gnawing

* * *

* * *

ăcer, ĕris, n. [kindred with Germ. Ahorn] (f. Serv. ap. Prisc. p. 698 P.), the maple-tree, Plin. 16, 15, 26, § 66 sq.—

Transf., the wood of the maple-tree, maplewood, used, on account of its hardness and firmness, for writing-tablets, Plin. 33, 11, 52, § 146; Ov. Am. 1, 11, 28.

ācer, cris, cre, adj. (m. acris, Enn.; f. acer, Naev. and Enn.; acrus, a um, Pall.; Veg.; cf. Charis. 63 and 93 P.) [cf. akis, akôn, akmê, akros, ôkus, oxus; Sanscr. acan = dart, acus = swift; Germ. Ecke; Engl. edge, to egg; and with change of quantity, ăcus, acuo, ăceo, ăcies, ăcerbus], sharp, pointed, piercing, and the like.

Prop., of the senses and things affecting them, sharp, dazzling, stinging, pungent, fine, piercing:

praestans valetudine, viribus, formā, acerrimis integerrimisque sensibus,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 15, 45. So,

Of the sight:

acerrimus sensus videndi,

Cic. de Or. 2, 87, 357:

acres oculi,

id. Planc. 27:

splendor,

Lucr. 4, 304:

quidam colores ruboris acerrimi,

Sen. Q. N. 1, 14 al. —

Of the hearing:

voce increpet acri?

Lucr. 3, 953:

aurium mensura, quod est acrius judicium et certius,

Cic. de Or. 3, 47:

acrem flammae sonitum,

Verg. G. 4, 409:

acri tibiā,

Hor. C. 1, 12, 1.—

Of smell, Lucr. 4, 122:

exstinctum lumen acri nidore offendit nares,

id. 6, 792; cf. ib. 1216:

unguentis minus diu delectemur summa et acerrima suavitate conditis, quam his moderatis,

Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 99:

odor,

Plin. 12, 17, 40.—

Of taste: ut vitet acria, ut est sinapi, cepa, allium, Var. ap. Non. 201, 13:

acres humores,

sharp juices, Cic. N. D. 2, 23:

lactuca innatat acri stomacho,

an acid stomach, Hor. S. 2, 4, 59; cf. ib. 2, 8, 7:

dulcibus cibis acres acutosque miscere,

Plin. Ep. 7, 3 al. —

Of sensation in its widest extent: aestatem auctumnus sequitur, post acer hiems fit, sharp, severe, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 647 P. (Ann. v. 406 ed. Vahl.—cf. Lucr. 3, 20; 4, 261); and so Hor.: solvitur acris hiems, C. 1. 4, 1. —

Of the internal states of the human system, violent, sharp, severe, gnawing:

fames, Naev. ap. Prisc. l. l. (B. Punic. p. 18 ed. Vahl.): somnus, Enn. ap. Prisc. l. l. (Ann. v. 369): morbus,

Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 119:

dolor,

Lucr. 6, 650:

sitis,

Tib. 1, 3, 77 al.

Of the states of mind: violent, vehement, passionate, consuming: mors amici subigit, quae mihi est senium multo acerrimum, Att. ap. Non. 2, 22:

acri ira percitus,

Lucr. 5, 400: cf. 3, 312;

6, 754 (on the contrary, 5, 1194: iras acerbas): acres curae,

Lucr. 3, 463, and Var. ap. Non. 241:

luctus,

ib. 87:

dolor,

Verg. A. 7, 291:

metus,

Lucr. 6, 1211; Verg. A. 1, 362:

amor,

Tib. 2, 6, 15:

acrior ad Venerem cupido,

Curt. 6, 5 al. (Among unpleasant sensations, acer designates a piercing, wounding by sharpness; but acerbus the rough, harsh, repugnant, repulsive.)—

Applied to the intellectual qualities, subtle, acute, penetrating, sagacious, shrewd:

acrem irritat virtutem animi,

Lucr. 1, 70:

acri judicio perpende,

id. 2, 1041:

memoria,

strong, retentive, Cic. de Or. 2, 87:

vir acri ingenio,

id. Or. 5; cf. id. Sest. 20 al. —

Applied to moral qualities.

