LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

sulcus

sulcus m (genitive sulcī)
Classical[ˈsʊɫ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈsul.kus]

Meaning

  1. masculineA furrow made by a plow.
  2. masculinePloughing.
  3. masculineA long, narrow trench; a ditch.
  4. masculineusuallyA rut or track.

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Porca · Sulcus · Lira

Porca (from σπαράξαι) is the ridge between two furrows, the soil thrown up; sulcus (ὁλκός) the furrow itself, the trench made by the plough; lira (λέχριος?) sometimes one, sometimes the other. (vi. 277.)

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesulcussulcī
genitivesulcīsulcōrum
dativesulcōsulcīs
accusativesulcumsulcōs
ablativesulcōsulcīs
vocativesulcesulcī

sulcus, a, um, adj., only ficus sulca,
I. an unknown species of fig-tree, Col. 5, 10, 11.
sulcus, i, m. Gr. ὁλκός, from ἕλκω,
I. a furrow made by the plough (cf.: lira, porca): sulci appellantur, quā aratrum ducitur, vel sationis faciendae causā vel urbis condendae, vel fossura rectis lateribus, ubi arbores serantur: quod vocabulum quidam ex Graeco fictum, quia illi dicant ὁλκόν, Fest. p. 302 Müll.: quā aratrum vomere lacunam striam facit, sulcus vocatur: quod est inter duos sulcos elata terra, dicitur porca, Varr. R. R. 1, 29, 3: sulco vario ne ares, Cato, R. R. 61, 1: cum sulcus altius esset impressus, Cic. Div. 2, 23, 50: ducere ... infodere sulcum, Col. 2, 2, 27; Juv. 7, 48: duci sarculo sulcum, Plin. 18, 33, 76, § 327: proscindere jugerum sulco, id. 18, 19, 49, § 178: sulco tenui arare, id. 18, 18, 47, § 170: sulcum patefacere aratro, Ov. M. 3, 104: sulcis committere semina, Verg. G. 1, 223: mandare hordea sulcis, id. E. 5, 36: telluri infindere sulcos, id. ib. 4, 33: semina longis Cerealia sulcis Obruere, Ov. M. 1, 123: herba Cerealibus obruta sulcis, id. Tr. 3, 12, 11.—
II. Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
A. A ploughing: hordeum altero sulco seminari debet, Col. 2, 9, 15: quarto, id. 2, 12, 8: quinto, Plin. 18, 20, 49, § 181: nono, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10.—
B. Of things resembling a furrow.
1. A long, narrow trench, a ditch, Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 43, 1; Col. 2, 8, 3; Plin. 19, 4, 20, § 60; Verg. G. 2, 24; 2, 289; id. A. 1, 425 et saep.—
2. A rut, track, in gen.: cursu rotarum saucia clarescunt nubila sulco, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olymp. 102.—Esp., of the furrow cut by a vessel: infindunt sulcos, Verg. A. 5, 142: delere sulcos, Stat. Th. 6, 415: canebant aequora sulco, Val. Fl. 3, 32.—Of a wrinkle of the skin, Mart. 3, 72, 4: genarum, Claud. in Eutr. 1, 110.—Of the trail of a meteor, Verg. A. 2, 697; Luc. 5, 562.—Of wounds: in pectore, Claud. Rapt. Prov. 3, 425.—Of the private parts of a woman, Lucr. 4, 1272; Verg. G. 3, 136; App. Ἀνεχ. 16.

Origins

From Proto-Indo-European *selk- (“to pull, drag”). More specifically, the Latin term can reflect Proto-Italic *solkos, itself from either *solk-o- or *sl̥k-o-, though De Vaan considers the former more likely due to the parallel in Ancient Greek ὁλκός (holkós). Ancient Greek ὁλκός (holkós) is also the source of the doublet holcus.

Descendants
  • Catalansolc
  • Englishsulcus
  • Italiansolco
  • Portuguesesuco
  • Portuguesesulco
  • Romaniansulc
  • Sardiniansurcu
  • Spanishsulco
  • Spanishsurco
  • Friuliansolç

In English words that came into English from sulcus

  • sulcussulcus
  • sulksulcus
  • sulciformsulcus
  • sulcatesulcātus
  • bisulcousbisulcus

Quick answers

What does sulcus mean in Latin?
sulcus, a noun, means “A furrow made by a plow.; Ploughing.; A long, narrow trench”.
What is the genitive of sulcus?
The genitive singular is sulcī. sulcus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce sulcus?
In classical Latin, [ˈsʊɫ.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈsul.kus].
Which English words come from sulcus?
English words that go back to Latin sulcus include sulcus, sulk, sulciform, sulcate and bisulcous.