I.a fibre, filament, in a plant, in a part of an animal's body, etc. (cf. nervus).
I. Lit.: “viriditas herbescens, nixa fibris stirpium, sensim adolescit,” Cic. de Sen. 15, 51: “omnes radicum fibras evellere,” id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: “recurvae radicis,” Ov. M. 14, 633: “alliorum,” Verg. M. 88: “tubera undique terra circumdata nullisque fibris nixa aut saltem capillamentis,” Plin. 19, 2, 11, § 33; Col. 11, 2, 9; 11, 3, 21: “pulmo in duas fibras ungulae bubulae modo dividitur. .jecur in quatuor fibras dividitur,” i. e. parts, divisions, Cels. 4, 11: “perlucentes numerare in pectore fibras,” Ov. M. 6, 391: “quid fissum in extis, quid fibra valeat, accipio,” Cic. Div. 1, 10, 16; cf.: “pericula praemonent, non fibris modo extisque, sed alia quadam significatione,” Plin. 8, 28, 42, § 102: “altera fibra (jecoris),” id. 11, 37, 76, § 196; 32, 6, 21, § 60: fibrae cincinnorum madentes, Cic. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. G. 1, 120 et saep.—
II. Transf., entrails in gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “tura focis, vinumque dedit fibrasque bidentis,” Ov. F. 4, 935; cf.: “caesorumque boum fibris de more crematis,” id. M. 13, 637: “Promethea,” i. e. the liver devoured by the vulture, Val. Fl. 7, 355; cf. Verg. A. 6, 600: conscia deorum (as giving prognostics; “v. above I.),” Tib. 1, 8, 3; cf.: “sibi commissos fibra locuta deos,” Prop. 4 (5), 1, 104. “fibraeque repente Conticuere,” Sil. 1, 138: “neque mihi cornea fibra est,” i. e. I am not so callous, insensible, Pers. 1, 47.—
2. Trop., like our word bowels, of the interior of the earth: “persequimur omnes ejus (terrae) fibras,” Plin. 33 praef. § 1.