Foreign singulars with irregular plurals

Sarah (United States of America)
nouns retaining their original foreign plurals.
Nouns ending in:
-us with plural -a/-i
-um with plural -a
-ex, -ix becoming plural -ices
-is becoming -es
-on becoming -a
Note that some of these have adapted a regular English plural form as well.
56 words 31 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. alga
    primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves
  2. amoeba
    a single-celled organism that lives in water or soil
  3. antenna
    one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of insects
  4. formula
    a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
  5. larva
    immature form of an animal between the egg and adult stages
  6. nebula
    an immense cloud of gas and dust in interstellar space
  7. vertebra
    one of the bony segments of the spinal column
  8. corpus
    a collection of writings
  9. genus
    taxonomic group containing one or more species
  10. bacillus
    aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium
  11. cactus
    a succulent and often spiny plant native to arid regions
  12. focus
    the concentration of attention or energy on something
  13. fungus
    a spore-producing organism that lacks chlorophyll
  14. nucleus
    a part of the cell responsible for growth and reproduction
  15. octopus
    bottom-living cephalopod having a soft oval body with eight long tentacles
  16. radius
    a straight line from the center to the perimeter of a circle
  17. stimulus
    any information or event that acts to arouse action
  18. syllabus
    a summary or outline of what will be covered in an academic course
  19. terminus
    a place where something ends or is complete
  20. addendum
    textual matter that is appended to the end of a publication
  21. bacterium
    a single-celled or noncellular organism lacking chlorophyll
  22. curriculum
    an integrated course of academic studies
  23. datum
    an item of factual information from measurement or research
  24. erratum
    a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind
  25. medium
    the surrounding environment
  26. memorandum
    a written proposal or reminder
  27. ovum
    the female reproductive cell; the female gamete
  28. stratum
    one of several parallel layers of material
  29. symposium
    a meeting for the public discussion of some topic
  30. apex
    the highest point of something
  31. appendix
    a small sac attached to the large intestines of some animals
  32. cervix
    the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
  33. index
    alphabetical listing of names and topics with page numbers
  34. matrix
    an enclosure within which something originates or develops
  35. vortex
    a powerful circular current of water
  36. criterion
    the ideal in terms of which something can be judged
  37. phenomenon
    any state or process known through the senses
  38. automaton
    a mechanism that can move independently of external control
  39. analysis
    abstract separation of something into its various parts
  40. axis
    a straight line through a body or figure
  41. basis
    the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun
  42. crisis
    a crucial stage or turning point in the course of something
  43. diagnosis
    identifying the nature or cause of some phenomenon
  44. emphasis
    intensity or forcefulness of expression
  45. hypothesis
    a tentative insight that is not yet verified or tested
  46. neurosis
    a mental illness that makes you behave in an unusual way
  47. oasis
    a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
  48. parenthesis
    a punctuation mark used to enclose textual material
  49. synopsis
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
  50. thesis
    an unproved statement advanced as a premise in an argument
  51. libretto
    the words of an opera or musical play
  52. tempo
    the speed at which a composition is to be played
  53. virtuoso
    someone who is dazzlingly skilled in any field
  54. cherub
    an angel portrayed as a winged child
  55. seraph
    an angel of the first order
  56. schema
    a simplified or preliminary plan
Created on Thu Mar 11 06:30:09 EST 2010 (updated Thu Mar 11 07:12:30 EST 2010)

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