I.“nubis ater,” Plaut. Merc. 5 2, 38: nubs for nubes, Liv. Andron. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 10, 636; cf. Aus. Idyll. de Monosyll. Hist. 12, 4) [Sanscr. nabhas, vapor, cloud; Gr. νέφος, νεφέλη; Lat. nubilus, nebula; cf. nimbus, nubo], a cloud.
I. Lit.: “aër concretus in nubes cogitur,” Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 101: id. Ac. 2, 22, 70: “atra nubes Condidit lunam,” Hor. C. 2, 16, 2: “candida,” Vulg. Apoc. 14, 14: “aestivis effusus nubibus imber,” Verg. G. 4, 312; Ov. M. 8, 339: “venti nubes abigunt,” Plin. 2, 47, 48, § 126: “nube deprendere volucrem jaculis,” to bring down a bird from the sky, Sil. 16, 566: “usque ad nubes,” up to heaven, Vulg. Psa. 35, 6; id. Jer. 51, 9.— Poet.: “Sabaeae nubes,” the smoke of frankincense, Stat. S. 4, 8, 2.—
B. Transf.
1. A cloud, a dark spot: “sudare nubemque discutere,” i. e. by the breath, Plin. 33, 8, 44, § 127: “crystalla infestantur plurimis vitiis, maculosā nube, etc.,” id. 37, 2, 10, § 28.—
2. A cloud, thick multitude, dense mass, swarm: “locustarum tantae nubes,” Liv. 42, 10, 7: “Pomptinum velut nubibus locustarum coopertum,” id. 42, 2, 4: “levium telorum,” id. 38, 26: “obruti velut nube jaculorum a Balearibus conjectā,” id. 21, 55, 6: “peditum equitumque,” id. 35, 49: “(volucrum),” Verg. A. 12, 254: “nigro glomeratur pulvere nubes,” id. ib. 9, 33: “muscarum,” Plin. 29, 6, 34, § 106: “pulveris,” Curt. 4, 15, 32: “(volucrum) nubem sonoram,” Juv. 13, 167: “farrea nubes, i. e. porrigo capitis, furfures,” Ser. Samm. 3, 34: “nubes testium,” Vulg. Hebr. 12, 1.—
II. Trop.
A. A cloud, for something unreal or unsubstantial, a phantom: “nubes et inania captare,” Hor. A. P. 230.—
B. Cloudiness, of a gloomy countenance, of sleep, of drunkenness, of blindness (poet.): “deme supercilio nubem,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94; Sil. 8, 612: “meri,” Val. Fl. 3, 65: “soporis,” Stat. Achill. 1, 646: “mortis,” id. S. 4, 6, 72: “frontis opacae,” id. Th. 4, 512.—
