck, said of a rich woman, Petr. 37; cf.: dives, ut metiretur nummos, Hor. S. 1, 1, 95: ego nunc mihi modium mille esse argenti velim, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 9; Juv. 3, 220: pleno modio, in full measure, abundantly, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 16; cf.: argumentum vobis demensum dabo, non modo neque trimodio, verum ipso horreo, Plaut. Men. prol. 15: servorum ventres modio castigat iniquo, with short measure, Juv. 14, 126.—Also as a measure for other things, a peck: metiri modio oleario, Cato, R. R. 144: ut metientibus dimidium (anulorum aureorum) super tres modios explesse, Liv. 23, 12; Pall. 6, 4, 1.—
II. Transf.
A. Among surveyors, the third part of a jugerum, Auct. de Limit. p. 264 and 312 Goes.; Pall. Mai. 4 al. —
B. The socket, step, shoe in which the mast of a ship stands, Isid. Orig. 19, 2, 8.

Origins

From modus (“a measure”) + -ius.

Elsewhere
  • Englishmodius
  • Italianmodio
  • GermanMuttfrom Old High German mutti
  • GermanMüttfrom Old High German mutti
  • Portuguesemodio
  • Spanishmodio
  • Ancient Greekμόδιος
  • Dutchmudfrom Middle Dutch mudde
  • Old Englishmydd
  • Old Georgianმოდი
Italo-Romance
  • Italianmoggio
  • Sardinianmoggiufrom Italian moggio
  • Italianmozzo
  • Sicilianmoju
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Frenchmuidfrom Old French moi
  • Englishmuidfrom Old French moi
  • Bourguignonmeudfrom Old French moi
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Occitanmuèg
  • Occitanmueg
  • Gasconmoifrom Occitan muèg
  • Gasconmueifrom Occitan muèg
  • Languedocienmuògfrom Occitan muèg
  • Old Catalanmuig
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesemoio
  • Spanishmoyo
  • Asturianmueyufrom Old Leonese moyo
  • Galicianmoio
Insular Romance
  • Sardinianmoju
Gallo-Italic
  • Lombardmeugg
  • Piedmontesemeuj
  • Piedmontesearmeuj
  • Piedmontesemojiss

In English words that came into English from modius

  • modiolusmodiolus
  • modiusmodius
  • muidmodius
  • modiolarmodiolus
  • tremietrimodia
  • mudmodius
  • ferradomodius
  • mutchkinmodius
  • moiomodius

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesModiusModius the principal dry measure of the Romans, was equal to one-third of the amphora (Volusius Maecianus, Festus, Priscian, ap. Wurm, § 67), and was …
proper noun · masculinesecond declension
Modius2
Modius m sg (genitive Modiī or Modī)
Classical[ˈmɔ.di.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈmɔː.di.us]

Meaning

  1. masculinesingulara Roman nomen gentile, gens or "family name" famously held by
  2. masculinesingularModius Julius, a Roman governor

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeModius—
genitiveModiī
Modī		—
dativeModiō—
accusativeModium—
ablativeModiō—
vocativeModī—

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesModiusModius the principal dry measure of the Romans, was equal to one-third of the amphora (Volusius Maecianus, Festus, Priscian, ap. Wurm, § 67), and was …Biography & mythologyModiusModius. a Roman name, which rarely occurs. Varro (de Re Rust. 2.7) speaks of a Q. Modius Equiculus, and Cicero (Cic. Ver. 2.48) of a M. Modius. Juvena…

Quick answers

What does modius mean in Latin?
modius, a noun, means “modius, a unit of dry measure (especially for grain) of about a peck or 9 litres”.
What is the genitive of modius?
The genitive singular is modiī. modius is masculine, second declension.
Which English words come from modius?
English words that go back to Latin modius include modius, muid, mud, ferrado, mutchkin and moio.