LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

silex

silex m or f (genitive silicis)
Classical[ˈsɪ.ɫɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈsiː.leks]

Meaning

  1. femininemasculinepebble, stone, flint
  2. femininemasculinerock, crag
  3. femininemasculinelava

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

saxum dūrissimum
silex -icis (m/f) — in Aeneis, ch. 15

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesilexsilicēs
genitivesilicissilicum
dativesilicīsilicibus
accusativesilicemsilicēs
ablativesilicesilicibus
vocativesilexsilicēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

viam sternere (silice, saxo)
to pave a road.

sĭlex, ĭcis, m. (poet. and late Lat.; also
I. fem., Verg. E. 1, 15; id. A. 6, 471; 6, 602; 8, 233; Ov. M. 9, 225; 9, 304; 9, 613; Amm. 14, 6, 16; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 2; gen. plur. silicum, Lucr. 6, 683; Luc. 4, 304) [root sar-, to be firm; cf.: solum, solidus].
I. Any hard stone found in fields, a pebble-stone, a flint, flint-stone: silicem caedere, Cic. Div. 2, 41, 85: silice vias sternere, Liv. 41, 27; cf. id. 41, 27, § 7: silici scintillam excudere, Verg. A. 1, 174: gravem medios silicem jaculatus in hostes, Ov. M. 7, 139 et saep.: per ampla spatia urbis, subversasque silices, pavements, Amm. 14, 6, 16; cf.: silicem pedibus quae conteret atrum, Juv. 6, 350.— Freq. joined with lapis: Ag. Illa mulier lapidem silicem subigere, ut se amet, potest. Mi. Pol id quidem haud mentire: nam tu es lapide silice stultior, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 77 sq.; Cato, R. R. 18, 3; Liv. 30, 43; Fest. s. v. lapidem, p. 115 Müll.; and in inscrr.: II VIRI VIAM LAPID(e) SILIC(e) STERN(endam) CVR(averunt), Inscr. Bull. dell' Inst. 1839, p. 60; so Inscr. Orell. 6617.—With saxum: porcum saxo silice percussit, Liv. 1, 24 fin. —To denote hard-heartedness: non silice nati sumus, Cic. Tusc. 3, 6, 12: nec in tenero stat tibi corde silex, Tib. 1, 1, 64: nec rigidas silices in pectore gerit, Ov. M. 9, 614: et dicam silices pectus habere tuum, id. Tr. 3, 11, 4: moturaque duras Verba queror silices, id. M. 9, 304.—
II. In gen., a rock, crag (poet.), Lucr. 6, 683: validi silices, id. 1, 571; 2, 449: stabat acuta silex praecisis undique saxis, Verg. A. 8, 233: nudus silex, bare rick, Sen. Phoen. 69: excisae rupes durissimi silicis, Suet. Calig. 37: juventus duris silicum lassata metallis, Luc. 4, 304: Lycius Phrygiusque silex, Stat. S. 1, 2, 148.—Of limestone, Ov. M. 7, 107; cf. Plin. 36, 23, 53, § 174.

Origins

Uncertain. Sometimes compared to silīgō and siliqua, both of unclear origin as well. De Vaan suggests that these are derivatives of silex, which have undergone a semantic shift “pebble” > “small pod”.

Elsewhere
  • Catalansílex
  • Englishsilex
  • Frenchsilex
  • Italiansilice
  • Portuguesesílex
  • Portuguesesílice
  • Romaniansilex
  • Spanishsílex
  • Spanishsílice
  • Siciliansìlici
Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianselce
  • Italiansercio
  • Venetansélese
  • Venetansédese

In English words that came into English from silex

  • siliconsilex
  • silicasilica
  • silicicsilex
  • silexsilex
  • siliciumsilicium

Quick answers

What does silex mean in Latin?
silex, a noun, means “pebble, stone, flint; rock, crag; lava”.
What is the genitive of silex?
The genitive singular is silicis. silex is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce silex?
In classical Latin, [ˈsɪ.ɫɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsiː.leks].
Which English words come from silex?
English words that go back to Latin silex include silicon, silicic, silex, silica and silicium.