aquamanile

American  

[ak-wuh-muh-nahy-lee, ah-kwuh-muh-nee-ley] / ˌæk wə məˈnaɪ li, ˌɑ kwə məˈni leɪ /

Also aquaemanale

noun

aquamaniles, plural aquamanilia plural

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.

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Etymology

Origin of aquamanile

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”