cerilla

Spanish

Etymology

From cera (“wax”) +‎ -illa. Compare Italian cerino (“wax match”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): /θeˈɾiʝa/ [θeˈɾi.ʝa] (Spain)

• IPA^(key): /θeˈɾiʝa/ [θeˈɾi.ʝa] (most of Spain)
• IPA^(key): /θeˈɾiʎa/ [θeˈɾi.ʎa] (rural northern Spain)

 

• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʝa/ [seˈɾi.ʝa] (Latin America)

• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʝa/ [seˈɾi.ʝa] (most of Latin America)
• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʎa/ [seˈɾi.ʎa] (Andes Mountains, Paraguay, Philippines)

 

• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʃa/ [seˈɾi.ʃa] (Latin America)

• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʃa/ [seˈɾi.ʃa] (Buenos Aires and environs)
• IPA^(key): /seˈɾiʒa/ [seˈɾi.ʒa] (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay)

 

• Rhymes: -iʝa

• Rhymes: -iʝa (most of Spain and Latin America)
• Rhymes: -iʎa (rural northern Spain, Andes Mountains, Paraguay, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -iʃa (Buenos Aires and environs)
• Rhymes: -iʒa (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay)

• Syllabification: ce‧ri‧lla

Noun

cerilla f (plural cerillas)

1. match (firestarter)

   Synonyms: fósforo, (Mexico) cerillo, (regional, Spain) misto, (regional, Spain) mixto

2. long, narrow candle; taper

   Synonym: cirio

3. earwax

   Synonyms: cerumen, cera

Derived terms

• cagando cerillas
• caja de cerillas
• cerillero

Further reading

• “cerilla”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024