I.a little sharp point or sting (syn.: mucro, acus, aculeus).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., of bees, Verg. G. 4, 237; 4, 74.—Of a scorpion, Ov. F. 5, 542: “(scorpio) solus (insectorum) habet in caudā spiculum,” Plin. 11, 28, 34, § 100. —Of hornets, Ov. M. 11, 335: “rosarum spicula,” thorns, Mart. Cap. 2, § 132.—
B. In partic., the point of a missile weapon (as a dart, arrow, etc.): “Epaminondas tum denique sibi avelli jubet spiculum, posteaquam, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 5; cf. Quint. 5, 10, 51; 5, 12, 2: “hastarum spicula,” Ov. M. 8, 375: “bipalme spiculum,” Liv. 42, 65, 9: “calami spicula Gnosii Vitabis,” Hor. C. 1, 15, 17: “L. Crassus spiculis prope scrutatus est Alpes,” Cic. Pis. 26, 62: “spicula sagittae,” barbs, Cels. 7, 5, n. 2.—
II. Meton. (pars pro toto), a dart, arrow (syn. jaculum): “Laoedaemonii suos omnes agros esse dictitarunt, quos spiculo possent attingere,” Cic. Rep. 3, 9, 15; so of a javelin, Verg. A. 7, 165; 7, 687; of an arrow, id. E. 10, 60; id. A. 7, 497; Ov. M. 12, 601; 12, 606; 13, 54; Sil. 17, 133; 3, 273; cf. Plin. 27, 13, 115, § 141; of Cupid's arrow, Prop. 2, 13 (3, 4), 2; Ov. Am. 1, 1, 22; id. A. A. 2, 708 al.—Also a later name for the pilum: “quod pilum vocabant, nunc spiculum dicitur,” Veg. Mil. 2, 15.—Poet.: solis, a ray or beam of the sun, Prud. Cath. 2, 6.
