LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

squāma

squāma f (genitive squāmae)
Classical[ˈskʷaː.ma]Ecclesiastical[ˈskʷaː.ma]

Meaning

  1. scale (of a fish or reptile)
  2. broadlyflake; any item shaped like a scale

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesquāmasquāmae
genitivesquāmaesquāmārum
dativesquāmaesquāmīs
accusativesquāmamsquāmās
ablativesquāmāsquāmīs
vocativesquāmasquāmae

squāma, ae, f.,
I. a scale (of a fish, serpent, etc.).
I. Lit.: alias (animantes) squamis obductas, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121.—Of a serpent: tractu squamae crepitantis harenam Sulcat, Ov. M. 15, 725: hydri, Verg. G. 3, 545; id. A. 5, 88; 11, 754; Ov. M. 3, 63; 4, 577.—Of a fish: alia integuntur squamis ut pisces, Plin. 9, 12, 14, § 114; Claud. in Eutr. 1, 295.—Of bees: rutilis clarus squamis, Verg. G. 4, 93.—
B. Transf. *
1. Poet., a fish, Juv. 4, 25.—
2. Of scaleshaped things (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
(a). Scale-armor, Verg. A. 9, 707; 11, 488.—
(b). A cataract in the eye, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 21. —
(g). Hulls or husks: milli, Plin. 34, 11, 24, § 107.—
(d). Scales of metal struck off by the hammer: ferri, Plin. 34, 15, 46, § 154; Cels. 5, 1: aeris, Plin. 34, 11, 24, § 107; Cels. 2, 12: plumbi, Plin. 30, 12, 33, § 107.—*
II. Trop., roughness, rudeness: sermonis, Sid. Ep. 3, 3.

Origins

Probably related to squālus (“filthy, foul”) or possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewH- (“to cover”).

Elsewhere
  • Catalanescama
  • Catalanesquama
  • Englishsquama
  • Englishsquame
  • Frenchsquame
  • Italiansquama
  • Occitanescauma
  • Portugueseescama
  • Romanianscamă
  • Romanianscvamă
Old Irish
  • Irishscamall

Quick answers

What does squāma mean in Latin?
squāma, a noun, means “scale (of a fish or reptile); flake; any item shaped like a scale”.
What is the genitive of squāma?
The genitive singular is squāmae. squāma is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce squāma?
In classical Latin, [ˈskʷaː.ma]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈskʷaː.ma].