English

Noun

spiculum ‎(plural spicula)

1. A thrusting javelin used by Romans that replaced the pilum in the late 3rd century.
2. A sharp, pointed crystal, especially of ice.
3. (zoology) A sharp, needle-like structure, especially those making up the skeleton of a sponge.
4. (astronomy) A small radial emission of gas seen in the chromosphere and corona of the sun.

Synonyms

• (sharp, pointed crystal): spicula
• (sharp, needle-like strucutre): spicule
• (small radial emission of gas): spicule

Latin

Etymology

Diminutive of spīcum, alternative form of spīca ‎(“point, spike”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈspiː.ku.lum/, [ˈspiː.kʊ.ɫũ]

Noun

spīculum n ‎(genitive spīculī); second declension (Diminutive of: spicum)

1. little sharp point or sting
2. dart, arrow

Inflection

Second declension.

Descendants

• Italian: spigolo, spicchio
• Portuguese: espicho, espículo (borrowing)

References

• spiculum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• spiculum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “spiculum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• spiculum in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin