I.abl. plur. specibus, Sen. Cons. ap. Front. Aquaed. 125; on the various forms found only in the grammarians, v. Neue, Formenl. 1, 569 sq.), m. (f. and n. v. infra) [perh. root spec-; v. specio, and so orig. a hole, aperture; but cf. σπέος].
I. Lit., a cave, cavern, grot, den; a cavity, chasm, natural or artificial; of the latter kind, a ditch, drain, canal, channel, covered water-course, a pit in mines, etc. (cf. spelunca).
(α).
Masc. (class. and freq.): inferum vastos specus, Enn. ap. Non. 222, 32 (Trag. v. 218 Vahl.): “specus tenebricosus,” Varr. ib. 222, 31: “fons ex opaco specu,” Liv. 1, 21; so abl. sing., id. 1, 56, 10; 10, 10, 1: “forum medium ferme specu vasto collapsum dicitur,” id. 7, 6; so sing., Ov. M. 3, 29; 7, 409; 11, 235; id. F. 4, 495; Liv. 10, 1, 5; Tac. A. 16, 1, 3; 16, 4, 59.—Plur.: “quos agor in specus?” Hor. C. 3, 25, 2: paucos specus in extremo fundo, et eos quidem subterraneos, * Cic. Att. 15, 26, 4; so of drains, ditches, Varr. R. R. 3, 17 fin.; Cat. 61, 28; Liv. 39, 13, 13; Tac. A. 12, 57; id. G. 16; Sen. Med. 741 al.—
(β).
Fem. (ante- and post-class.): concava specus, Enn. ap. Non. 222, 23 (Ann. v. 420 Vahl.); cf. Serv. Verg. A. 7, 568; Pac. ap. Non. 223, 2 Müll. (Trag. p. 91 Rib.); id. ap. Fest. p. 343 Müll. (l. l. p. 73 Rib.): “specum quandam nactus remotam latebrosamque, in eam me penetro et recondo,” Gell. 5, 14, 18; Sil. 6, 276.—
(γ).
Neutr. (anteclass. and poet.): “hic specus horrendum,” Verg. A. 7, 568; “Serv. ad loc.: invisum caelo specus,” Sil. 13, 425; Ps.-Quint. Decl. 10, 19.—
(δ).
Acc. to the second declension: speca apposita, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 713 P.: altis claudere specis, Att. ap. Non. 487, 25 (Fragm. Trag. v. 63 Rib.).—