Lupercalia

L1U1P3E1R1C3A1L1I1A1
/ˌluːpə(ɹ)ˈkeɪliə/

proper noun

An ancient Roman pastoral festival observed in mid-February to avert evil spirits and purify the city.

OriginLatin Lupercalia →
RareScrabble 14
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. historicalAn ancient Roman pastoral festival observed in mid-February to avert evil spirits and purify the city.
    1 more example

    Why did they choose the death day of a Roman priest to honor the joy and sanctity of hetero bonding? To bury an earlier festival, Lupercalia, celebrated in Rome on February 15. Folk wisdom has it that the birds choose their mates on this day, and a womon can tell who her husband will be by the type of bird she sees first that morning.

    1980 February 16, Kore J. Sapphire, “The Politics of Valentines”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 29, page 10

Origin

  1. LatinLupercalia
  2. EnglishLupercalia

From Latin Lupercalia.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with Lupercalia

AustraliadahliaparaphernaliaazaleagenitaliaregaliamarginaliasaturnaliaPharsaliarealiaglossolaliaecholaliafemaliaLincolnaliapalilaliapenetralia
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

Lupercalia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lupercalia

MLA

“Lupercalia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lupercalia. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Lupercalia,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Lupercalia.

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