Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

A.“ὕσπλα_κος” IG42(1).98.2 (Epid., iii B. C.): dat. pl. “ὕσπληξιν” Plu.2.588f, Ep. “ὑσπλήγεσσι” AP6.259 (Phil.): Dor. ὑσπλα_γίς (q.v.):— snare or gin of a bird-catcher, Theoc. l.c.; wolf-trap, Hsch.; also the part of a springe or noose trap which slips down when touched, Dionys.Av.l.c., cf. 3.13; = ῥόπτρον, Hsch.; = πάσσαλος, κρίκος κεράτινος, Id., Sch.Pl.Phdr.254e.

2. a twisted strand, the untwisting of which releases motive power in an automaton (cf. “στρέβλη” 1.2), Hero Aut.2.8 (also, a piece of wood made to rise or fall by this or similar means, ib.6, cf. 24.4); “ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου μυρίαις ὁρμαῖς οἷον ὕσπληξιν ἐντεταμένη” Plu.2.588f; [“τὸ θερμὸν] ἀθροῖσαν ἑαυτὸ καὶ οἷον συνεσπειραμένον γεγονός, . . σφοδρᾷ τῇ φορᾷ χρώμενον καὶ οἷον ἀπὸ ὕσπληγος ἐξαλλόμενον” Gal.7.623; ὥσπερ ἀπὸ ὕ. ἀναπεσών throwing himself back as from a ὕ., i. e. violently, Pl.Phdr.254e; ὥσπερ ἀπὸ ὕ. θέοντες, i.e. running at top speed, Luc.Cat.4.

3. a contrivance (of uncertain nature, but prob. on the principle of “ὕ.” 1 or 2; = Lat. transenna, Gloss.) for starting a race, starting-machine (κυρίως τὸ μηχάνημα τὸ ἀποκροῦον τὸν κανόνα τοῦ δρομέως Sch.D.P.121; cf. “σχαστηρία” 1), ὕσπληγος ἀγκῶνας τρεῖς παραστάδας ὑσπλήγων τέτταρας καὶ κίονας δύο, σύριγγας τῶν ὑ. δύο, in a list of wooden objects, Inscr.Délos 1400.9 (ii B. C.), cf. 1409 Baii43 (ii B. C.); ὕσπληγα λαμπαδίειον (for the torch-race) IG11(2).203B96 (Delos, iii B. C.); ἀφέσεις τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν ὑσπλήγων τοῦ Παναθηναϊκοῦ σταδίου ib.22.1035.50 (i B. C.); “ἔπεσεν ἡ ὕ.” Luc.Tim.20; “τῆς ὕ. εὐθὺς καταπεσούσης” Id.Cal.12; “ἑστᾶσιν ὥσπερ ἐφ᾽ ὕσπληγος ἐξορμᾶν ἕτοιμοι” J.BJ3.5.4 (v.l. ὑφ᾽ ὕσπληγος); “διήκει πρὸ αὐτῶν καλῴδιον ἀντὶ ὕσπληγος” Paus.6.20.11; χαλῶσιν αἱ ὕ. ib.13; ἀθρόα δ᾽ ὕσπληξ πάντα (sc. τὰ ἅρματα） διὰ στρεπτοῦ τείνα [τ᾽ ἔ]χουσα κάλω: [ἦ] μέγ᾽ ἐπαχήσασα θοὰς ἐξήλασε πώλους Inscr.Perg. l.c.; ψόφος ἦν ὕσπληγος ἐν οὔασιν, i.e. the race had just started, AP11.86, cf. Plu.2.804e; “ἔσχαστο ἡ ὕ.” Hld.4.3; “ψαλιδωτὰς ἱππαφέσεις διὰ μιᾶς ὕ. ἅμα πάσας ἀνοιγομένας” D.H.3.68: metaph., κἀπὸ γῆς ἐσχάζοσαν ὕσπληγας were loosing the starting-machine from land, i. e. were starting out from land, Lyc.22.

4. = καμπτήρ 11, metaph., D.P.121, cf. Eust. ad loc.; ὕσπληγας ὑποφήνας τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν λόγων setting limits to . . , dub. in metrod.Herc.831.11.

5. part of a burial-place, perh. gate, CIGl.c.

6. = μύωψ 11.2 or μάστιξ, Herm. in Phdr.p.170A., Hsch., Suid.; = ὑστριχίς 1, Eust.ad D.P.121 (deriving it from ὗς and πλήσσω).