LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

supercilium

supercilium n (genitive superciliī or supercilī)
Classical[sʊ.pɛrˈkɪ.li.ũː]Ecclesiastical[su.perˈt͡ʃiː.li.um]

Meaning

  1. neuterplural normallyThe eyebrow.
  2. neuterplural normallyThe prominent part of a thing, the brow, ridge, summit.
  3. neuterThe nod, the will.
  4. neuterPride, haughtiness, arrogance, sternness, superciliousness.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativesuperciliumsupercilia
genitivesuperciliī
supercilī		superciliōrum
dativesuperciliōsuperciliīs
accusativesuperciliumsupercilia
ablativesuperciliōsuperciliīs
vocativesuperciliumsupercilia

sŭper-cĭlĭum, ii, n. super and root kal-; Gr. καλύπτω; Lat. celāre, to hide, cover; cf. Gr. κύλον, ἐπικύλιον, eyelid; cf. also, Ang.-Sax. hlid; Engl. lid; Germ. Augenlid:
I. cilium est folliculus, quo oculus tegitur, unde fit supercilium, Fest. p. 43 Müll.; Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 157.
I. Lit., the eye-brow (good prose; more freq. in the plur.).
(a). Plur.: ex superciliorum aut remissione aut contractione facile judicabimus, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146: supercilia abrasa, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: superiora superciliis obducta sudorem a capite defluentem depellunt, id. N. D. 2, 57, 143: nec sedeo duris torva superciliis, Ov. H. 16 (17), 16: constricta, Quint. 1, 11, 10: torta, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 12: conjuncta, Suet. Aug. 79: usque ad malarum scripturam currentia, Petr. 126; Plin. 11, 37, 51, § 138: balenae, id. 9, 62, 88, § 186; Quint. 11, 3, 78; 11, 3, 79; 11, 3, 160: mulieres potissimum supercilia sua attribuerunt ei deae (Junoni Lucinae), Varr. L. L. 5, § 69 Müll.; cf. Fest. p. 305 ib.—
(b). Sing.: altero ad frontem sublato, altero ad mentum depresso supercilio, Cic. Pis. 6, 14: triste, Lucr. 6, 1184: altero erecto, altero composito supercilio, Quint. 11, 3, 74: quo supercilio spicit, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 100: hirsutum, Verg. E. 8, 34; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94; Ov. A. A. 3, 201; Juv. 2, 93 al.: supercilium salit (as a favorable omen), Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 105.—
B. Transf., the prominent part of a thing, the brow, ridge, summit (not ante-Aug.): clivosi tramitis, Verg. G. 1, 108: tumuli, Liv. 34, 29, 11: infimo stare supercilio, at the bottom of the projection, id. 27, 18, 10; cf. Stat. Th. 6, 63: supercilium quoddam excelsum nacti, Auct. B. Afr. 58, 1; Plin. 6, 5, 5, § 17.—In archit., a projecting moulding over the scotia of a column or cornice, Vitr. 3, 3 med.; a threshold, id. 4, 6, 5.—Of the coast of the sea: supercilia ejus sinistra, Amm. 22, 8, 8; the shore of a river: Nili, id. 14, 8, 5: Rheni, id. 14, 10, 6: fluminis, id. 17, 9, 1: amnis, App. M. 5, p. 169, 34.—
II. Trop.
A. The nod, the will: cuncta supercilio movens, Hor. C. 3, 1, 8; Claud. Ep. ad Ser. 2, 58.—
B. Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, sternness, superciliousness (class.; mostly sing.): supercilium ac regius spiritus, Cic. Agr. 2, 34, 93; id. Sest. 8, 19; id. Red. in Sen. 7, 14; Sen. Ben. 2, 4, 1; Juv. 6, 169; 5, 62: triste Catonis, Mart. 11, 2, 1: pone supercilium, id. 1, 5, 2: supercilii matrona severi, Ov. Tr. 2, 309; cf.: contegere libidines fronte et supercilio, non pudore et temperantiā, Cic. Prov. Cons. 4, 8.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Italic*super
  4. Latinsupercilium

Latin super- Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- Proto-Indo-European *-yom Proto-Indo-European *ḱelyom Proto-Italic *keljom Latin cilium Latin supercilium From super- (“above, over”) + cilium (“an eyelid”).

Elsewhere
  • Catalansobrecella
  • Frenchsourcil
  • Italiansopracciglio
  • Italiancipiglio
  • Occitansubrecilha
  • Portuguesesobrancelhafrom Old Galician-Portuguese sobrencelha
  • Romaniansprânceană
  • Spanishsobreceja
  • Spanishsobrecejo
  • Aromaniansprindzeanã
Borrowings
  • Englishsupercilium
  • Portuguesesupercílio

Quick answers

What does supercilium mean in Latin?
supercilium, a noun, means “The eyebrow.; The nod, the will.; Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, sternness, superciliousness.”.
What is the genitive of supercilium?
The genitive singular is superciliī. supercilium is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce supercilium?
In classical Latin, [sʊ.pɛrˈkɪ.li.ũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [su.perˈt͡ʃiː.li.um].
Where does supercilium come from?
Proto-Indo-European *úp → Proto-Indo-European *upér → Proto-Italic *super → Latin supercilium.