LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

papilla

papilla f (genitive papillae)
Classical[paˈpɪl.la]Ecclesiastical[paˈpil.la]

Meaning

  1. femininea nipple, teat on the breast of human beings and of animals
  2. femininepoeticbreast, bosom
    Fascia, crescentes dominae compesce papillas,Breast-band! confine the swelling bosom of my mistress, that I may be able to cover and press it with my hand.86 CE – 103 CE, Martialis, Epigrammata 14.134.1–2
  3. femininepustule, pimple
  4. femininerosebud

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Mamma · Mamilla · Uber · Papilla

1. Mamma and uber denote the breast in the female body; mamma (μάμμη) denotes the visible breast as a fleshy part of the body, particularly of a female body; whereas uber (οὐαρόν) the nourishing breast as filled with milk, which is only found in the female body, like οὖθαρ. 2. Papilla and mamilla denote the nipples of the breast, common to the male and female; papilla (redupl. of πάλλα) with reference to their spherical shape, without distinction of the sexes, like μαζός; mamilla (redupl. from ἀμέλγω) with reference to their adaptation for suckling, and therefore belonging only to the female sex, like τίτθη, and teats. (iv. 133.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepapillapapillae
genitivepapillaepapillārum
dativepapillaepapillīs
accusativepapillampapillās
ablativepapillāpapillīs
vocativepapillapapillae

păpilla, ae, f. dim. papula,
I. a nipple, teat, on the breast of human beings and of animals: papillae capitula mammarum dictae, quod papularum sint similes, Fest. p. 220 Müll.; Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 10; Plin. 11, 37, 69, § 181: delphinum, id. 11, 40, 95, § 235: uberis, Col. 9, 11, 4; Plin. Ep. 3, 6, 2.—
II. Transf.
A. Poet., the breast: nudantes rejectā veste papillas, Cat. 66, 81: hasta sub exsertam donec perlata papillam Haesit, Verg. A. 11, 803: tunc nuda papillis constitit auratis, her breasts adorned with gold chains, Juv. 6, 122.—Of the male breast: infra laevam papillam, Suet. Oth. 11; cf. Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 22; Ov. Am. 1, 4, 37.—
B. A pustule, pimple, Ser. Samm. 64, 1100; 10, 133.—
C. A rose-bud, Auct. Pervig. Ven. 14; 21.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -la Latin papilla From papula (“a pustule, pimple”) + -la (diminutive nominal suffix).

Descendants
  • Catalanpapil·la
  • Englishpapilla
  • Frenchpapille
  • Italianpapilla
  • Portuguesepapila
  • Spanishpapila
  • Finnishpapilli
  • Serbo-Croatianпапѝла
  • Sicilianpapiḍḍa

In English words that came into English from papilla

  • papillapapilla

Quick answers

What does papilla mean in Latin?
papilla, a noun, means “a nipple, teat on the breast of human beings and of animals; breast, bosom; pustule, pimple”.
What is the genitive of papilla?
The genitive singular is papillae. papilla is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce papilla?
In classical Latin, [paˈpɪl.la]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [paˈpil.la].