noun · masculinesecond declension
vallus
vallus m (genitive vallī)
Meaning
- masculinepalisade
- masculinestake, pole
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Stipes · Vallus · Palus · Sudes
Stipes and vallus mean a larger sort of pale or stake, like a pole or the stem of a tree, which must be driven into the earth with a rammer; stipes serves for various uses, in war and upon other occasions; vallus (the dimin. of σύαρος?) is chiefly used as a palisade; whereas palus and sudes mean a smaller sort of stake, which may be driven into the earth in the ordinary way; palus (from pangere) serves for various uses, as a hedge-stake, etc., and especially for fastening any thing to it; sudes (from ὄζος?) is also used, on account of its spike, for a palisade, a lance, a javelin. (iv. 324.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | vallus | vallī |
| genitive | vallī | vallōrum |
| dative | vallō | vallīs |
| accusative | vallum | vallōs |
| ablative | vallō | vallīs |
| vocative | valle | vallī |
vallus, i, m. cf. Gr. ἧλος, nail,
I. a stake, pale.
I. In gen. (rare).
a. For supporting vines, Verg. G. 1, 264; 2, 25.—
b. A pole set with teeth and fastened to a cart, pushed forwards by oxen placed behind;
used by the Gauls for cutting grain, Plin. 18, 30, 72, § 296 (in Pall. 7, 2, called vehiculum).—II. Esp., in milit. lang., a stake, palisade, used for intrenchment (freq. and class.): qui labor, quantus agminis;
ferre plus dimidiati mensis cibaria ... ferre vallum, etc., Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 37: Scipio Africanus militem cottidie in opere habuit et triginta dierum frumentum, ad septenos vallos ferre cogebat, Liv. Epit. 57: virgulta vallo caedendo, id. 25, 36, 5: vallum cae dere et parare jubet, id. 33, 5, 4: vallum secum ferente milite, id. 33, 6, 1: quo qui intraverant, se ipsi acutissimis vallis induebant: hos cippos appellabant, Caes. B. G. 7, 73.—B. Transf.
1. Collect. for vallum, a rampart set with palisades, Caes. B. C. 3, 63; Auct. B. Alex. 2, 3; Tib. 1, 10, 9.—
2. In gen., a point, spike:
pectinis, a tooth, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 15.vallus, i, f. dim. contr. for vannulus, from vannus,
I. a little winnowing-van for grain or provender, Varr. R. R. 1, 52, 2; 1, 23, 5; id. ap. Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 166.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
vāllus ī, m
1 VEL-.—In fortification, a stake, palisade: qui labor et quantus agminis . . . ferre vallum, etc.: vallum caedere et parare, L.: se acutissimis vallis induebant; hos cippos appellabant, Cs.—A rampart with palisades: duplicem fecerat vallum, Cs.—A point, spike, tooth: pectinis, O.—In agriculture, a stake, pole: Exacuunt alii vallos, V.
Origins
Derived from vallum (“wall”).