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ζῷον , τό,
A.living being, animal, Hdt.5.10 (of bees), Ar.V.551, Pl. 443, etc.; “πᾶν τι περ ἂν μετάσχῃ τοῦ ζῆν ζῷον ἂν λέγοιτοPl.Ti.77b; ζῷα, opp. φυτά, Id.Phd.70d, 110e, etc.; ζ. θαλάττιον, χερσαῖον, Phld. Rh.1.98S.; contemptuously, ὅπως χώρα τοῦ τοιούτου ζῴου καθαρὰ γίγνηται may be free from this kind of animal (i.e. beggars), Pl.Lg. 936c; ζ. πονηρόν, of women, Secund.Sent.8.
II. in art, figure, image, not necessarily of animals (cf. ζῴδιον)“, ζῷον δέ οἱ ἐνῆν, ἀνὴρ ἱππεύςHdt.3.88: mostly in pl., “ζῷα ἐς τὴν ἐσθῆτα ἐγγράφεινId.1.203, cf. 2.4,124,148, Pl.R.515a, etc.; ζῷα γράψασθαι τὴν ζεῦξιν τοῦ Βοσπόρου to have pictures of the bridging of the Bosporus painted, Hdt.4.88; cf. ζωγραφέω: “ζῷα ποιεῖνPlu.Per.13.
III. sign of the Zodiac, Man.2.166.—The word is post-Hom., no generic word used for animal being found till after the middle of the fifth cent. B.C. (“ζώϊονSemon.13, whence Att. ζῷον by contraction: ι is found in IG12.372.42, al.,11(2).161B76 (Delos, iii B.C.), Phld.Rh.2.166S., and in codd. opt. in the Noun; the Adj. ζωός (q.v.) had no ι: for the compds. (exc. ζωγλύφος, ζωγράφος) decisive evidence is lacking: ζῳάγρια with ι was read by Aristarch. in Il.18.407.)
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hide References (14 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (14):
    • Aristophanes, Plutus, 443
    • Aristophanes, Wasps, 551
    • Herodotus, Histories, 1.203
    • Herodotus, Histories, 2.4
    • Herodotus, Histories, 3.88
    • Herodotus, Histories, 4.88
    • Herodotus, Histories, 5.10
    • Homer, Iliad, 18.407
    • Plato, Laws, 936c
    • Plato, Republic, 515a
    • Plato, Phaedo, 110e
    • Plato, Phaedo, 70d
    • Plato, Timaeus, 77b
    • Plutarch, Pericles, 13
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