LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

pītuīta

pītuīta f (genitive pītuītae)

Meaning

  1. mucus, phlegm
  2. rheum, head cold

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepītuītapītuītae
genitivepītuītaepītuītārum
dativepītuītaepītuītīs
accusativepītuītampītuītās
ablativepītuītāpītuītīs
vocativepītuītapītuītae

pītŭīta (sometimes in the poets scan. as a trisyl., Hor. S. 2, 2, 76; id. Ep. 1, 1, 108; Pers. 2, 57; cf. Santen on Ter. Maur. p. 430), ae, f. root pitu- for sputu-, from spu- of spuo, sputum; cf. Gr. πτύω, to spit,
I. slime, clammy moisture.
I. In the body, as diseased matter, phlegm, rheum, pituite; in fowls, the pip: cum sanguis corruptus est aut pituita redundat, Cic. Tusc. 4, 10, 23: capitis, Plin. 25, 11, 90, § 141: oris, id. 23, 1, 13, § 17: tantum bilis pituitaeque, Cato, R. R. 156, 4: adversus acutas pituitae fluxiones, quas Graeci rheumatismos vocant, Plin. 22, 25, 68, § 138: mala pituita nasi, Cat. 23, 17: stomacho tumultum Lenta feret pituita, Hor. S. 2, 2, 76: praecipue sanus, nisi cum pituita molesta est, id. Ep. 1, 1, 108; Sen. Q. N. 6, 2, 4.—Of the pip, Col. 8, 5, 22; Plin. 10, 57, 78, § 157; Pall. 1, 27.—
II. A viscous, gummy moisture that exudes from trees, Plin. 17, 27, 43, § 252: fungorum origo non nisi ex pituitā arborum, id. 22, 23, 47, § 96.

Origins

Unknown. Possibly related to *peyH- (“fat”) but not convincing. Perhaps imitative; compare English ptui, Ancient Greek πτύω (ptúō).

Descendants
  • Italianpipitafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Portuguesepevidefrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Catalanpepidafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Catalanpipidafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Frenchpépiefrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Occitanpepidafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Neapolitanpepitafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Neapolitanpepitulafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Sicilianpipitafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta
  • Sicilianpipìtulafrom Medieval Latin pīpīta

Quick answers

What does pītuīta mean in Latin?
pītuīta, a noun, means “mucus, phlegm; rheum, head cold”.
What is the genitive of pītuīta?
The genitive singular is pītuītae. pītuīta is feminine, first declension.