English

Noun

cilium ‎(plural cilia)

1. (botany) Hairs or similar protrusions along the margin of a plant organ.
2. (cytology) A hairlike organelle projecting from a eukaryotic cell (such as a unicellular organism or one cell of a multicelled organism). These structures serve either for locomotion by moving or as sensors.

Translations

See also

• flagellum

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-yo-m, which is derived from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‎(“to cover”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈki.li.um/, [ˈkɪ.li.ũ]

Noun

cilium n ‎(genitive ciliī); second declension

1. (anatomy) eyelid
2. (Medieval Latin) eyelash

Inflection

Second declension.

Derived terms

• supercilium

Descendants

References

• cilium in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “cilium”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• cilium in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700, pre-publication website, 2005-2016