pilum

American  

[pahy-luhm] / ˈpaɪ ləm /

noun

• pila
  plural

1. a javelin used in ancient Rome by legionaries, consisting of a three-foot-long shaft with an iron head of the same length.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pila
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pilum

From the Latin word pīlum dart, javelin

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pilum pila

While on the upper level of the cave, Dr Gayer spotted an extremely well-preserved Roman pilum, or javelin, in a deep, narrow crevice.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2023

The rare find included a shafted Roman "pilum" spear.

From Reuters ● Sep. 6, 2023

Archaeologists say the hiding of the swords and pilum in the cave suggests that the weapons were taken by Judean rebels from Roman soldiers as booty or from the battlefield.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2023

The Holy Lance, or Spear of Destiny, was the iron pilum used by the Roman legionnaire Longinus to pierce Christ’s side as he hung on the cross, to see if he had died.

From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2016

Reyna willed her blade to extend into a pilum.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

She gathered her pila and got ready for her long trek home.

From New York Times ● Apr. 10, 2022

Kahit Gaano ka pa kayaman o ka elegante sira ang beauty dahil pagpunta mo Lang sa mall pila ka na.

From Time ● Aug. 7, 2013

He fixed the number of serving-men, and reduced the amount of baggage; and as there were three hundred Roman pila kept in the temple of Moloch, he took them in spite of the pontiff's protests.

From Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert

Originally the pila was a tall construction of three storeys on columns, with a large cross.

From The Story of Seville by C. Gasquoine (Catherine Gasquoine) Hartley

If ardentia is correct, the sudes and pila must also have been winged with fire.

From A History of Rome During the Later Republic and Early Principate by A. H. J. (Abel Hendy Jones) Greenidge