Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

supernaculum

/ˌs(j)uː.pəˈnæ.kjə.ləm/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: su-per-nac-u-lum
IPA: /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈnæ.kjə.ləm/

18

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

5

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

According to the rules of an old drinking game in which the drinker upturned the empty cup and had to drink more if the remaining droplets spilled beyond the edge of his fingernail.

Obsolete

adv

To the last drop, to the bottom.

noun

Excellent wine that one would wish to drink to the last drop.

Obsolete; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"A dream put Aristotle out of breath, / A meteor he said, ’twixt life and death. “An quid fit frustra? An datur vacuum? Fill the pot, Edy! Supernaculum.” A blazing star’s a rare spectaculum!"
"Nay, it shall be an overflowing bumper an you will; and I will drink it super naculum."
"I've placed another flaggon on the table. Your worship knows it— number thirty-five:— the supernaculum."
"Between the mattings, or dangling from the arched awning, an experienced eye may detect little pet barrels of supernaculum; some racy wine sent as a present from the correrero of Malaga, to some old friend or patron in the metropolis."

Etymology

Pseudo-Latinism from super- + naculum, nagulum, Latinized form of German Nagel, intended to mean “upon the nail”, after the German phrase auf den Nagel (trinken).

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Nagel, -

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈnæ.kjə.ləm/

Usage

Derived Forms

supernacular

Questions

How do you pronounce supernaculum?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈnæ.kjə.ləm/.
What does supernaculum mean?: According to the rules of an old drinking game in which the drinker upturned the empty cup and had to drink more if the remaining droplets spilled beyond the edge of his fingernail.
Where does supernaculum come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce supernaculum

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