I. The cheek (puffed or filled out in speaking, eating, etc.; diff. from genae, the side of the face, the cheeks, and from mala, the upper part of the cheek under the eyes; v. Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 156 sqq.; mostly in plur.; class.): buccam implere, Cato ap. Gell. 2, 22, 29: “sufflare buccas,” Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 42: “inflare,” id. ib. 5, 6, 7: “rumpere buccas,” to write bombast, Pers. 5, 13: “sufflare buccis,” Mart. 3, 17, 4.—In violent anger (cf. in Gr. φυσᾶν τὰς γνάθους, δεινὰ φυσᾶν, etc.): quin illis Juppiter ambas Iratus buccas inflet, etc., * Hor. S. 1, 1, 21: “pictus Gallus ... distortus, ejectā linguā, buccis fluentibus,” Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; id. Red. in Sen. 6, 13: “fluentes pulsataeque buccae,” id. Pis. 11, 25 B. and K.: purpurissatae (rouged), Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 35.—In blowing the fire: “buccā foculum excitat,” Juv. 3, 262 al.—Hence,
b. Dicere (scribere) quod or quidquid in buccam venit, a colloq. phrase, to speak (write) whatever comes uppermost, Cic. Att. 1, 12, 4; 7, 10 fin.; 14, 7, 2; Mart. 12, 24, 5.— “Also ellipt.: garrimus quidquid in buccam,” Cic. Att. 12, 1, 2.—
B. Meton.
1. One who fills his cheeks in speaking, a declaimer, bawler: “Curtius et Matho buccae,” Juv. 11, 34 (jactanticuli, qui tantum buccas inflant et nihil dicunt, Schol.); cf.: “bucca loquax vetuli cinoedi,” Mart. 1, 42, 13: “homo durae buccae,” Petr. 43, 3; so of a trumpeter: “notaeque per oppida buccae,” Juv. 3, 35.—
2. One who stuffs out his cheeks in eating, a parasite, Petr. 64, 12.—
II. Transf.
A. From men to animals; “of croaking frogs,” Plin. 11, 37, 65, § 173.—
B. In gen., a cavity; of the knee-joint, Plin. 11, 45, 103, § 250.
