aquamanile

[ ak-wuh-muh-nahy-lee, ah-kwuh-muh-nee-ley ]

noun,plural aq·ua·ma·ni·les [ak-wuh-muh-nahy-leez, ah-kwuh-muh-nee-leys], /ˌæk wə məˈnaɪ liz, ˌɑ kwə məˈni leɪs/, aq·ua·ma·nil·i·a [ak-wuh-muh-nil-ee-uh, ah-kwuh-]. /ˌæk wə məˈnɪl i ə, ˌɑ kwə-/.
  1. a medieval ewer, often made in grotesque animal forms.

  2. Ecclesiastical. a basin used by a celebrant for washing the hands during the saying of the Mass.

Origin of aquamanile

1
First recorded in 1870–75; from Medieval Latin, Late Latin: alteration (perhaps by association with manus “hand”) of Latin aquimināle, aquae mānāle “ewer,” equivalent to aquae, genitive of aqua “water” + mānāle (or manāle ), perhaps derivative of mānāre “to flow, pour”
  • Also aq·uae·ma·na·le [ak-wee-muh-ney-lee, ah-kwee-], /ˌæk wi məˈneɪ li, ˌɑ kwi-/, aq·ua·ma·na·le [ak-wuh-muh-ney-lee, ah-kwuh-] /ˌæk wə məˈneɪ li, ˌɑ kwə-/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024