In a good sense, active, ardent, eager, spirited, brave, zealous:

milites,

Cic. Cat. 2, 10:

civis acerrimus,

an ardent patriot, id. Fam. 10, 28:

defensor,

id. ib. 1, 1:

studio acriore esse,

id. de Or. 1, 21:

jam tum acer curas venientem extendit in annum rusticus,

Verg. G. 2, 405 al. —

In a bad sense, violent, hasty, hot, passionate, fierce, severe (very freq.):

uxor acerrima,

enraged, angry, Plaut. Merc. 4, 4, 56; Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 32:

dominos acres,

Lucr. 6, 63; Nep. Tim. 3, 5; cf. Bremi Nep. Eum. 11, 1. Also, of animals, Lucr. 4, 421; 5, 860; Verg. A. 4, 156; Hor. Epod. 12, 6; 2, 31; Nep. Eum. 11, 1. —

Of abstract things (mostly poet.), Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 32:

egestas,

Lucr. 3, 65:

poenas,

id. 6, 72:

impetus,

ib. 128; 392:

acerrimum bellum,

Cic. Balb. 6:

nox acerrima atque acerbissima,

id. Sull. 18:

acrius supplicium,

id. Cat. 1, 1; in Quint.: acres syllabae, which proceed from short to long, 9, 4.—Acer is constr. with abl., and also (esp. in the histt. of the silv. age) with gen., Vell. 1, 13; Tac. H. 2, 5 al.; cf. Ramsh. § 107, 6 note. With in, Cic. Fam. 8, 15; with inf., Sil. 3, 338.— Adv.: ācrĭter, sharply, strongly, vehemently, eagerly, zealously, etc., in all the signif. of the adj., Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 110; id. Ps. 1, 3, 39; Lucr. 6, 783; Cic. Tusc. 1, 30 al.— Comp., Lucr. 3, 54; 5, 1147; Hor. S. 2, 3, 92; Tac. A. 6, 45; 13, 3.— Sup., Cic. Fl. 11; id. Fam. 10, 28; 15, 4.—Also, ācre, Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 132, 25; App. M. 10, 32; and perh. Pers. 4, 34.

ăd-ĕdo, ēdi, ēsum (less correctly, adessum), 3, v. a. (adest = adedit, Luc. 6, 265; cf. ĕdo), to begin to eat, to bite, to nibble at, to gnaw, etc.—As verb finite very rare, and mostly poet.; not found in prose of Cic.

Prop.:

angues duo ex occulto allapsi adedere jecur,

Liv. 25, 16, 2; so,

adeso jecinore,

Val. Max. 1, 6, 8:

favos,

Verg. G. 4, 242.—Hence metaph. of fire:

cum me supremus adederit ignis,

Ov. Am. 1, 15, 41:

flamma plurima postibus haesit adesis,

Verg. A. 9, 537.—

In an enlarged sense (as a consequence of a continued biting, gnawing, etc.; and hence only in the perf. or part. pass.; cf.: accīdo, absumo, abrumpo), to eat up, to consume entirely: frumento adeso, quod ex areis in oppidum portatum est, Sisenn. ap. Non. 70, 32; so,

extis adesis,

Liv. 1, 7, 13;

pisces ex parte adesi,

Quint. 6, 3, 90: and metaph., to use up, to consume, waste (as money, strength, etc.):

non adesa jam, sed abundante etiam pecunia,

Cic. Quint. 12:

adesis fortunis omnibus,

Tac. A. 13, 21:

bona adesa,

id. H. 1, 4:

adesus cladibus Asdrubal,

Sil. 13, 680.—Hence, ădēsus, a, um, P. a., eaten, gnawed; hence poet., worn away, esp. by water:

adesi lapides,

smooth, polished, Hor. C. 3, 29, 36 (after Theocr. 22, 49; hous potamos periexese):

scopulus,

Ov. H. 10, 26: sale durus adeso caseus, poet. for sale adesus caseus, Verg. Mor. 98.

