I.a wonderful, strange, or marvellous thing, a wonder, marvel, miracle; wonderfulness, marvellousness (class.; syn.: prodigium, portentum): miracula, quae nunc digna admiratione dicimus, antiqui in rebus turpibus utebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 123 Müll.: “portenta et miracula philosophorum somniantium,” strange and wonderful imaginations, Cic. N. D. 1, 8, 18: “adiciunt miracula huic pugnae,” relate wonderful things, Liv. 2, 7: “esse miraculo,” to be wonderful, to excite wonder, id. 25, 8: “arbor digna miraculo,” singular, curious, Plin. 12, 1, 5, § 9: “in quae miracula, dixit, Verteris?” Ov. M. 3, 673: “omnia transformat sese in miracula rerum,” Verg. G. 4, 441: “miraculum magnitudinis,” extraordinary size, Liv. 25, 9, 14: “Euander ... venerabilis vir miraculo litterarum, rei novae inter rudes artium homines,” id. 1, 7, 8: “ut mors ejus majori miraculo fuerit,” Suet. Oth. 12: “miracula septem,” the seven wonders of the world, Amm. 22, 15, 28.—
II. Esp., in eccl. Lat., a miracle: “facientes pene incredibilia miracula,” Lact. 4, 21: “Dei,” id. 7, 9: “quibus miraculis plurimi allicientur,” id. 7, 17: “accidit quasi miraculum Deo,” Vulg. 1 Reg. 14, 15: nihil posse confingi miraculorum atque vitiorum, quod non ibi (in deorum genere) reperiatur, Aug. Civ. Dei, 4, 27.—Hence, adv.: mīrācŭlō = θαυμαστῶς, wonderfully: “pictus,” Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 83.
