I. Lit., a bite, bit, morsel; esp. a little ball or pellet made of flour: antiqui offam vocabant abscisum globi formā, ut manu glomeratam pultem, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. poenitam offam, p. 242 Müll.: offam eripere alicui, Enn. ap. Plin. 18, 8, 19, § 84 (Enn. p. 181 Vahl.); Varr. R. R. 3, 5: “offam obicit,” Verg. A. 6, 420: “pultis,” Cic. Div. 2, 35, 73.—Prov.: inter os et offam, = Engl. between the cup and the lip, Cato ap. Gell. 13, 18 (17), 1; cf.: vetus est proverbium inter os et offam, idem significans quod Graecus ille παροιμιώδης versus: Πολλὰ μεταξὺ πέλει κύλικος και χείλεος ἄκρου, Apollin. ap. Gell. l. l. § 3.—
II. Transf., in gen.
A. A piece, lump, mass: “aufer illam offam porcinam,” Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 165 Ritschl N. cr.: “offa porcina cum caudā in cenis puris offa penita vocatur, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. penem, p. 230 Müll.: gummi in offas convolutum,” Plin. 12, 9, 19, § 35.—
B. A swelling, Juv. 16, 11.—
C. A shapeless mass, untimely birth, abortion, Juv. 2, 33: “quantas robusti carminis offas Ingeris?” Pers. 5, 5; Plin. 9, 48, 72, § 155.