admorsus, a, um, Part. of admordeo.

admorsus, ūs, m. [admordeo], a biting at, a gnawing, a bite; trop.:

vereor ne libellus iste admorsu duri dentis uratur,

Symm. Ep. 1, 15.

ĕdax, ācis, adj. [1. edo; cf. Sanscr. adakas], voracious, gluttonous.

Prop., Plaut. Pers. 3, 3, 16; Ter. Eun. prol. 38; id. Heaut. prol. 38; Cic. Fl. 17, 41; id. Fam. 9, 20, 2 (abl. edaci, as in Ov. M. 15, 354; Val. Fl. 6, 420 et saep.); Hor. S. 2, 2, 92; id. Ep. 2, 1, 173; Ov. Tr. 1, 6, 11:

vultur,

rapacious, id. Am. 2, 6, 33 et saep.— Sup.:

edacissima animalia,

Sen. Ep. 60, 2.—

Poet. transf., of inanimate and abstr. things, devouring, destroying:

ignis,

Verg. A. 2, 758; Ov. M. 9, 202; id. F. 4, 785:

imber,

Hor. C. 3, 30, 3:

natura,

Ov. M. 15, 354:

tempus,

id. P. 4, 10, 7; cf. with gen.:

tempus rerum,

id. M. 15, 234:

vetustas,

id. ib. 15, 872:

curae,

gnawing, Hor. C. 2, 11, 18 et saep. ‡† edeatroe, qui praesunt regiis epulis, dicti apo tôn edesmatôn, Paul. ex Fest. p. 82, 20 Müll. [edeatroi, seneschals of the table, carvers, v. Lidd. and Scott s. v.].

ĕdax, ācis, adj. [1. edo; cf. Sanscr. adakas], voracious, gluttonous.

Prop., Plaut. Pers. 3, 3, 16; Ter. Eun. prol. 38; id. Heaut. prol. 38; Cic. Fl. 17, 41; id. Fam. 9, 20, 2 (abl. edaci, as in Ov. M. 15, 354; Val. Fl. 6, 420 et saep.); Hor. S. 2, 2, 92; id. Ep. 2, 1, 173; Ov. Tr. 1, 6, 11:

vultur,

rapacious, id. Am. 2, 6, 33 et saep.— Sup.:

edacissima animalia,

Sen. Ep. 60, 2.—

Poet. transf., of inanimate and abstr. things, devouring, destroying:

ignis,

Verg. A. 2, 758; Ov. M. 9, 202; id. F. 4, 785:

imber,

Hor. C. 3, 30, 3:

natura,

Ov. M. 15, 354:

tempus,

id. P. 4, 10, 7; cf. with gen.:

tempus rerum,

id. M. 15, 234:

vetustas,

id. ib. 15, 872:

curae,

gnawing, Hor. C. 2, 11, 18 et saep. ‡† edeatroe, qui praesunt regiis epulis, dicti apo tôn edesmatôn, Paul. ex Fest. p. 82, 20 Müll. [edeatroi, seneschals of the table, carvers, v. Lidd. and Scott s. v.].

Ocnus or - os, = Oknos (sloth).

The founder of the city of Mantua, Verg. A. 10, 198.—

An allegorical picture of Socrales the painter, which represented a man twisting a rope, while an ass kept gnawing it apart, Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 137.—Hence, prov., of labor in vain, which never comes to an end, Prop. 4, 3, 21.

Ocnus or - os, = Oknos (sloth).

The founder of the city of Mantua, Verg. A. 10, 198.—

An allegorical picture of Socrales the painter, which represented a man twisting a rope, while an ass kept gnawing it apart, Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 137.—Hence, prov., of labor in vain, which never comes to an end, Prop. 4, 3, 21.

sĕco, cŭi, ctum ( part. fut. secaturus, Col. 5, 9, 2), 1, v. a. [root sak-, to cut; whence securis, sĕcula, serra (secra), segmen, sexus, saxum, etc.; cf. sīca, and Gr. keiô, keazô, schizô], to cut, cut off, cut up (class.; syn.: caedo, scindo).

Lit.

In gen.:

leges duodecim tabularum, si plures forent, quibus rens esset judicatus, secare, si vellent, atque partiri corpus addicti sibi hominis permiserunt,

Gell. 20, 1, 48 sq.; cf.:

et judicatos in partes secari a creditoribus leges erant,

Tert. Apol. 4:

cape cultrum, seca Digitum vel aurem,

Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 38 sq.:

omne animal secari ac dividi potest, nullum est eorum individuum,

Cic. N. D. 3, 12, 29: pabulum secari non posse, be cut, mown, * Caes. B. G. 7, 14; so,

sectae herbae,

Hor. S. 2, 4, 67:

gallinam,

to cut to pieces, Juv. 5, 124:

placenta,

Mart. 3, 77, 3:

alicui collum gladio suā dexterā,

Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 3, 10:

palatum,

to divide, Cels. 8, 1:

tergora in frusta,

Verg. A. 1, 212: dona auro gravia sectoque elephanto, i. e. of carved, wrought ivory (an imitation of the Homeric pristos elephas, Od. 18, 196), Verg. A. 3, 464:

marmora,

Hor. C. 2, 18, 17: sectis nitebat marmoribus, Luc. 10, 114; so absol.:

nec ideo ferrum secandi vim non perdidit,

Sen. Ben. 5, 5, 1:

prave sectus unguis,

Hor. Ep. 1, 104:

secti lapides,

Vulg. Exod. 20, 25. —

In partic.

Med. t. t., to cut surgically; to operate on; to cut off or out, amputate, excise, etc.:

in corpore si quid ejusmodi est, quod reliquo corpori noceat, id uri secarique patimur,

Cic. Phil. 8, 5, 15; cf.:

saevitia secandi,

Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; so,

membra,

id. 26, 11, 69, § 112:

vomicam,

Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 13:

varices Mario,

Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 35 (for which, exciditur, Cels. 7, 31); cf. of the same: C. Marius cum secaretur, ut supra dixi, principio vetuit se alligari;

nec quisquam ante Marium solutus dicitur esse sectus,

was cut, operated upon, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 53:

servum,

Just. Inst. 4, 3, 6.—

To cut, castrate (very rare):

puer avari sectus arte mangonis,

Mart. 9, 7, 4; so,

sectus Gallus (corresp. to eviratus),

id. 5, 41, 3.—

Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

To scratch, tear, wound, hurt, injure (cf. caedo, II.):

ambo (postes) ab infimo tarmes secat,

the worms are gnawing them, they are wormeaten, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 140:

luctantis acuto ne secer ungui,

lest I should be torn, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 47; cf.:

rigido sectas invenit ungue genas,

Ov. F. 6, 148:

teneras plantas tibi (glacies),

Verg. E. 10, 49:

corpora vepres,

id. G. 3, 444:

crura (sentes),

Ov. M. 1, 509:

pete ferro Corpus et intorto verbere terga seca,

cut, lacerate, Tib. 1, 9, 22; so,

sectus flagellis,

Hor. Epod. 4, 11:

loris,

Mart. 10, 5, 14 al.:

si quem podagra secat,

gnaws, torments, Cat. 71, 2;

imitated by Martial: podagra cheragraque secatur Gaius,

Mart. 9, 92, 9.—

Like the Gr. temnein, and our to cut, i. e.,

To divide, cleave, separate ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

quos (populos) secans interluit Allia,

Verg. A. 7, 717:

medios Aethiopas (Nilus),

Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 53:

medios agros (Tiberis),

Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 12:

medium agmen (Turnus),

Verg. A. 10, 440:

agrum (limes),

Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 331:

caelum (zonae),

Ov. M. 1, 46:

sectus orbis,

Hor. C. 3, 27, 75; cf.:

in longas orbem qui secuere vias,

Ov. Am. 2, 16, 16.—

With the idea of motion, to cut through, i. e. to run, sail, fly, swim, go, etc., through:

delphinum similes, qui per maria umida nando Carpathium Libycumque secant,

cut through, cleave, Verg. A.5, 595:

aequor,

id. ib. 5, 218:

pontum,

id. ib. 9, 103:

aequor Puppe,

Ov. M. 11, 479:

fretum puppe,

id. ib. 7, 1; cf.:

vada nota (amnis),

id. ib. 1, 370:

ales avis... geminis secat aëra pennis,

Cic. Arat. 48:

aethera pennis (avis),

Verg. G. 1, 406; 1, 409:

auras (cornus),

id. A. 12, 268:

ventos (Cyllenia proles),

ib. ib. 4, 257:

sub nubibus arcum (Iris),

id. ib. 9, 15 et saep.— Secare viam (vias), the Gr. temnein hodon, to take one's way, to travel a road:

ille viam secat ad naves,

Verg. A. 6, 899:

hinc velut diversae secari coeperunt viae,

Quint. 3, 1, 14.—

Trop. (acc. to I. C. 1. and 2.).

To cut up, lash in speaking, i.e. to censure, satirize:

secuit Lucilius Urbem,

Pers. 1, 114.—

To divide (not freq. till after the Aug. per.):

cum causas in plura genera secuerunt,

Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 117:

haec in plures partes,

Quint. 8, 6, 13; cf.:

scrupulose in partes sectā divisionis diligentiā,

id. 4, 5, 6:

quae natura singularia sunt secant (corresp. to divido),

id. 4, 5, 25:

sectae ad tenuitatem suam vires (just before: distinguendo. dividendo),

id. 12, 2, 13.—Hence, in Hor., like dirimo (II.), of disputes, to cut off, i.e. to decide them:

quo multae magnaeque secantur judice lites,

Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 42: magnas res, to cure (as it were, by a light operation), id. S. 1, 10, 15.—And once in Verg.: secare spem (the figure borrowed from the phrases secare mare, auras, viam): quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem, whatever hope each follows, i. e. indulges in, entertains, Verg. A. 10, 107 (secat, sequitur, tenet, habet;

ut: Ille viam secat ad naves,

id. ib. 6, 899: unde et sectas dicimus, habitus animorum et instituta philosophiae circa disciplinam, Serv.).

tĭnĕa, ae, f. [tan-, root of tondeo; cf. Gr. temnô].

In gen., a gnawing worm, in clothes, books, etc., a moth, bookworm, etc.: Phalaena tinea, Linn.; Cato, R. R. 98, 1; Hor. S. 2, 3, 119; id. Ep. 1, 20, 12; Ov. P. 1, 1, 72; Mart. 11, 1, 14; Plin. 11, 35, 41, § 117.—

In partic.

Of the moth that flutters about a light, Lact. Phoen. 107.—

Of the wood-worm, Vitr. 5, 12 fin. —

Of worms in beehives, Verg. G. 4, 246; Col. 9, 14, 2.—

Of worms in fig-trees, Col. 5, 10, 9.—

Of worms in the human body, Plin. 27, 13, 120, § 145; 21, 20, 83, § 140; 23, 8, 77, § 148; 24, 10, 47, § 77.—

Agrestes tineae, silkworms, Ov. M. 15, 373.—

Of lice, Claud. in Eutr. 1, 113; 1, 260.