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căvus , a, um, adj. root κυ-, κυέω, to swell, etc.; cf.: κοῖλος, κενός,
I.hollow, excavated, concave (opp. plenus, full, round; class.).
I. Prop.: “cava conveniant plenis,” Lucr. 6, 1085: “cicutae,” id. 5, 1383: “tibia,” id. 2, 620: “concha,” Verg. A. 6, 171: “aes,” id. ib. 3, 240: “testudo,” id. G. 4, 464; Hor. Epod. 14, 11: “bucina,” Ov. M. 1, 335 et saep.: “ungula,” Enn. Ann. 419 Vahl.: “fornaces,” Lucr. 7, 202: “montes,” id. 5, 955: “specus,” Enn. Ann. 420 Vahl.: “cavernae,” Verg. A. 2, 53: “trabs,” id. ib. 3, 191 et saep.: “trunci,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 12: “ilex,” id. Epod. 16, 47: “saxa,” id. C. 3, 13, 14 et saep.: “vena,” the hollow vein, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: “nubes,” Lucr. 6, 127; 6, 176; 6, 272; Verg. A. 1, 516; 5, 810 al.—Hence also of a darkness enveloping one as a cloud: “umbra,” Verg. A. 2, 360: “flumina,” the deepchannelled mountain streams, id. G. 1, 326; 4, 427; cf. Luc. 1, 396: luna, waning (cf. cavo), Plin. 8, 54, 80, § 215.—
B. Subst.: căvum , i, n. (access. form căvus , i, m. (sc. locus), Varr. R. R. 3, 15, 1; Hor. S. 2, 6, 116; id. Ep. 1, 7, 33; Phaedr. 4, 6, 3; Col. 12, 8), a hollow, cavity, hole, Cato, R. R. 128; Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 49; Lucr. 5, 1382; Liv. 24, 34, 9; Verg. G. 1, 184; Hor. S. 2, 3, 173; Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 192; 11, 51, 112, § 266 et saep.: “cava caeli,” Enn. Trag. 131 Vahl.; cf.: “cava caerula,” id. ib. 332 Vahl.; hence, căvum aedĭum (contr. căvae-dĭum , Phn. Ep. 2, 17, 5), the inner court of Roman houses (cf. Vitr. 6, 3 Schneid.; “O. Müll. Etrusk. 1, p. 255, and Archaeol. § 293, III.),” Varr. L. L. 5, § 161; Vitr. 6, 3; Dict. of Antiq.—
II. In late Lat., trop.: menses, which have only 30 days (opp. menses pleni, which have 31 days), Censor. 20.—
b. = inanis, vain, empty: “gloria,” Paul. Nol. Carm. 22, 139: “opes,” id. ib. 21, 912.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (23):
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 1.335
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 2.360
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.516
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 2.53
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 6.171
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.184
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.326
    • Vergil, Georgics, 4.464
    • Horace, Satires, 2.6.116
    • Horace, Satires, 2.3.173
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 6.3
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 1.2
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.955
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.127
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.176
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.620
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.1382
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.1383
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.1085
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.272
    • Lucan, Civil War, 1.396
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 24, 34
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.55
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