cuneus

English

Etymology

Latin

Noun

cuneus (plural cunei)

1. (anatomy) A portion of the occipital lobe of the human brain, involved in visual processing.
2. (architecture) One of a set of wedge-shaped divisions separated by stairways, found in the Ancient Roman theatre and in mediaeval architecture.

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Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *h₂ḱū (“sting”) (which also gave culex (“mosquito”)), extended from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”) (compare catus (“sharp”), acutus (“sharp”), cos (“whetstone”), Ancient Greek κῶνος (kônos, “cone”))

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈku.neu̯s/, [ˈkʊ.neu̯s]

Noun

cuneus m (genitive cuneī); second declension

1. wedge, wedge shape

Inflection

Second declension.

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	cuneus	cuneī
genitive	cuneī	cuneōrum
dative	cuneō	cuneīs
accusative	cuneum	cuneōs
ablative	cuneō	cuneīs
vocative	cunee	cuneī

Derived terms

• cuneiformis
• cuneō
• cuneātim

Descendants

• Albanian: kunj
• English: coin
• French: coin
• Italian: conio, cuneo

• Occitan: cunh, conh
• Portuguese: cunho
• Romanian: cui
• Spanish: cuño

See also

• cuniculus
• cunnus
• conus