LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininefirst declension

stīlla

stīlla f (genitive stīllae)
Classical[ˈstiːl.la]Ecclesiastical[ˈstil.la]

Meaning

  1. rarea drop of a dense, viscous liquid or other non-natural substance (e.g., oil, sap; vinegar)
    Near-synonym: gutta
  2. figurativelypost Augustana drop, small quantity
  3. Late Latina drop of any liquid

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativestīllastīllae
genitivestīllaestīllārum
dativestīllaestīllīs
accusativestīllamstīllās
ablativestīllāstīllīs
vocativestīllastīllae

stilla, ae, f. dim. of stĭria; cf. Fest. s. v. stiricipium, p. 345 Müll.; Corss. 1, p. 518,
I. a drop (a dense, viscous, gummy, fatty drop; whereas gutta is a natural, liquid drop: gutta imbrium est, stilla olei vel aceti, Suet. Fragm. p. 319, 27 Roth).
I. Lit. (rare but class.): stilla muriae, * Cic. Fin. 3, 14, 45; Plin. 29, 4, 21, § 70: sicca et sine stillis arbor, Vitr. 2, 9, 3; Serv. Verg. A. 3, 366: olei, App. M. 5, p. 169: stilla saeva (arborum), Plin. 17, 12, 19, § 92.—
II. Transf., a drop, i. e. a small quantity (post-Aug.): olei, Mart. 12, 70, 3.—Trop.: pauculae temporum, a very little, a moment Aug. Ep. 140.—
III. In later Lat. = gutta, stillae pluviae, Vulg. Job, 36, 27: roris, id. ib. 38, 28: pluviarum, id. Jer. 3, 3.

Origins

Probably a diminutive from stīria (“frozen drop, icicle”), compare Ancient Greek στίλη (stílē, “minute particle, a drop”).

Descendants
  • Italianstilla
  • Englishstill

Quick answers

What does stīlla mean in Latin?
stīlla, a noun, means “a drop of a dense, viscous liquid or other non-natural substance (e.g., oil, sap; vinegar); a drop, small quantity”.
What is the genitive of stīlla?
The genitive singular is stīllae. stīlla is feminine, first declension.
How do you pronounce stīlla?
In classical Latin, [ˈstiːl.la]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈstil.la].