scintilla

English

Etymology

Existing in English since the 17th century; borrowed from Latin scintilla (“spark”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /sɪnˈtɪlə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪlə

Noun

scintilla (plural scintillae or scintillas)

1. A small spark or flash.
   • 1890, Philosophical Magazine, page 364:

     If the action of the electrodynamic waves is so violent that, even without artificial electrification of the secondary conductor, scintillæ occur in its spark-gap, the aluminium leaves remain almost without change.

2. (figuratively) A small or trace amount.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:modicum

   a scintilla of hope

   • 1876 February, John Tyndall, “The Controversy on Acoustical Research”, in Popular Science Monthly:

     And, if I except the sagacious remark of General Duane which has been so curtly brushed aside, not a scintilla of light has been cast upon these causes by any researches ever published by the Lighthouse Board of Washington.

   • 1878 April, John Tyndall, “Illustrations of the Logic of Science IV”, in Popular Science Monthly:

     Now, it may be we have no scintilla of proof to the contrary, but reason is unnecessary in reference to that belief which is of all the most settled, which nobody doubts or can doubt, and which he who should deny would stultify himself in so doing.

   • 1990, William J. Brennan, Jr., Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health: Dissent Brennan, United States Supreme Court:

     Current medical practice recommends use of heroic measures if there is a scintilla of a chance that the patient will recover, on the assumption that the measures will be discontinued should the patient improve.

   • 2022 September 4, Helena Smith, “Mykonos has had its fill of champagne-fuelled tourism”, in The Observer‎:

     It’s 3pm at Rizes, a farm in the heart of Mykonos, and there is not a champagne bottle in sight, a sunbed to lounge on, or a scintilla of music that might drown the sound of the winds breezing through the nearby bamboo.

Related terms

• scintilla juris
• scintillate
• scintillation
• scintillator
• shine
• stencil
• tinsel

Translations

References

Further reading

• “scintilla”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “scintilla”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Scillitan

French

Verb

scintilla

1. third-person singular past historic of scintiller

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): ^*/ʃinˈtil.la/
• Rhymes: -illa
• Hyphenation: scin‧tìl‧la

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin scintilla.

Noun

scintilla f (plural scintille)

1. spark

Etymology 2

Verb

scintilla

1. inflection of scintillare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• scintilla in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Etymology

Most likely from Proto-Indo-European *ski-nto-, from *(s)ḱeh₁y- (“to gleam, shine”), which is the source of English shine.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /skinˈtil.la/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ʃinˈtil.la/,

Noun

scintilla f (genitive scintillae); first declension

1. spark
   • 1st century AD, Quintus Curtius Rufus, Historiarum Alexandri Magni Macedonis Libri Qui Supersunt; Book VI, Chapter III

     Parva saepe scintilla contempta magnum excitavit incendium.

     A small spark neglected has often roused to a great inferno.

2. glimmer

Declension

First-declension noun.

Derived terms

• scintillō

Descendants

Further reading

• “scintilla”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “scintilla”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• scintilla in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)