I.the marrow of bones; the pith of plants (class.).
I. Lit., Hor. Epod. 5, 37: “cumque albis ossa medullis,” Ov. M. 14, 208: “ossa regum vacuis exsucta medullis,” Juv. 8, 90: “per media foramina a cerebro medullā descendente,” Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 178.—
B. Transf., the pith, inside, kernel: “vitis medullā,” Col. 3, 18, 5; Plin. 16, 25, 42, § 103: “frumenta, quae salsā aquā sparsa moluntur, candidiorem medullam reddunt,” i. e. meal, flour, Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 87: “medulla ventris,” the inside, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 17.—
II. Trop., the marrow, kernel, innermost part, best part, quintessence: “at ego pereo, cui medullam lassitudo perbibit,” Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 18: “cum hic fervor tamquam in venis medullisque insederit,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 10, 24; cf.: “in medullis populi Romani ac visceribus haerebant,” id. Phil. 1, 15, 36: “haec mihi semper erunt imis infixa medullis,” Ov. Tr. 1, 5, 9: “qui mihi haeres in medullis,” who are at the bottom of my heart, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 2: qui mihi sunt inclusa medullis, id. Att. 15, 4, 3: “nondum implevere medullas maturae mala nequitiae,” Juv. 14, 215: “communes loci, qui in mediis litium medullis versantur,” Quint. 2, 1, 11: “verborum,” inner meaning, Gell. 18, 4, 2: “divisio compagum ac medullarum,” the innermost parts, Vulg. Heb. 4, 12.—Poet.: suadae, the marrow or quintessence of eloquence, said of Cethegus, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58 (Ann. v. 309 Vahl.); cf. Quint. 2, 15, 4.
