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pons asinorum

pons asinorum noun: a method for finding the middle term of a syllogism in Aristotlean analytics.

Noun

pons asinorum (plural pontes asinorum)

  1. A method for finding the middle term of a syllogism in Aristotlean analytics.
  2. An obstacle which will defeat a beginner or foolish person.
  3. A proposition in Euclid stating that the angles at the base of an isoceles triangle are equal.
    • [H]e had scarce advanced beyond the Pons Asinorum, when his ardour abated, the test of truth by demonstration did not elevate him to those transports of joy with which his preceptor had regaled his expectation; and before he arrived at the fortieth and seventh proposition, he began to yawn drearily...1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC

Forms of pons asinorum

pluralpontes asinorum

Origin of pons asinorum

From New Latin pons asinorum, from Latin pōns (“bridge”) + genitive plural of asinus (“donkey”). Literally, “bridge of donkeys”.

Questions about pons asinorum

What does pons asinorum mean?
Pons asinorum means a method for finding the middle term of a syllogism in Aristotlean analytics.
What part of speech is pons asinorum?
Pons asinorum is a noun.
What is the plural of pons asinorum?
The plural of pons asinorum is pontes asinorum.

Words near pons asinorum in the dictionary

  1. ponor
  2. ponors
  3. Ponosakan
  4. PONR
  5. pons
  6. pons asinorum
  7. pons Varolii
  8. Ponsanooth
  9. Ponsford
  10. Ponsfords
  11. Ponsonby

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: pons asinorum (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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