culeus

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noun

A Roman unit of liquid measure reckoned as the volume of 1600 Roman pounds of wine and equivalent to about 520 L although differing slightly over time.

OriginLatin culeus ← Ancient Greek κολεός ← Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- →
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Meanings

nounculeus (plural culeuses or culei)

plural culeuses · plural culei

  1. historicalA Roman unit of liquid measure reckoned as the volume of 1600 Roman pounds of wine and equivalent to about 520 L although differing slightly over time.
  2. historicallawA Roman punishment—chiefly for parricide—involving blindfolding, beating, confinement to a leather sack, and drowning in a river or sea.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱel-“to cover”
  2. Ancient Greekκολεός“sheath”
  3. Latinculeus“large leather sack, punishment of drowning within a sack, unit of bulk liquid measure”
  4. Englishculeus

From Latin culeus (“large leather sack, punishment of drowning within a sack, unit of bulk liquid measure”), from Ancient Greek κολεός (koleós, “sheath”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- (“to cover”). Doublet of cullion and cojones.

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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