Herculaneum

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UK/ˌhɜːkjuˈleɪni.əm/US/ˌhɜɹkjəˈleɪni.əm/

proper noun

An ancient town in modern Campania, Italy, which was entirely destroyed by the same eruption of Vesuvius that also turned Pompeii into a ruin.

OriginLatin Herculaneum →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. An ancient town in modern Campania, Italy, which was entirely destroyed by the same eruption of Vesuvius that also turned Pompeii into a ruin.

Origin

  1. LatinHerculaneum
  2. EnglishHerculaneum

Unadapted borrowing from Latin Herculaneum, named for the mythical figure Hercules.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan Herculà
  • Herculàcity in Italy
French Herculanum
  • Herculanumcity in Italy
German Herculaneum
  • Herculaneumcity in Italy
Italian Ercolano
  • Ercolanocity in Italy
Latin Herculāneum
  • Herculāneumcity in Italy
Polish Herkulanum
  • Herkulanumcity in Italy
Russian Геркула́нум
  • Геркула́нум (Gerkulánum)city in Italy
Spanish Herculano
  • Herculanocity in Italy
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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