LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

vēles

vēles m (genitive vēlitis)
Classical[ˈweː.ɫɛs]Ecclesiastical[ˈvɛː.les]

Meaning

  1. skirmisher, javelineer, light-armed footsoldier

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativevēlesvēlitēs
genitivevēlitisvēlitum
dativevēlitīvēlitibus
accusativevēlitemvēlitēs
ablativevēlitevēlitibus
vocativevēlesvēlitēs

vēlĕs, ĭtis, m. volare, velox, flying troops,
I. a kind of light-armed soldier, who attacked the enemy out of the line of battle, a skirmisher.
I. Lit., usually in the plur.: velites, Liv 26, 4, 4 sq.; 21, 55, 11; 23, 29, 3; 38, 21, 13; 30, 33, 3; Varr ap. Non. 552, 30; Ov Ib. 48 (Merkel, militis); Val. Max. 2, 3, 3.—Sing., Lucil. ap. Fest. s. v sub vitem, p. 308; Titin. ap. Non. 552, 26.—*
II. Transf.: me autem a te, ut scurram velitem, malis oneratum esse, non moleste tuli, as the clown of the troop, Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 1.

Origins

Related to vēlōx, vehō. Contains -es (“going”).

Descendants
  • Englishvelite
  • Italianvelite
  • Old Frenchvelite
  • TranslingualVeles

Quick answers

What does vēles mean in Latin?
vēles, a noun, means “skirmisher, javelineer, light-armed footsoldier”.
What is the genitive of vēles?
The genitive singular is vēlitis. vēles is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce vēles?
In classical Latin, [ˈweː.ɫɛs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈvɛː.les].