esca

E1S1C3A1
/ˈɛskə/

noun

The fleshy growth from an anglerfish's head that acts as a lure for its prey.

Similar
illiciumblack measlesXPS
OriginLatin ēsca →
UncommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

esca1

nounesca (plural escae)

plural escae

  1. biologyThe fleshy growth from an anglerfish's head that acts as a lure for its prey.

    Synonyms: illicium

  2. biologyA fungal disease afflicting grapes.

    Synonyms: black measles

esca2

nounesca (plural escas)

plural escas

  1. historicalA traditional Galician unit of dry measure, equivalent to about 6–9 L depending on the substance measured.
  2. historicalA kind of measuring cup once used for measuring escas of grain.

ESCA3

nounESCA (uncountable)
  1. abbreviationinitialismuncountableInitialism of electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis.

    Synonyms: XPS

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe fleshy growth from an anglerfish's head that acts as a lure for its prey.

Similar
illicium

nounA fungal disease afflicting grapes.

Similar
black measles
Also see
black measlesillicium

Origin

esca · noun

  1. Latinēsca“bait”
  2. Englishesca

From Latin ēsca (“bait”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

esca · noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*skēlō“bowl”
  2. Late Latinscala“bowl”
  3. Galicianescá
  4. Englishesca

From Galician escá, from Hispanic Late Latin scala (“bowl”) attested in Isidore of Seville, probably from Suevic, from Proto-Germanic *skēlō (“bowl”). Cognate with German Schale and Dutch schaal.

More words from Galician, Late Latin, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish onki
  • onkigrowth on anglerfish's head
Polish illicium
  • illiciumgrowth on anglerfish's head

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

caseaces
Cite this entry
APA

esca. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esca

MLA

“esca.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esca. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “esca,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/esca.

Source: esca on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.