LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

pilōsus

pilōsus (feminine pilōsa, neuter pilōsum)
Classical[pɪˈɫoː.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[piˈlɔː.s̬us]

Meaning

  1. adjectivehairy, shaggy

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Crinis · Capillus · Coma · Cæsaries · Pilus · Cirrus · Cincinnus

1. Crinis and capillus denote the natural hair merely in a physical sense, like θρίξ; crinis (from κάρηνον), any growth of hair, in opposition to the parts on which hair does not grow; capillus (from caput), only the hair of the head, in opp. to the beard, etc. Liv. vi. 16. Suet. Aug. 23. Cels. vi. 2. Cic. Tusc. v. 20. Rull. ii. 5; whereas in coma and cæsaries the accessory notion of beauty, as an object of sense, is involved, inasmuch as hair is a natural ornament of the body, or itself the object of ornament; coma (κόμη) is especially applicable to the hair of females; cæsaries, to that of males, like ἔθειρα. Hence crinitus means nothing more than covered with hair; capillatus is used in opp. to bald-headed, Petron. 26, and the Galli are styled comati, as wearing long hair, like καρηκομόωντες. 2. Crinis, capillus, coma, cæsaries, denote the hair in a collective sense, the whole growth of hair; whereas pilus means a single hair, and especially the short and bristly hair of animals. Hence pilosus is in opp. to the beautiful smoothness of the skin, as Cic. Pis. I; whereas crinitus and capillatus are in opp. to ugly nakedness and baldness. (iii. 14.) 3. Cirrus and cincinnus denote curled hair; cirrus (κόῤῥη) is a natural, cincinnus (κίκιννος) an artificial curl. (iii. 23.)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepilōsuspilōsapilōsum
genitivepilōsīpilōsaepilōsī
dativepilōsōpilōsaepilōsō
accusativepilōsumpilōsampilōsum
ablativepilōsōpilōsāpilōsō
vocativepilōsepilōsapilōsum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativepilōsīpilōsaepilōsa
genitivepilōsōrumpilōsārumpilōsōrum
dativepilōsīspilōsīspilōsīs
accusativepilōsōspilōsāspilōsa
ablativepilōsīspilōsīspilōsīs
vocativepilōsīpilōsaepilōsa

pĭlōsus, a, um, adj. id.,
I. hairy, shaggy (syn.: villosus, setosus): ovis ventrem habet pilosum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2: genae, Cic. Pis. 1, 1: pilosiora folia, Plin. 20, 16, 64, § 172: ursis asperior pilosiorque, Auct. Priap. 47: nares, Juv. 14, 194: Esau, Vulg. Gen. 27, 11. —Hence, as subst.: pĭlōsus, i, m., a shaggy person or creature, esp. a satyr, Vulg. Isa. 13, 21; 34, 14.

Origins

From pilus (“hair”) + -ōsus.

Descendants
  • Catalanpilós
  • Englishpilose
  • Frenchpileux
  • Italianpeloso
  • Italianpiloso
  • Portuguesepeloso
  • Portuguesepiloso
  • Romanianpăros
  • Sardinianpilosu
  • Sardinianpirosu

In English words that came into English from pilōsus

  • caterpillarcatta
  • pilosepilōsus
  • pelositypilōsus
  • mollipilosemollis

Quick answers

What does pilōsus mean in Latin?
pilōsus, a adjective, means “hairy, shaggy”.
How do you pronounce pilōsus?
In classical Latin, [pɪˈɫoː.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [piˈlɔː.s̬us].
Which English words come from pilōsus?
English words that go back to Latin pilōsus include caterpillar, pilose, pelosity and mollipilose.