acinus

English

Etymology

From Latin acinus (“grape, grape-stone”); the histopathologic sense comes figuratively from the fancied resemblance (on microscopy) of acinic cells (acinar cells) to bunches of drupelets, berries, or grapes.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæsɪnəs/

Noun

acinus (plural acini)

1. (botany) One of the small grains or drupelets which make up some kinds of fruit, as the blackberry, raspberry, etc.

   Coordinate term: vesicle

2. (botany) A grape-stone.
3. (anatomy) One of the granular masses which constitute a racemose or compound gland, as the pancreas; also, one of the saccular recesses in the lobules of a racemose gland.
   • 1828, Jones Quain, Quain's elements of anatomy:

     Their smallest lobules were called acini, a term which has also been used to denote the saccular recesses in the lobules […]

Derived terms

• acinal
• acinar
• acinic
• acinitis
• pseudoacinus

 

Translations

one of the granular masses which constitute a racemose or compound gland (anatomy)

• Czech: lalůček m
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} aicíneas m
• Japanese: 腺房 (せんぼう, senbō)
• Lithuanian: kėkė f, acinusas m
• Malay: asinus
• Romanian: acin (ro) n
• Russian: аци́нус (ru) m (acínus), гроздь (ru) f (grozdʹ)

Latin

Alternative forms

• acina f (rare)
• acinum n

Etymology

From the same root of acus (“needle, pin”), due to the presence of a sharp seed inside the grape, or perhaps, per de Vaan, because grape seeds are rather bitter.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈa.ki.nus/, [ˈäkɪnʊs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈa.t͡ʃi.nus/, [ˈäːt͡ʃinus]

Noun

acinus m (genitive acinī); second declension

1. a berry, especially the grape.
2. the seed of a berry.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	acinus	acinī
Genitive	acinī	acinōrum
Dative	acinō	acinīs
Accusative	acinum	acinōs
Ablative	acinō	acinīs
Vocative	acine	acinī

Derived terms

• dūracinus

Descendants

• English: acinus
• Galician: acio
• Irish: aicíneas
• Italian: acino
• Occitan: ase
• Portuguese: ácino

Further reading

• “acinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “acinus”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• acinus in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• acinus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.