English

Noun

scintilla ‎(plural scintillae or scintillas)

1. A small spark or flash.
   • 1890, Philosophical Magazine, page 364,

     If the action of the electrodynamic waves is so violent that, even without artificial electrification of the secondary conductor, scintillæ occur in its spark-gap, the aluminium leaves remain almost without change.

2. A small or trace amount.
   • 1876 February, John Tyndall, The Controversy on Acoustical Research, Popular Science Monthly,

     And, if I except the sagacious remark of General Duane which has been so curtly brushed aside, not a scintilla of light has been cast upon these causes by any researches ever published by the Lighthouse Board of Washington.

   • 1878 April, John Tyndall, Illustrations of the Logic of Science IV, Popular Science Monthly,

     Now, it may be we have no scintilla of proof to the contrary, but reason is unnecessary in reference to that belief which is of all the most settled, which nobody doubts or can doubt, and which he who should deny would stultify himself in so doing.

   • 1990, William J. Brennan, Jr., Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health: Dissent Brennan, United States Supreme Court,

     Current medical practice recommends use of heroic measures if there is a scintilla of a chance that the patient will recover, on the assumption that the measures will be discontinued should the patient improve.

Translations

Synonyms

• (small amount): see also Wikisaurus:modicum.

Related terms

• scintilla juris
• scintillate
• scintillation
• scintillator
• stencil
• tinsel

References

1. ↑ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary [Eleventh Edition]

French

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular past historic of scintiller

Italian

Etymology

From Latin scintilla.

Noun

scintilla f ‎(plural scintille)

1. spark

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular present of scintillare
2. second-person singular imperative of scintillare

Latin

Etymology

Most likely from Proto-Indo-European *ski-nto-, from *skey-, *ski- ‎(“to gleam, shine”), which is the source of English shine.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /skinˈtil.la/, [skɪnˈtɪl.la]

Noun

scintilla f ‎(genitive scintillae); first declension

1. spark
   • Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedonis Libri Qui Supersunt; Book VI, Chapter III

     Parva saepe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

     A small spark neglected has often roused to a great inferno.

2. glimmer

Inflection

First declension.

Derived terms

• scintillō

Descendants

References

• scintilla in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• scintilla in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• SCINTILLA in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)