pilastrum

Latin

Etymology

From pīla (“pillar”) +‎ -astrum (“quality-reducing suffix”), thus meaning roughly "incomplete pillar", as pilasters lack the full volume of the element they represent. Compare palliastrum, referring to a poor pallium.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /piːˈlas.trum/, [piːˈɫ̪äs̠t̪rʊ̃ˑ]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /piˈlas.trum/, [piˈläst̪rum]

Noun

pīlastrum n (genitive pīlastrī); second declension

(Medieval Latin, architecture) pilaster (rectangular pillar built into a wall)

Declension

Second-declension noun (neuter).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	pīlastrum	pīlastra
Genitive	pīlastrī	pīlastrōrum
Dative	pīlastrō	pīlastrīs
Accusative	pīlastrum	pīlastra
Ablative	pīlastrō	pīlastrīs
Vocative	pīlastrum	pīlastra