Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pilum

/ˈpaɪləm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.29 in modern English

Syllables: pilum
IPA: /ˈpaɪləm/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

1

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Roman military javelin.

noun

The columella on the surface of a pollen grain.

Example Sentences

"Besides a lighter spear, the Roman legionary grasped in his right hand the formidable pilum, a ponderous javelin whose utmost length was about six feet and which was terminated by a massy triangular point of steel of about eighteen inches."
"Verica plucked a pilum from the hands of the nearest legionary – the soldier didn't react – and handed it to me."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin pilum. Doublet of pile.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: *peys-, pilum

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.

Inflected Forms

pila (plural) pilums (plural)

Rhymes With

asylum phylum xylem hilum whilom filum bulbophyllum

Questions

How do you pronounce pilum?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpaɪləm/.
What does pilum mean?: A Roman military javelin.
Where does pilum come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce pilum

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pilum”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpaɪləm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pilum”.
Repeat and practice — Say “pilum” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.