I.a small stream of water, a brook (cf.: fluvius, amnis).
I. Lit.: rivus est locus per longitudinem depressus, quo aqua decurrat, cui nomen est ἀπὸ τοῦ ῥεῖν, Dig. 43, 21 (de rivis), 1: “rivorum a fonte deductio,” Cic. Top. 8, 33: “prostrati in gramine molli Propter aquae rivum,” by a waterbrook, Lucr. 2, 30; so, “aquae,” id. 5, 1392; Hor. C. 3, 16, 29; cf. Inscr. Orell. 51: “omnia flumina atque omnes rivos, qui ad mare pertinebant, etc.,” Caes. B. C. 3, 49; 3, 37; cf. 3, 88 fin.; Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 7: “pronus,” id. ib. 1, 10, 21; id. C. 1, 29, 11: “mobiles,” id. ib. 1, 7, 14; cf. “celeres,” id. ib. 3, 11, 14: “gelidi,” id. ib. 3, 13, 7; id. Ep. 1, 18, 104: “claudite jam rivos,” Verg. E. 3, 111: “tenuis fugiens per gramina rivus,” id. G. 4, 19.—Prov.: e rivo flumina magna facere, to magnify an insignificant object; or, as we say, to make a mountain of a mole-hill, Ov. P. 2, 5, 22.—
B. Transf.
1. An artificial water-course, channel, canal, Dig. 7, 1, 61; 8, 3, 15; 8, 4, 11.—
b. A gutter, Vitr. 8, 6 (7), 1 al.—
2. Of other liquids, a stream, etc. (mostly poet.): “manabat venis ferventibus argenti rivus et auri,” Lucr. 5, 1256: “lactis uberes,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 11: “sanguinis,” Verg. A. 11, 668; Liv. 26, 23; Curt. 4, 9, 13: “sudoris,” Verg. A. 5, 200: “lacrimarum,” Ov. M. 9, 655: “ignium,” Plin. 2, 106, 110, § 236: “rivis currentia vina,” Verg. G. 1, 132.—
