the stump of an amputated vine-branch

custos, ōdis, comm. [root sku-, to cover, hide, etc.; cf. scutum, keuthô, Germ. Haut, Haus, Corss. Ausspr. I. p. 353], a guard, watch, preserver, keeper, overseer, protector, defender, attendant, etc., protectress, etc., in a friendly or hostile sense (freq. and class.).

In gen.

Of living beings.

In gen.: antiqua erilis fida custos corporis, Enn. Med. ap. Non. p. 39, 2 (Trag. Rel. v. 289 Vahl.); cf. in masc.:

corporis,

a body-guard, Liv. 24, 7, 4; so plur., Nep. Dat. 9, 3; Suet. Calig. 55 al.:

Commium cum equitatu custodis loco relinquit,

Caes. B. G. 6, 6 fin.:

cum vigillis custodibusque nostris colloqui,

id. B. C. 1, 22 init.:

portae,

Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 27:

fani,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 94. custos defensorque provinciae, id. ib. 2, 5, 6, §

12: pontis,

Nep. Milt. 3, 1:

patrimonii,

Quint. 4, 2, 73:

hortorum,

Suet. Calig. 59:

gregis,

Verg. E. 10, 36:

pecuniae regiae,

Curt. 5, 1, 20: ipse pecuniae quam regni melior custos, Liv 44, 26, 12: rei publicae custos senatus, Cic. Sest. 65, 137:

templorum,

id. Dom. 55, 141:

custos ac vindex cupiditatum,

id. Agr. 2, 9, 24:

salutis suae,

Quint. 5, 11, 8; Curt. 3, 6, 1; Tac. A. 3, 14 et saep.:

his discipulis privos custodes dabo,

Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 76; so of teachers of youth, id. ib. 4, 3, 19; Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 57; Hor. S. 1, 4, 118; id. A. P. 161; 239:

virtutis (ego) verae custos rigidusque satelles,

id. Ep. 1, 1, 17.—Freq. of the gods, etc.:

dei custodes et conservatores hujus urbis,

Cic. Sest. 24, 53; cf.:

custodi Jovi,

Suet. Dom. 5:

montium custos Diana,

Hor. C. 3, 22, 1:

rerum Caesar,

id. ib. 4, 15, 17: multae tibi tum officient res, Custodes, etc., i. e. attendants of women, eunuchs, etc., id. S. 1, 2, 98 Heind.—Of dogs, Verg. G. 3, 406; Col. 7, 12;

so of Cerberus,

Verg. A. 6, 424 al., and of the constellation Bootes, Arktophulax, Vitr. 9, 4, 1: armorum, the officer in charge of the arms in an army or fleet, Dig. 49, 16, 14, § 1; Inscr. Orell. 3630 al.—

In civil affairs, t. t., a man who took charge of the vessel into which voting tablets were put (in order to prevent false suffrages), Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 18; Cic. Agr. 2, 9, 22; id. Red. Sen. 7, 17.—

Of inanimate subjects.

Of abstract subjects:

natura Ipsaque corporis est custos et causa salutis,

Lucr. 3, 324:

haec custos dignitatis (fortitudo),

Cic. Tusc. 2, 14, 33:

sapientia custos et procuratrix totius hominis,

id. Fin. 4, 7, 17; id. Off. 2, 7, 23:

leges diligentissimae pudoris custodes,

Quint. 8, 5, 19 al. —

Of receptacles, safes, e. g. of a quiver:

eburnea Telorum custos,

Ov. M. 8, 320; of an incense-box:

turis,

id. ib. 13, 703; and in husbandry, the stump of an amputated vine-branch, i. q. resex, pollex, praesidiarius or subsidiarius palmes, Col. 4, 21, 3.—

In a hostile sense.

In gen., a watch, spy:

Dumnorigi custodes ponit, ut, quae agat, quibuscum loquatur, scire possit,

Caes. B. G. 1, 20 fin.:

custodem, inquit, Tullio me apponite. Quid, mihi quam multis custodibus opus erit, etc.,

Cic. Div. in Caecil. 16, 51; id. Verr. 2, 5, 25, § 63; Caes. B. G. 1, 20 fin.:

num nam hic relictu's custos, Nequis, etc.,

Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 55; cf. v. 59; Curt. 5, 11, 2; Suet. Tib. 12 al.—

Esp., a jailer, keeper:

carceris,

Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 57; Nep. Eum. 11, 1; id. Alcib. 4, 4:

quem ex Mauritania rex proditionis insimulatum cum custodibus miserat,

Sall. H. 2, 25 Dietsch:

te sub custode tenebo,

Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 77; Tac. A. 2, 68; 3, 28; 4, 60 al.