LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

pectus

pectus n (genitive pectoris)
Classical[ˈpɛk.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛk.tus]
№ 183 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterchest, breast
  2. figurativelyneuterheart, breast, as the seat of emotion
  3. figurativelyneutersoul, spirit, mind, understanding
    ‘ō nimium facilēs, ō tōtō pectore captae!’“O too easy [souls]! O [those] with every spirit having been captured!” (That is to say, easy to deceive and entirely believing. Several figurative translations are possible. The poetic voice is that of Juno (mythology).)8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 6.509
  4. neuterperson, individual (as a being of passion)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

pars corporis ante, inter collum et ventrem; intrā pectus cor est.
pectus -oris n — in Mille Verba, Corpus Hūmānum

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepectuspectora
genitivepectorispectorum
dativepectorīpectoribus
accusativepectuspectora
ablativepectorepectoribus
vocativepectuspectora

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

aqua pectus aequat, superat
the water is up to, is above, the chest.
gladium alicui in pectus infigere
to plunge one's sword in some one's breast.
hoc verbum alte descendit in pectus alicuius
what he said made a deep impression on...
gladio aliquem per pectus transfigere (Liv. 2. 46)
to transfix, pierce a man's breast with one's sword.
aliquem toto pectore, ut dicitur, amare (Leg. 18. 49)
to love some one very dearly, with all one's heart.
demittere aliquid in pectus or in pectus animumque suum
to take a thing to heart.
imbuere (vid. sect. VII. 7, note imbuere...) pectora religione
to inspire with religious feeling, with the fear of God.

pectus, ŏris, n. kindred with the Sanscr. vakshas, pectus,
I. the breast, in men and animals.
I. Lit., the breast, the breastbone: pectus, hoc est ossa praecordiis et vitalibus natura circumdedit, Plin. 11, 37, 82, § 207; cf. Cels. 8, 7 fin.; 8, 8, 2: meum cor coepit in pectus emicare, Plaut. Aul. 4, 3, 4: dignitas, quae est in latitudine pectoris, Quint. 11, 3, 141: summis digitis pectus appetere, id. 11, 3, 124; 11, 3, 122: pectore adverso, id. 2, 15, 7: aequo pectore, upright, not inclined to one side, id. 11, 3, 125: pectore in adverso ensem Condidit, Verg. A. 9, 347: in pectusque cadit pronus, Ov. M. 4, 578: latum demisit pectore clavum, Hor. S. 1, 6, 28; 2, 8, 90 et saep.; Vulg. Gen. 3, 14.—In the poets freq., in plur., of a person's breast: hasta volans perrumpit pectora ferro, Liv. Andron. ap. Prisc. p. 760 P.; Ov. M. 4, 554.—
II. Transf.
A. The stomach (poet.): reserato pectore diras Egerere inde dapes ... gestit, Ov. M. 6, 663.—
B. The breast.
1. As the seat of affection, courage, etc., the heart, feelings, disposition: somnum socordiamque ex pectore oculisque amovere, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 11: Ah, guttula Pectus ardens mi adspersisti, i. e. a little comforted, id. Ep. 4, 1, 32: in amicitiā, nisi, ut dicitur, apertum pectus videas, etc., Cic. Lael. 26, 97: si non ipse amicus per se amatur toto pectore ut dicitur, id. Leg. 1, 18, 49: pietate omnium pectora imbuere, Liv. 1, 21, 1: metus insidens pectoribus, id. 10, 41, 2; 1, 56, 4: quinam pectora semper impavida repens terror invaserit, id. 21, 30, 2: in eodem pectore nullum est honestorum turpiumque consortium, Quint. 12, 1, 4; 2, 5, 8: te vero ... jam pectore toto Accipio, Verg. A. 9, 276: his ubi laeta deae permulsit pectora dictis, id. ib. 5, 816: robur et aes triplex circa pectus erat, Hor. C. 1, 3, 10; 2, 12, 15: pectoribus mores tot sunt quot in orbe figurae, id. A. A. 1, 759: mollities pectoris, tender-heartedness, id. Am. 3, 8, 18; id. H. 19, 192; so, pectus amicitiae, a friendly heart, a friend, Mart. 9, 15, 2; Stat. S. 4, 4, 103; Manil. 2, 600.— Of courage, bravery: cum tales animos juvenum et tam certa tulistis Pectora, Verg. A. 9, 249: te vel per Alpium juga ... Forti sequemur pectore, Hor. Epod. 1, 11; Val. Fl. 6, 288.—Of conscience: vita et pectore puro, Hor. S. 1, 6, 64: pectora casta, Ov. H. 13, 30.—
2. The soul, spirit, mind, understanding: de hortis toto pectore cogitemus, Cic. Att. 13, 12, 4; so, incumbe toto pectore ad laudem, id. Fam. 10, 10, 2: onerandum complendumque pectus maximarum rerum et plurimarum suavitate, id. de Or. 3, 30, 121: quod verbum in pectus Jugurthae altius descendit, Sall. J. 11, 7; Liv. 1, 59: (stultitiam tuam) in latebras abscondas pectore penitissumo, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 64: multipotens pectus habere, ut copias ... pectore promat suo, id. Bacch. 4, 1, 8 Fleck.: haben' tu amicum quoi pectus sapiat? id. Trin. 1, 2, 53; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 12: at Cytherea novas artes, nova pectore versat Consilia, Verg. A. 1, 657: oculis pectoris aliquid haurire, Ov. M. 15, 63; id. Tr. 3, 1, 64: memori referas mihi pectore cuncta, Hor. S. 2, 4, 90: nunc adbibe puro Pectore verba, id. Ep. 1, 2, 68; 2, 1, 128: pectore arripere artes, Tac. Or. 28: pectus est quod disertos facit, et vis mentis, Quint. 10, 7, 15; Ov. P. 2, 4, 24: succinctaque pectora curis, Stat. S. 5, 1, 77: rara occulti pectoris vox, i. e. a reserved disposition, Tac. A. 4, 52: dicere de summo pectore, i.e. without much reflection, Gell. 17, 13, 7.—Of inspired persons: incaluitque deo quem clausum pectore habebat, Ov. M. 2, 641; Verg. A. 6, 48; Stat. Th. 4, 542.—
3. The person, individual, regarded as a being of feeling or passion: cara sororum Pectora, Verg. A. 11, 216: mihi Thesea pectora juncta fide, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 66: pectus consulis gerere, Liv. 4, 13; cf. Mart. 9, 15; Manil. 2, 600; Stat. S. 4, 4, 103.

Origins

Likely cognate with Old Irish ucht, but a Proto-Indo-European precursor is uncertain, as is the connection to Sanskrit पक्ष (pakṣá, “wing”). Suggestions include *pekt-, *pek- and *peg- (“breast”).

Descendants
  • Catalanpit
  • Frenchpisfrom Old French piz
  • Frenchpoitrinefrom Old French piz
  • Italianpetto
  • Spanishpetofrom Italian petto
  • Occitanpitre
  • Occitanpièch
  • Portuguesepeitofrom Old Galician-Portuguese peito
  • Romanianpiept
  • Sardinianpettus

Quick answers

What does pectus mean in Latin?
pectus, a noun, means “chest, breast; heart, breast, as the seat of emotion; soul, spirit, mind, understanding”.
What is the genitive of pectus?
The genitive singular is pectoris. pectus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce pectus?
In classical Latin, [ˈpɛk.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpɛk.tus].