Lupercalia

[ loo-per-key-lee-uh, ‐keyl-yuh ]

/ ˌlu pərˈkeɪ li ə, ‐ˈkeɪl yə /

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noun, plural Lu·per·ca·li·a, Lu·per·ca·li·as.

a festival held in ancient Rome on the 15th of February to promote fertility and ward off disasters.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Words nearby Lupercalia

Luo, Luoravetlan, Luoyang, lupanar, Lupe, Lupercalia, Lupercus, lupin, lupine, Lupino, lupoma

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Lupercalia in a sentence

Mr. Douce thinks the custom of choosing valentines was a survival from the Roman feast of the Lupercalia.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
The action in the preceding scene took place on the day of the Lupercalia; the action in this is on the eve of the Ides of March.
The New Hudson Shakespeare: Julius Caesar|William Shakespeare
As such he is akin to or identical with Inuus (“fructifier”) and Lupercus (see Lupercalia).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2|Various
To these belonged the Lupercalia, Carmentalia, and Agonalia.
The Fables of Phdrus|Phaedrus

The final attempt was made at the Lupercalia on the 15th of February.
Stories of the Olden Time|Various

British Dictionary definitions for Lupercalia

Lupercalia

/ (ˌluːpɜːˈkeɪlɪə) /

noun plural -lia or -lias

an ancient Roman festival of fertility, celebrated annually on Feb 15See also Saint Valentine's Day

Derived forms of Lupercalia

Lupercalian, adjective

Word Origin for Lupercalia

Latin, from Lupercālis belonging to Lupercus, a Roman god of the flocks

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012