A.anything made of flax (v. fin.)
1. cord, fishingline, Il.16.408; thread spun from a distaff, E.Or.1431 (lyr.), Archipp. 38, etc.: pl., E.Tr.537 (lyr.); thread for stringing jewels, “ὅρμον χρυσείοισι λίνοισιν ἐερμένον” h.Ap.103; “ἄλλα παντοδαπὰ χρυσᾶ ἀνηρμένα ἐπὶ λίνου” IG11(2).208.22 (Delos, iii B. C.); thread used as a ligature, Gal. 2.669.
2. metaph., thread of destiny spun by the Fates, Il.20.128, Od.7.198, etc.: pl., “τά γε μὰν λ. πάντα λελοίπει ἐκ Μοιρᾶν” Theoc.1.139, cf. Call.Lav.Pall.104; ὑπὲρ τὸ λ., = ὑπὲρ μόρον, Luc.JConf.2.
3. prov., with or without neg., λίνον λίνῳ συνάπτειν, i. e. join like with like , deal with matters of like kind, Pl.Euthd.298c, Stratt.38, Arist. Ph.207a17.
4. fishing-net, “ἀψῖσι λίνου ἁλόντε” Il.5.487, cf. “κλωστήρ” 11; also, hunting-net, Theoc.8.58, 27.17; for catching birds, D.S.1.60, AP9.396 (Paul. Sil.), 343 (Arch.); λ. δορκάδεια hunting-nets for gazelles, PCair.Zen.524 (iii B. C.).
5. linen, linen-cloth, Il. 9.661, Od.13.73, 118: pl., linen cloths, linen garments, A.Supp.121, 132 (both lyr.): sg., linen garment, Apoc.15.6; sail-cloth, Ar.Ra.364, A.R.1.565, etc.
6. flax for spinning, “λίνου μεστὸν ἄτρακτον” Ar. Ra.1347, cf. PRev.Laws39.7 (iii B. C.), etc.; λ. Καρπάσιον asbestos, Paus.1.26.7.
II. the plant flax, Linum usitatissimum, “λίνον ἐργάζεσθαι” Hdt.2.105, etc.; λίνου σπέρμα linseed, Th.4.26: pl., “ἡ ἐκ των λ. δημιουργία” Pl.Plt.280c.
2. = θυμελαία, Dsc.4.172.
3. = χρυσόγονον, ib.56.
III. v. Λίνος 11. (Lith. linaĩ pl. 'flax', with ι^ as in Gr., but Lat. linum, OE. lin, etc. with ι_: ι_ also in the doubtful words λινόσαρκος, λινοπτάομαι, ἀμφίλινος.)
