lucifer
See also: Lucifer, Lúcifer, and lucífer
English
Etymology
Originally a brand name for matches made by Samuel Jones from 1830, soon used generically for self-igniting matches of any brand. From Latin lucifer (“bringer of light”).
Noun
lucifer (plural lucifers)
- (Britain, archaic) A self-igniting match, ie. one which could be lit by striking on any surface (as opposed to safety matches which only light against the material on the side of the box).
- 1915, George Asaf, song Pack up your Troubles
- While you’ve a lucifer to light your fag,
Smile, boys, that’s the style.
- While you’ve a lucifer to light your fag,
- 1915, George Asaf, song Pack up your Troubles
Descendants
- → Dutch: lucifer
Anagrams
- ferulic
Dutch
Etymology
Borrowed from English lucifer, from Latin lūcifer.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈly.siˌfɛr/
Audio (file) - Hyphenation: lu‧ci‧fer
Noun
lucifer m (plural lucifers, diminutive lucifertje n)
- match
Synonyms
- (Flanders, dialectal) stekske
Derived terms
- luciferboekje
- luciferdoos
- luciferkop
- strijklucifer
- veiligheidslucifer
Latin
Etymology
From lūx, lūcis (“light”) + -i- + -fer (“-carrying”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈluː.ki.fer/, [ˈɫ̪uːkɪfɛr]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈlu.t͡ʃi.fer/, [ˈluːt͡ʃifer]
Adjective
lūcifer (feminine lūcifera, neuter lūciferum); first/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er)
- light-bringing
Declension
First/second-declension adjective (nominative masculine singular in -er).
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case / Gender | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |
| Nominative | lūcifer | lūcifera | lūciferum | lūciferī | lūciferae | lūcifera | |
| Genitive | lūciferī | lūciferae | lūciferī | lūciferōrum | lūciferārum | lūciferōrum | |
| Dative | lūciferō | lūciferō | lūciferīs | ||||
| Accusative | lūciferum | lūciferam | lūciferum | lūciferōs | lūciferās | lūcifera | |
| Ablative | lūciferō | lūciferā | lūciferō | lūciferīs | |||
| Vocative | lūcifer | lūcifera | lūciferum | lūciferī | lūciferae | lūcifera | |
Descendants
- → Catalan: lucífer
- → English: lucifer
- → Dutch: lucifer
- → Romanian: luceafăr
- → Spanish: lucífero
Noun
lūcifer m (genitive lūciferī); second declension
- Alternative letter-case form of Lūcifer
Declension
Second-declension noun (nominative singular in -er).
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | lūcifer | lūciferī |
| Genitive | lūciferī | lūciferōrum |
| Dative | lūciferō | lūciferīs |
| Accusative | lūciferum | lūciferōs |
| Ablative | lūciferō | lūciferīs |
| Vocative | lūcifer | lūciferī |
References
- “lucifer”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “lucifer”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- lucifer in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- “lucifer”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia
- “lucifer”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- “lucifer”, in William Smith, editor (1848) A Dictionary of Greek Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray