vŏlŭcrĭter

vŏlŭcer, ūcris, ūcre ( gen. plur. volucrium, Cic. ap. Charis. p. 119 P.; masc. volucris, Tib. 4, 1, 209; Sil. 10, 471; fem. volucer fama, Petr. poët. 123, 210; cf. acer; on the quantity of the u in volucris, v. Quint. 1, 5, 28), adj. [cf. 2. volo], flying, winged (class.; syn.: ales, volatilis).

Lit.

Adj.:

bestiae,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; id. Lael. 21, 81:

angues,

id. N. D. 1, 36, 101:

dracones,

Ov. M. 7, 218:

Cupido,

id. ib. 9, 482:

natus,

i. e. Cupid, id. ib. 5, 364:

deus,

i. e. Mercury, Stat. Th. 2, 55; cf.

pes (Mercurii),

Ov. F. 5, 88; and:

o nuntium volucrem!

Cic. Quint. 25, 80.—

Subst.: vŏlū̆cris, is, f. (sc. avis, once masc., sc. ales:

teneros volucres, Cic. poët. Div. 2, 30, 64),

a bird, a flying creature, Lucr. 1, 12; 2, 145; 2, 344; Cic. de Or. 2, 6, 23; id. Ac. 2, 25, 81:

marinae,

Prop. 3, 7 (4, 6), 11; Ov. A. A. 3, 35; id. H. 10, 123:

Junonis,

i. e. the peacock, id. M. 15, 385; cf.

Junonia,

id. Med. Fac. 33; of the cock: volucres cecinere diem, Coripp. 1, 199; cf. Sil. 14, 22;

the eagle,

Luc. 6, 129:

obscenae,

Verg. A. 3, 241:

Tityi volucres,

vultures, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 31; Hor. S. 1, 8, 6;

of the sirens,

Stat. S. 5, 3, 87; Quint. 10, 3, 24; 12, 11, 13; Suet. Aug. 13:

pictae,

Verg. A. 4, 525; Ov. M. 1, 308:

volucris parvula,

the fly, Phaedr. 5, 3, 3.—

Transf., of any thing that moves rapidly, flying, winged, fleet, swift, rapid (mostly poet.;

syn. velox): lumen,

Lucr. 6, 173; cf.:

ritu flammarum,

id. 1, 1102:

fumi,

Verg. G. 2, 217:

aurae,

id. A. 11, 795; Ov. M. 13, 807:

nebulae,

id. ib. 1, 602:

procellae,

id. Am. 2, 11, 33:

sagitta,

Verg. A. 5, 242; Ov. M. 9, 102;

called also ferrum,

id. Tr. 3, 10, 64:

harundo,

Verg. A. 5, 544:

equi,

Ov. M. 2, 153; 2, 234; 4, 245:

currus,

Hor. C. 1, 34, 8:

volucri freta classe pererrat,

Ov. M. 7, 460:

jam volucrem sequor Te per gramina Martii Campi,

speeding, running, Hor. C. 4, 1, 38 et saep.—

Trop.

In gen., fleet, swift, rapid:

nihil est tam volucre quam maledictum,

Cic. Planc. 23, 57:

aliud genus (dicendi) est... verbis volucre atque incitatum,

id. Brut. 95, 325:

volucri spe et cogitatione rapiuntur a domo longius,

id. Rep. 2, 4, 7:

somnus,

Verg. A. 2, 794:

fatum,

Hor. C. 2, 17, 24.—

In partic., passing quickly by, fleeting, transient, transitory:

o volucrem fortunam,

Cic. Sull. 32, 91:

dies,

Hor. C. 3, 28, 6; 4, 13, 16:

fama,

Ov. H. 17, 207; Petr. 123:

gaudium,

Tac. Or. 9.— Adv.: vŏlŭcrĭter, swiftly, rapidly (post-class.):

congregati,

Amm. 17, 1, 12:

perurgebat nocentes innocentesque,

id. 29, 1, 18.