I.a blossom, flower.
I. Lit.: “suaves flores,” Lucr. 1, 8: “juvat novos decerpere flores,” id. 1, 928: “novi,” Hor. C. 4, 1, 32: “recentes,” id. ib. 3, 27, 44: “verni,” id. ib. 2, 11, 9: “florum omnium varietas,” Cic. de Sen. 15, 54: “suavitas odorum, qui afflarentur e floribus,” id. ib. 17, 59: “laetissimi flores,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 107: “ninguntque rosarum Floribus,” Lucr. 2, 628: “flores rosae, rosarum,” Hor. C. 2, 3, 14; 3, 29, 3; 4, 10, 4: “piabunt floribus et vino Genium,” id. Ep. 2, 1, 144; cf.: “fons Bandusiae, dulci digne mero non sine floribus,” id. C. 3, 13, 2: “nitidum caput impedire myrto Aut flore,” id. ib. 1, 4, 10: “recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attae Fabula, si dubitem, etc.,” the stage strewed with flowers, id. Ep. 2, 1, 79: “carduus florem purpureum mittit inter medios aculeos,” puts forth, Plin. 20, 23, 99, § 262; cf. id. 21, 6, 17, § 31: “legere,” Ov. M. 4, 315.—
B. Transf.
1. The honey of flowers sucked out by the bees: “rure levis verno flores apis ingerit alveo, Conpleat ut dulci sedula melle favos,” Tib. 2, 1, 49; Verg. G. 4, 39; Plin. 11, 7, 7, § 17.—
2. In gen., like the Gr. ἄνθος, for whatever forms either the best part or the highest part of a thing (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose).—
a. The flower of any thing, i. e. the prime or best part, also the best kind of any thing: postquam est honoratus frugum et floris Liberi, the bouquet or flavor of wine, Pac. ap. Non. 498, 12; so, “vini (Bacchi),” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 1; id. Cas. 3, 5, 16; Lucr. 3, 221.—The best kind of oil, Plin. 15, 6, 6, § 23; of wax, id. 21, 14, 49, § 84; of rosin, id. 14, 20, 25, § 124; of salt, id. 13, 1, 2, § 14; Cato, R. R. 88, 2; of meal, Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 86 et saep.; of cream, Vitr. 8, 3; of the finest dish: cenae, Favorin. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 2.—
b. The highest part, the top, crown, head of a thing.—Of the froth of wine, Cato, R. R. 11, 2; Col. 12, 30; Plin. 14, 21, 27, § 136.—The blisters, scales that are formed in smelting metals, id. 34, 11, 24, § 107; the upper dust of marble or gypsum, Col. 12, 20, 8.—Poet. of the first downy hairs of the beard: nunc primum opacat flore lanugo genas, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. genas, p. 94 Müll. N. cr.; Verg. A. 8, 160; Luc. 6, 562: “ante genas dulces quam flos juvenilis inumbret,” Claud. in Prob. Cons. Pan. 69.—Donec flammai fulserunt flore coorto, a tip or flash of flame, Lucr. 1, 900.—
3. In archit., carved flowers placed as ornaments on a Corinthian capital, Vitr. 4, 1, 12; on a cupola, id. 4, 8.
II. Trop., the flower, crown, ornament of any thing (class.; a favorite flg. of Cic.).
A. In gen.: “ea tempestate flos poëtarum fuit (Plautus),” Plaut. Cas. prol. 18: “sic omnis fetus repressus, exustusque siti flos veteris ubertatis exaruit,” Cic. Brut. 4, 16: “(Ennius) flos delibatus populi ... qua (eloquentia) virum excellentem praeclare tum illi homines florem populi esse dixerunt,” id. ib. 15, 58 sq. (cf. Enn. Ann. v. 309 ed. Vahl.): “flos nobilitatis ac juventutis,” id. Phil. 2, 15, 37; so, legatorum, id. Fl. 26, 61: “versaris in optimorum civium vel flore vel robore,” id. Or. 10, 34; cf.: “quod floris, quod roboris in juventute fuerat, amiserant,” Liv. 37, 12, 7: “ex morbo velut renovatus flos juventae,” id. 28, 35, 7; 26, 2, 6; Curt. 3, 5, 8: “provincia Galliae ... ille flos Italiae, illud firmamentum imperii populi Romani, illud ornamentum dignitatis,” Cic. Phil. 3, 5, 13: “flos dignitatis,” id. Balb. 6, 15; cf.: “ego te, Crasse, cum vitae flore, tum mortis opportunitate, divino consilio et ortum et exstinctum esse arbitror,” splendor, glory, id. de Or. 3, 3, 12: “in ipso Graeciae flore,” in the very flower, the most flourishing condition, id. N. D. 3, 33, 82: “flos aetatis,” the flower of one's age, the prime of life, Lucr. 3, 770; 5, 847; cf.: “non venirem contra gratiam, non virtutis spe, sed aetatis flore collectam,” Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 3.— Without aetas: Pa. Anni? Ch. Anni? Sedecim. Pa. Flos ipse, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28: “viridissimo flore puella,” Cat. 17, 14: “in flore primo tantae indolis juvenis exstinctus est,” Plin. Ep. 5, 9, 5: “in flore virium se credens esse,” Liv. 42, 15, 2: “primus flos animi,” youthful vigor, Stat. Ach. 1, 625; “but also: flos animi,” ripe age, Sen. Ep. 26: “videmus Vergilium ea de causa hortorum dotes fugisse, et e tantis, quae retulit, flores modo rerum decerpsisse,” i. e. the choicest, best, Plin. H. N. 14 praef. § 7.—
2. Transf.: flos aetatis, maidenly or youthful innocence (of girls or boys), virginity: “(virgo) cum castum amisit polluto corpore florem,” Cat. 62, 46: “Hasdrubal flore aetatis, uti ferunt, primo Hamilcari conciliatus,” Liv. 21, 2, 3; cf. id. 21, 3, 4: “florem aetatis (Caesaris) in Bithynia contaminatum,” Suet. Caes. 49.—
B. In partic., of speech, a flower, embellishment, ornament: “ut porro conspersa sit (oratio) quasi verborum sententiarumque floribus, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 96: “flos aut lumen eloquentiae,” id. Brut. 17, 66; cf.: “nullus flos tamen neque lumen ullum (in M. Crassi oratione),” id. ib. 66, 233: “florem et colorem defuisse,” id. ib. 87, 298: “alia copia locuples, alia floribus laeta,” Quint. 8, 3, 87: “male audire ... nimiis floribus et ingenii affluentia,” id. 12, 10, 13.