A.“ψηφάων” Man.4.448: (ψάω):—a small round worn stone, pebble, “ψᾶφος ἑλισσομένα” Pi.O. 10(11).9; οὐκ ἂν εἰδείην λέγειν ποντιᾶν ψάφων ἀριθμόν ib.13.46; ψήφῳ μούνῃ διατετρανέεις, opp. μόγις ἂν λίθῳ παίσας διαρρήξειας, Hdt. 3.12; ψ. ἄμμου a grain of sand, LXXSi.18.10.
2. precious stone, gem, Philostr.VA3.27; esp. worn in a ring, Luc.DMeretr.9.
II. acc. to the various uses made of such pebbles:
1. pebble used for reckoning, counter, λογίζεσθαι ψήφοις calculate or reckon by abacus, cipher, Hdt.2.36, etc.: hence to reckon exactly or accurately, opp. ἀπὸ χειρὸς λ., Ar.V.656 (anap.); “οὐ τιθεὶς ψήφους” D.18.229; “ἐν ψήφῳ λέγειν” A.Ag.570; “ἐν ψήφου λόγῳ θέσθαι” E.Rh. 309: metaph., “ταῖς τοῦ συμφέροντος ψήφοις μετρεῖν τὰς ἔχθρας καὶ τὰς φιλίας” Plb.2.47.5: hence ψῆφος itself for a cipher, number, πὸτ ἄρτιον (sc. ἀριθμὸν)“ ποτθέμειν . . ψᾶφον” Epich.170: pl., accounts, καθαραὶ ψ., where there is an exact balance, D.18.227; “οἱ περὶ τὰς ψ.” calculators, Alciphr.1.26; “ψήφων ἄπειρος” Plu.2.812e; δακτυλικὴ ψ. reckoning on the fingers, AP11.290 (Pall.); of astrological calculations, Vett.Val.10.15, al.
b. in Magic, κατέχων τὴν ψ. (i. e. the object on which the number is written) λέγε . . PMag.Par.1.1048, cf. 937.
3. pebble used in divination, “ἡ διὰ ψήφων μαντική” Apollod.3.10.2.
4. cube used in mosaic pavements, Gal.Protr.8.
5. pebble used in voting, “ψήφῳ ψηφίζεσθαι” Hdt.9.55; “ἐὰν μὴ τῇ ψ . . . ψηφίσωνται κρύβδην ψηφιζόμενοι” D.59.89: hence, the vote itself, ψῆφον φέρειν give one's vote, “ἐν καρδίᾳ ψ. φέροντες” A.Eu.680, cf. And.1.2, D.57.61, etc.; “ὑπέρ τινος” Lycurg.7; “περί τινος” Id.11, etc.; “ψήφου φορά” E.Supp.484; ψῆφον τίθεσθαι, = ψηφίζεσθαι, Hdt.8.123, cf. 6.57; “εἰς τεῦχος . . ψήφους ἔθεντο” A.Ag.816; c. inf., Hdt.3.73; “ψ. προσθέσθαι” Th.1.40; ψήφῳ διαιρεῖν to determine by vote, A.Eu.630; ψήφῳ κρίνειν, Th.1.87, etc.; “μεταλαβὼν τὸ πέμπτον μέρος τῶν ψ.” Pl.Ap.36b, cf. Lex ap.D.21.47: in collect. sense, ἐχρῆν . . ψ. περὶ αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι a vote is taken, Antipho 5.47; “ἡ καθαιροῦσα ψ.” Lys.13.37; “ἡ σῴζουσα ψ.” D.19.66; οἷς ἂν πλείστη γένηται ψ. a majority of votes, Pl.Lg.759d: τὴν ψῆφον ἐπάγειν to put the vote or question, of the president, Th.1.119, 125; “ψῆφον δοῦναι περί τινος” IG22.222.24, cf. D.21.188; “ψ. ἀναδοὺς περί τινος” App.BC1.100; so “ψ. περὶ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ ἀνδραποδισμοῦ προτεθεῖσαν” D.19.65; διένεμον (vv. ll. διενέμοντο, ἔφερον) τὰς ψ. were casting their votes, Hdt.8.123; ὑπὸ ψήφου μιᾶς with one accord, Ar.Lys.270; ψ. φανερά open voting, “ψ. φανερὰν διενεγκεῖν” Th.4.74; “τὴν ψ. οὐκ εἰς καδίσκους ἀλλὰ φανερὰν ἐπὶ τὰς τραπέζας τίθεσθαι” Lys.13.37, cf. Pl.Lg.767d, 855d; opp. ψ. ἀφανής voting by ballot, Aeschin.3.233; “κρύβδην τὴν ψ. φέρειν” Arist. Rh.Al.1433a23, cf. 1424b2, Ath.69.1.
b. that which is carried by vote, a vote, ψ. καταγνώσεως a vote of condemnation, Th.3.82; ψῆφος αὐτῷ ἐπῆκτο περὶ φυγῆς a vote of banishment was moved for against him, X.An.7.7.57, cf. A.Th.198; “ψήφῳ πόλεως γνωσθεῖσαι” Id.Supp.7 (anap.):—hence,
c. any resolve or decree, “ψ. τυράννων” S.Ant.60; λιθίνα ψᾶφος a decree written on stone, Pi.O.7.87; διδοῖ ψᾶφον περ᾽ αὐτᾶς [the oak] gives judgement of itself, Id.P.4.265; ψ. φλεγυρὰ βροτῶν, i. e. public opinion, Cratin.57 (lyr.); τίν᾽ ἂν ψῆφον θεῖο; what judgment . . ? Pl.Prt.330c, cf. R.450a; “ἡ ἐμὴ ψ.” Id.Phlb. 57a.
d. Ἀθηνᾶς ψ., calculus Minervae, prov. phrase to express acquittal, when the votes were even, Philostr.VS2.3.
e. ψ. is sts. omitted, “κἂν ἴσαι γένωνται” Ar.Ra.685 (lyr.); “πάσαις κρατεῖν” Luc.Bis Acc.18, cf. 22.