cilium

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See also: Cilium

English

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Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cilium (“eyelid”).

Pronunciation

Noun

cilium (plural cilia)

  1. (cytology) A short microscopic hairlike organelle projecting from a eukaryotic cell (such as a unicellular organism or one cell of a multicelled organism) which serve either for propulsion by causing currents in the surrounding fluid or as sensors.
    Hyponym: primary cilium
    • 1892, Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Claus, edited by F. G. Heathcote, Elementary Text-book of Zoology:
      It is the deeper parts of such cells which give rise to delicate muscular fibres or networks of fibres, while the superficially placed body of the cell myoblast), the part which produces the above, performs other functions, and usually bears a cilium.
    • 2006, Manfred Schliwa, Molecular Motors, page 359:
      The clockwise beating of cilia results in a net flow of extraembryonic fluid leftwards […]
  2. (entomology) One of the fine hairs along an insect's wing.
  3. (botany) Hairs or similar protrusions along the margin of an organ.
  4. (anatomy) An eyelash.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

eyelashes (cilia)

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *keljom, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel-yo-m, which is derived from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover”). Alternatively compare Ancient Greek κῠ́λᾱ (kúlā, “the parts under the eyes”) (though Beekes doubts this connection and derives the latter from Pre-Greek).

Pronunciation

Noun

cilium n (genitive ciliī or cilī); second declension

  1. (anatomy) eyelid
    Synonym: palpebra
    1. (transferred sense) lower eyelid
      Antonym: supercilium
  2. (Medieval Latin, usually in the plural) eyelash
    Synonym: palpebra

Inflection

Second-declension noun (neuter).

singular plural
nominative cilium cilia
genitive ciliī
cilī1 		ciliōrum
dative ciliō ciliīs
accusative cilium cilia
ablative ciliō ciliīs
vocative cilium cilia

1Found in older Latin (until the Augustan Age).

Derived terms

Descendants

(Several via the plural cilia.)

References

Further reading

  • “cilium”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • cilium in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • cilium in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎, pre-publication website, 2005-2016
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