Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

A.“μέλα^ς” Rhian.58, where μέγας is corrupt for μέλας）, μέλαινα, μέλα^ν; gen. μέλα^νος, μελαίνης, μέλα^νος, etc.; Ep. dat. μείλανι (metri gr.) Il.24.79: Aeol. nom. μέλαις , from Μέλανς, Choerob. in Theod. 1.123, Greg.Cor.p.599 S., hence restored in Sapph.57:—black, dark: in Hom. generally, dark in colour, “οἶνος” Od.5.265; μέλαν αἷμα, κῦμα, Il.4.149, 23.693; “γαῖα μέλαινα” 2.699, cf. Sapph.Supp.5.2; “ὕδωρ μέλαν Αἰσήποιο” Il.2.825, cf. Od.4.359, νηῦς μ., from its being pitched over, Il.1.300, al.; of men, dark, swarthy, “μέλανας δὲ ἀνδρικοὺς ἰδεῖν” Pl.R.474e; “ἰσχυρός τις ἦν, μ.” D.21.71; τὰ μ. black marks about the ears of dogs, X.Cyn.5.23.

II. dark, murky, “ἕσπερος” Od.1.423; “εὐφρόνα” Pi.N.7.3.

III. metaph., black, dark, “θάνατος” Il.2.834, etc.; κήρ ib.859, etc.; “ὀδύναι” 4.117, etc. (the origin of the metaphor is seen in the phrases θανάτου μ. νέφος, ἄχεος νεφέλη μ., 16. 350, 18.22); μ. τύχα, ἀρά, A.Supp.89 (lyr.), Th.832 (lyr.); Ἐρινύς ib.993 (lyr.), cf. Eu.52; “ἄτα” Id.Ag.769 (lyr.); Ἄρης ib.1511 (lyr.); “Ἅιδης” S.OT29; “Ἅιδου μ. ἀνάγκα” E.Hipp.1388 (lyr.), etc.; ἡμέραι μέλαιναι, = Lat. dies atri, Plu.Luc.27.

2. of the voice, indistinct, Arist.Top.106a25, Philostr.VA4.44; βραχὺ καὶ μ. φώνημα, of Nero, D.C.61.20.

3. dark, obscure, enigmatical, “ἱστορίη” AP11.347 (Phil.).

4. of character, dark, malignant, μ. φρήν, καρδία, Sol.42.4, Pi.Fr.123.4; “μ. ἄνθρωποι” Plu.2.12d; μ. ἦθος M. Ant.4.28.

IV. Comp. μελάντερος, α, ον, blacker, very black, “τοῦ δ᾽ οὔ τι μελάντερον ἔπλετο ἔσθος” Il.24.94: prov. of thick darkness, [νέφος] μελάντερον ἠΰτε πίσσα (v. ἠΰτε) 4.277: Sup. “μελάντατος” Hp. VC14, Ar.Fr.580, etc.:—Comp. also “μελανώτερος” Str.16.4.12: Sup. “μελαινότατος” AP11.68 (Lucill.), Epigr.Gr.320.4 (Thyatira).

V. μέλαινα (sc. νοῦσος), ἡ, Medic., of diseases causing black secretions (such as melaena), Hp.Morb.2.73.

VI. μέλαν, τό, v. sub voc. (Cf. Skt. málam 'dirt', malinás 'dirty', Lett. melns 'black'.)