scintilla

English

Wikipedia

Etymology

Existing in English since the seventeenth century; from Latin scintilla (“sparkling speck, atom”).

Pronunciation

• (Latin) IPA: /skinˈtilːa/
• (UK) IPA: /sɪnˈtɪlə/

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.

Related terms

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

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French

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular past historic of scintiller

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin scintilla.

Noun

scintilla f. (plural scintille)

1. spark

Verb

scintilla

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

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Latin

Noun

scintilla (genitive scintillae); f, first declension

1. spark
2. glimmer

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	scintilla	scintillae
genitive	scintillae	scintillārum
dative	scintillae	scintillīs
accusative	scintillam	scintillās
ablative	scintillā	scintillīs
vocative	scintilla	scintillae

Derived terms

• scintillō

Descendants

English: scintilla French: étincelle Italian: scintilla

Portuguese: centelha, cintila Romanian: scânteie Spanish: centella, centalla