I.an old woman (married or unmarried), a matron, old wife, old maid (sometimes in an honorable sense, but com. as a term of contempt).
I. Lit.: tremulis anus attulit artubus lumen, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 20, 40 (Ann. v. 36 Vahl.); Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 75: “quid nuntias super anu?” id. Cist. 4, 1, 8: “ejus anuis causā,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 46: “prudens,” Hor. Epod. 17, 47: “pia,” Ov. M. 8, 631: “huic anui non satis,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 16; Vulg. Gen. 18, 13; ib. 1 Tim. 5, 2: “quae est anus tam delira, quae ista timeat?” Cic. Tusc. 1, 21, 48 et saep.—Sometimes for a female soothsayer, sibyl, Hor. S. 1, 9, 30; Ov. F. 4, 158.—
II. Transf. as adj., old, aged (cf. senex, old; old man, sometimes old woman): “anus matronae,” Suet. Ner. 11: “libertinam quamvis anum,” id. Oth. 2.—Also of animals, or inanimate things of the feminine gender: “cerva anus,” Ov. A. A. 1, 766: “charta,” Cat. 68, 46: “testa,” Mart. 1, 106: “terra,” Plin. 17, 3, 5, § 35: “fici,” id. 15, 19, 21, § 82 al.
