A.“ὠδίνεσσι” h.Ap. 92, Theoc.17.61, etc.: later nom. ὠδίν LXXIs.37.3, 1 Ep.Thess.5.3:— mostly in pl., pangs or throes of childbirth, “πικρὰς ὠδῖνας ἔχουσαι” Il. 11.271; τέκε . . ἐν μόναις ὠδῖσιν . . διδύμων σθένος υἱῶν at a single birth, Pi.P.9.85; “πόνους ἐνεγκοῦσ᾽ ἐν ὠδῖσι” E.Supp.920 (lyr.); “ἐν ὠδίνων λοχίαις ἀνάγκαισι” Id.Ba.89 (lyr.), cf. Ion452 (lyr.); “αἱ δἰ ὠδίνων γοναί” Id.Ph.355: also in sg., Pi.O.6.43, N.1.36, S.OC533 (lyr.); “γυνὴ φεύγει πικρὰν ὠδῖνα παίδων” Id.Fr.932.
2. in sg. also, that which is born amid throes, child, “παῖδα, φιλτάτην ἐμοὶ ὠδῖνα” A.Ag. 1418, cf. Pi.O.6.31, E.Ion45; θαλλὸν ἱερὸν ἐλαίας, Λατοῦς ὠδῖνα (fort. ὠδῖνι）“ φίλαν” Id.IT1102 (lyr.); ἄπτερον ὠδῖνα τέκνων, of young birds, Id.HF1040: pl., children, AP7.549 (Leon.Alex.); ὀρταλίχων ἁπαλὴ ὠδίς, of eggs, Nic.Al.165; “τοῦ ᾠοῦ ἐν ὠδῖνι ὄντος” Arist.HA560b22; ὠ. Θαλάσσας, of Aphrodite, AP9.386; ὠδὶς μελίσσης, of honey, Nonn.D.5.228, al.
II. metaph., travail, anguish, A.Ch.211, Supp.770 (both sg.): also in pl., of love, “ἐμοὶ πικρὰς ὠδῖνας αὑτοῦ προσβαλὼν ἀποίχεται” S.Tr.42, cf. Pl.R.574a, Phdr.251e: freq. in LXX, Ex.15.14, al., Ev.Matt.24.8.
2. fruit of the mind's travail, “τῆς ἐμῆς ὠ.” Luc.Dem.Enc.25; “λόγων ὠδῖνες” Him. Or.18.3; “ἐπέων” Tryph.117.
3. ὠδῖνες θανάτου, ᾄδου, the bonds of death, LXX 2 Ki.22.6, Ps.17(18).5, 6 (due to confusion of Heb. [hudot ]ēbel 'pang' with [hudot ]ěbel 'cord'), cf. Act.Ap.2.24.
