LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

pluteus

pluteus m (genitive pluteī)
Classical[ˈpɫʊ.te.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpluː.te.us]

Meaning

  1. masculineA form of protective shed or breastwork.
  2. masculineA moveable screen.
  3. masculineA bookcase, bookshelf

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepluteuspluteī
genitivepluteīpluteōrum
dativepluteōpluteīs
accusativepluteumpluteōs
ablativepluteōpluteīs
vocativepluteepluteī

plŭtĕus, i, m., less freq. plŭtĕum, i, n.
I. A penthouse, shed, or mantlet, made of hurdles covered with raw hides, and used to protect besiegers (cf. vineae): plutei crates corio crudo intentae, quae solebant opponi militibus opus facientibus, et appellabantur militares. Nunc etiam tabulae, quibus quid praesepitur, eodem nomine dicuntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 231 Müll.; cf. Veg. Mil. 4, 15: pluteos praeferre, Amm. 21, 12, 6; so Caes. B. C. 2, 9; Liv. 21, 61, 10 al.—Transf.: ad aliquem vineam pluteosque agere, i. e. to turn all one's weapons against him, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 111.—
II. A permanent breastwork, a parapet, on towers, etc.: pluteos vallo addere, Caes. B. G. 7, 41: plutei turrium, id. ib. 7, 25; id. B. C. 3, 24: rates a fronte atque ab utroque latere, cratibus ac pluteis protegebat, id. ib. 1, 25, 9; 2, 15, 3: viminei, Amm. 19, 5, 1: locus consaeptus cratibus pluteisque, Liv. 10, 38, 5.—
III. The back-board, back, of a settee or couch, Suet. Calig. 26; so of the couch on which guests reclined at table: somni post vina petuntur, ... puer pluteo vindice tutus erat, Mart. 3, 91, 10.—
2. Meton., a couch, dining-couch, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 68.—
IV. The board on which a corpse is placed, Mart. 8, 44, 13.—
V. A book-shelf, bookcase, desk, Pers. 1, 106; with busts upon it, Juv. 2, 7; cf. Dig. 29, 1, 17, § 4; Sid. Ep. 2, 9.—
VI. A partition-wall between two columns, a balustrade, parapet, Vitr. 4, 4, 1.

Origins

From Proto-Italic *pluto-, of unknown ultimate origin. Possibly from a late Proto-Indo-European *ploh₃w-tó-m, *plow-tó-m?, shared with Old Norse fleyðr (“cross-beam”), Proto-Balto-Slavic *plouto (Lithuanian plaũtas, Latvian plàukts, Proto-Slavic *pluto (“flotsam”)).

Descendants
  • Portuguesechoçafrom Old Galician-Portuguese choça
  • Spanishchozafrom Old Galician-Portuguese choça
  • Falachozafrom Old Galician-Portuguese choça
  • Galicianchozafrom Old Galician-Portuguese choça
  • Ladinochosafrom Old Galician-Portuguese choça

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesPluteusPluteus signified in general any kind of upright, unroofed protection or shelter, and was hence used in the following special significations. 1. A fix…

Quick answers

What does pluteus mean in Latin?
pluteus, a noun, means “A form of protective shed or breastwork.; A moveable screen.; A bookcase, bookshelf”.
What is the genitive of pluteus?
The genitive singular is pluteī. pluteus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce pluteus?
In classical Latin, [ˈpɫʊ.te.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpluː.te.us].