cerilla

Spanish

Etymology

From cera (“wax”) +‎ -illa. Compare Italian cerino (“wax match”).

Pronunciation

 

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /θeˈɾiʝa/ [θeˈɾi.ʝa]

• IPA^(key): (most of Spain) /θeˈɾiʝa/ [θeˈɾi.ʝa]
• IPA^(key): (rural northern Spain) /θeˈɾiʎa/ [θeˈɾi.ʎa]

 

• IPA^(key): (Latin America) /seˈɾiʝa/ [seˈɾi.ʝa]

• IPA^(key): (most of Latin America) /seˈɾiʝa/ [seˈɾi.ʝa]
• IPA^(key): (Andes Mountains, Paraguay, Philippines) /seˈɾiʎa/ [seˈɾi.ʎa]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /seˈɾiʃa/ [seˈɾi.ʃa]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /seˈɾiʒa/ [seˈɾi.ʒa]

 

• Rhymes: -iʝa

• Rhymes: -iʝa
• Rhymes: -iʎa
• Rhymes: -iʃa
• Rhymes: -iʒa

• Syllabification: ce‧ri‧lla

Noun

cerilla f (plural cerillas)

1. match (firestarter)

   Synonyms: fósforo, (Mexico) cerillo, (regional, Spain) misto, (regional, Spain) mixto

2. long, narrow candle; taper

   Synonym: cirio

3. earwax

   Synonyms: cerumen, cera

Derived terms

• cagando cerillas
• caja de cerillas
• cerillero

 

Further reading

• “cerilla”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10