WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
an•ci•le
(an sī′lē, äng kē′lā),USA pronunciation n., pl. an•cil•i•a (an sil′ē ə, äng kil′-).USA pronunciation [Rom. Religion.]
- Antiquitya shield given by Mars to Numa Pompilius as the palladium of Rome.
- Antiquityany of 11 counterfeits of this shield, carried with it on ceremonial occasions.
- Latin ancīle, traditionally said to be equivalent. to an- (variant of ambi- ambi- before c-) + -cīle (-cīd- combining form of caed(ere) to cut (compare -cide) + *-sl- noun, nominal suffix + -e, earlier *-i, stem vowel for compounds), referring to the deep indentations in the waist of the shield
- 1590–1600
'ancile' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):