acicula

See also: acícula

English

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Latin acicula (“pin for a head-dress”)

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪkjʊlə

Noun

acicula (plural aciculas or aciculae)

1. One of the needlelike or bristlelike spines or prickles of some animals and plants; also, a needlelike crystal.

   Synonym: acicle

Related terms

• acicular

Translations

needlelike spine of some animals and plants

• Catalan: acícula f
• French: acicule (fr) f
• Portuguese: acícula f
• Romanian: acicul (ro) m

Further reading

• “acicula”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Italian

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin acicula (“hairpin”), diminutive of Latin acus (“needle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈt͡ʃi.ku.la/
• Rhymes: -ikula
• Hyphenation: a‧cì‧cu‧la

Noun

acicula f (plural acicule)

1. shepherd's needle (Scandix pecten-veneris)

   Synonym: spillettoni m pl

2. (zoology) acicula

Related terms

• aciculare
• aciculato
• ago

Further reading

• “acicula”, in Vocabolario Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Anagrams

• acculai, aluccia

Latin

Etymology

Diminutive of acus (“needle”) +‎ -cula.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [aˈkɪ.kʊ.ɫa]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [aˈt͡ʃiː.ku.la]

Noun

acicula f (genitive aciculae); first declension

1. a hairpin or hatpin

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	acicula	aciculae
genitive	aciculae	aciculārum
dative	aciculae	aciculīs
accusative	aciculam	aciculās
ablative	aciculā	aciculīs
vocative	acicula	aciculae

Related terms

• acia
• acus
• acicularis

Descendants

• → Catalan: acícula
• → English: acicula, acicule, aciculum
• → French: acicule
• → Italian: acicula (learned)
• → Portuguese: acícula
• → Romanian: acicul (learned)

References

• “acicula”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• "acicula", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “acicula”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.