scutum

[ skyoo-tuhm ]

/ ˈskyu təm /

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noun, plural scu·ta

[skyoo-tuh] /ˈskyu tə/ for 1, 2.

a large, oblong shield used by the heavy legionaries of ancient Rome.

genitive Scu·ti

[skoo-tahy]. /ˈsku taɪ/. (initial capital letter)Astronomy. the Shield, a southern constellation north of Sagittarius and east of Aquila, containing a small, very bright star cloud.

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Origin of scutum

First recorded in 1765–75; from Latin scūtum “shield”

Words nearby scutum

scutellum, scutiform, scutter, scuttle, scuttlebutt, scutum, scutwork, scuzz, scuzzy, Scylla, Scylla and Charybdis

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

How to use scutum in a sentence

And as four virgates went usually to each hide, so each virgate should contribute 116 of a scutum.
The English Village Community|Frederic Seebohm
Among the several constellations one notes certain modern names such as “Scutum Subiescianum.”
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol II|Edward Luther Stevenson
The scutum and tergum, with the few exceptions above stated, are articulated together at a large or open angle.
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2)|Charles Darwin
Scutum and tergum articulated together, or overlapping each other; each branchia composed of a single plicated fold.
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2)|Charles Darwin

Finally, the whole valve, in proportion to the Scutum, is rather broader.
A Monograph on the Sub-class Cirripedia (Volume 2 of 2)|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for scutum (1 of 2)

scutum

/ (ˈskjuːtəm) /

noun plural -ta (-tə)

the middle of three plates into which the notum of an insect's thorax is divided

another word for scute

a large Roman shield

Word Origin for scutum

Latin: shield

British Dictionary definitions for scutum (2 of 2)

Scutum

/ (ˈskjuːtəm) /

noun Latin genitive Scuti (ˈskjuːtaɪ)

a small faint constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Sagittarius and Aquila and crossed by the Milky WayAlso called: Scutum Sobieskii (sɒˈbjɛskɪ)

Word Origin for Scutum

Latin, literally: the Shield

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