I.mist, vapor, fog, smoke, exhalation (syn.: nubes, nimbus).
I. Lit.: fluviis ex omnibus et simul ipsa Surgere de terrā nebulas aestumque videmus, etc., Lucr. 6, 477; Verg. A. 8, 258: “tenuem exhalat nebulam,” id. G. 2, 217. —Poet., of the clouds: “nebulae pluviique rores,” Hor. C. 3, 3, 56; Verg. A. 1, 412; 439 (for which, nubes, id. ib. 587; Ov. M. 6, 21. —Of smoke, Ov. Tr. 5, 5, 31.—Of any thing soft or transparent: “nebula haud est mollis, atque hujus est,” Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 21: “desine Inter ludere virgines Et stellis nebulam spargere candidis,” Hor. C. 3, 15, 6.— “Prov.: nebulae cyathus, of any thing worthless, trifling,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 62.— “—Personified = Nephele,” Hyg. Fab. 2 and 3.—
B. Transf., a foggy mist, a vapor, cloud: “pulveris nebula,” Lucr. 5, 253: “nebulae dolia summa tegunt,” Ov. F. 5, 269: “pinguem nebulam vomuere lucernae,” Pers. 5, 181; Sil. 6, 281: per nebulam audire, aut scire aliquid, to hear or know a thing indistinctly, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 47; id. Capt. 5, 4, 26 (for which: “quasi per caliginem videre,” Cic. Phil. 12, 2, 2).—
2. A thin, transparent substance; of a thin garment: aequum est induere nuptam ventum textilem, Palam prostare nudam in nebulā lineā, Laber. ap. Petr. 55; “of a thin plate of metal,” Mart. 8, 33, 3.—
II. Trop., darkness, obscurity: “erroris nebula,” Juv. 10, 4: “nebulae quaestionum,” obscure, puzzling questions, Gell. 8, 10 in lemm.: “suspicionum nebulae,” vague suspicions, Amm. 14, 1, 4.—Of something empty, trifling, worthless: “grande locuturi nebulas Helicone legunto,” Pers. 5, 7 (for which: “nubes et inania captare,” Hor. A. P. 230).
