Dictionary

virgula en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈvəɹɡjʊlə/ (US)
• /ˈvəːɡjʊlə/ (UK)

Etymology

From Latin virgula (“twig; wand; scratch comma”), from virga (“branch; rod”) + -ulus (“-ule: forming diminutives”). As a dowsing rod, via virgula divina or divinatoria. Doublet of virgule.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A small, thin, straight growth ▸ The spines of a ray.
2. (obsolete) A small, thin, straight growth ▸ The sicula of a graptolite.
3. (obsolete) A divining or dowsing rod.
4. (rare) Any small rod.
5. (rare) Synonym of virgule: a punctuation mark.
   • The full stop or, instead, a virgula, i.e. a short slanting strike (/) is used... to mark the end of a sentence or of a portion of a sentence followed by a pause. 1934, Robert C. Priebsch et al., chapter X, in The German Language, volume II, page 380:
   • A Point with a Virgula, call'd a Semicolon. 1728, Ephraim Chambers, “Point”, in Cyclopædia:
6. (obsolete) Synonym of stem: the tail of a note.
7. (historical, obsolete) Synonym of virga: one of the neumes of medieval musical notation.

Forms

Relateds

virgule · virgula suspensiva · virgula plana

Synonyms

virgule · virga · stem · stick (small rod)