silex

See also: Silex and sílex

English

Etymology

From Latin silex.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsaɪlɛks/
  • Audio (UK):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛks
  • Hyphenation: si‧lex

Noun

silex (countable and uncountable, plural silexes or silices)

  1. (archaic) Flint.
  2. A finely ground relatively pure form of silicas used as a paint filler etc.
    • 1864, Fitz-Hugh Ludlow, The Atlantic:
      Every little cold gust that I observed in the Colorado country had this corkscrew character [] an auger, of diameter varying from an inch to a thousand feet, capable of altering its direction so as to bore curved holes, revolving with incalculable rapidity, and armed with a cutting edge of silex.

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin silex.

Pronunciation

Noun

silex m (invariable)

  1. flint

Further reading

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

  • Uncertain. Sometimes compared to silīgō and siliqua, both of unclear origin as well. De Vaan suggests that these are derivatives of silex, which have undergone a semantic shift “pebble” > “small pod”.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    silex m or f (genitive silicis); third declension

    1. pebble, stone, flint
      Synonyms: lapis, saxum, petra
    2. rock, crag
    3. lava

    Declension

    Third-declension noun.

    singular plural
    nominative silex silicēs
    genitive silicis silicum
    dative silicī silicibus
    accusative silicem silicēs
    ablative silice silicibus
    vocative silex silicēs

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • Catalan: sílex
    • English: silex
    • French: silex
    • Italian: selce, silice
    • Portuguese: sílex, sílice
    • Romanian: silex
    • Sicilian: sìlici
    • Spanish: sílex, sílice

    References

    • silex”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
    • silex”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
    • silex”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
    • Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
      • to pave a road: viam sternere (silice, saxo)
    • De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “silex, -icis”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 564

    Romanian

    Etymology

    Borrowed from French silex, from Latin silex.

    Noun

    silex n (plural silexuri)

    1. flint

    Declension

    Declension of silex
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative-accusative silex silexul silexuri silexurile
    genitive-dative silex silexului silexuri silexurilor
    vocative silexule silexurilor