LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

spīculum

spīculum n (genitive spīculī)
Classical[ˈspiː.kʊ.ɫũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈspiː.ku.lum]

Meaning

  1. little sharp point or sting
  2. dart, arrow

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativespīculumspīcula
genitivespīculīspīculōrum
dativespīculōspīculīs
accusativespīculumspīcula
ablativespīculōspīculīs
vocativespīculumspīcula

spīcŭlum (contr. spīclum, perh. Mart. Cap. 9, § 903, or p. 306 Grot., where, however, Kopp and others read spicum; v. spica, II. D.), i, n. dim. spicum,
I. a little sharp point or sting (syn.: mucro, acus, aculeus).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., of bees, Verg. G. 4, 237; 4, 74.—Of a scorpion, Ov. F. 5, 542: (scorpio) solus (insectorum) habet in caudā spiculum, Plin. 11, 28, 34, § 100. —Of hornets, Ov. M. 11, 335: rosarum spicula, thorns, Mart. Cap. 2, § 132.—
B. In partic., the point of a missile weapon (as a dart, arrow, etc.): Epaminondas tum denique sibi avelli jubet spiculum, posteaquam, etc., Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 5; cf. Quint. 5, 10, 51; 5, 12, 2: hastarum spicula, Ov. M. 8, 375: bipalme spiculum, Liv. 42, 65, 9: calami spicula Gnosii Vitabis, Hor. C. 1, 15, 17: L. Crassus spiculis prope scrutatus est Alpes, Cic. Pis. 26, 62: spicula sagittae, barbs, Cels. 7, 5, n. 2.—
II. Meton. (pars pro toto), a dart, arrow (syn. jaculum): Laoedaemonii suos omnes agros esse dictitarunt, quos spiculo possent attingere, Cic. Rep. 3, 9, 15; so of a javelin, Verg. A. 7, 165; 7, 687; of an arrow, id. E. 10, 60; id. A. 7, 497; Ov. M. 12, 601; 12, 606; 13, 54; Sil. 17, 133; 3, 273; cf. Plin. 27, 13, 115, § 141; of Cupid's arrow, Prop. 2, 13 (3, 4), 2; Ov. Am. 1, 1, 22; id. A. A. 2, 708 al.—Also a later name for the pilum: quod pilum vocabant, nunc spiculum dicitur, Veg. Mil. 2, 15.—Poet.: solis, a ray or beam of the sun, Prud. Cath. 2, 6.

Origins

From spīcum (“point, spike”, alternative form of spīca) + -ulum (diminutive suffix).

Borrowings
  • Englishspicule
  • Englishspiculum
  • Frenchspicule
  • Portugueseespículo
Italo-Romance
  • Italianspicolo
  • Italianspigolo
  • Italianspicchio
  • Sicilianspicchiu
  • Corsicanspigula
  • Tuscanspecchia
Southern Gallo-Romance
  • Catalanespígol
  • Occitanespic
  • Englishspigotfrom Occitan espic
Ibero-Romance
  • Spanishespliegofrom Aragonese espígol
  • Galicianesprego
  • Basqueizpiliku
Northern Gallo-Romance
  • Picardépillon
Gallo-Italic
  • Piedmontesespigula
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Ladinspigola
Gallo-Romance
  • Galloépillefrom Old French espille
  • Normanépilefrom Old French espille
  • Picardépieulefrom Old French espille
  • Picardépiulefrom Old French espille

Quick answers

What does spīculum mean in Latin?
spīculum, a noun, means “little sharp point or sting; dart, arrow”.
What is the genitive of spīculum?
The genitive singular is spīculī. spīculum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce spīculum?
In classical Latin, [ˈspiː.kʊ.ɫũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈspiː.ku.lum].