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sēmen , ĭnis, n. root sa-, sē-; cf.: sero, sevi; Saturnus, sator, etc..
I. Seed.
1. Of plants, Cato, R. R. 17; 27; 31 fin.; 34; Varr. R. R. 1, 40 sq.: “semen manu spargere,Cic. Rosc. Am. 18, 50: “terra semen excepit,id. Sen. 15, 51; id. N. D. 2, 32, 81; Ov. M. 1, 108; 7, 623 et saep.—
2. Of men, animals, etc., Plaut. Am. 5, 2, 9; Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4; 2, 3, 4; 3, 7, 10 al.; Lucr. 4, 1031; 4, 1034 sq.; Cels. 4, 19; Ov. M. 1, 748; 15, 760 et saep.—
3. Poet., of the elements of other bodies (of fire, water, stones, etc.): “ignis semina convolvunt e nubibus,Lucr. 6, 201 sq.; 6, 444; 6, 507; “6, 841: quaerit pars semina flammae in venis silicis,Verg. A. 6, 6; Ov. M. 11, 144 et saep.: “in animis quasi virtutum igniculi et semina,Cic. Fin. 5, 7, 18; so id. Div. 1, 3, 6: “alicujus quaestionis,Liv. 40, 19.—
B. κατ̓ ἐξοχήν, spelt-seed, spelt, Plin. 18, 8, 19, § 82; 18, 24, 55, § 198; Col. 2, 12, 1; cf. Isid. Orig. 17, 3, 6.—
II. Transf.
A. A shoot used for propagating; a graft, scion, set, slip, cutting, Varr. R. R. 1, 40, 5; Verg. G. 2, 354; Col. 3, 3, 4; 3, 4, 1; 5, 10, 1 et saep.—
2. A stock, race (very rare): “genus ac semen,Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 95; so (with genus) id. Phil. 4, 5, 13: “ipsa regio semine orta,Liv. 1, 47: “videndum, ut boni seminis pecus habeas,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4.—
3. Posterity, progeny, offspring, child (poet.): “non tulit in cineres labi sua Phoebus eosdem Semina, sed natum flammis Eripuit,Ov. M. 2, 629; so, “semina,id. ib. 10, 470; 15, 216; id. F. 2, 383; id. Tr. 2, 415; Sen. Herc. Fur. 987; Vulg. Gen. 15, 5 et saep.—
II. Trop., as in all languages, seed, i. e. origin, occasion, ground, cause; of persons, an author, prompter, insligator, etc. (class.).
(α). Sing. (the predom. signif. in Cic.): “stirps ac semen malorum omnium,Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30: “bellorum civilium semen et causa,id. Off. 2, 8, 29, cf. ut in seminibus est causa arborum et stirpium: “sic hujus belli semen ut fuisti (for which, just before: causam belli in personā tuā constitisse),id. Phil. 2, 22, 55: “sceleris,Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 21.—
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hide References (44 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (44):
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 18.50
    • Cicero, Philippics, 2.22.55
    • Cicero, Philippics, 4.5.13
    • Cicero, On the Agrarian Law, 2.35.95
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 1.12.30
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 1.108
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.470
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.144
    • Plautus, Rudens, 2.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 6.6
    • Vergil, Georgics, 2.354
    • Old Testament, Genesis, 15.5
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 1.748
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.629
    • Tacitus, Annales, 4.27
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.53
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 5.2
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.1031
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.1034
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.201
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.444
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.507
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 18.82
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 40, 19
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 40, 19.9
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 3, 19.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 47
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 6
    • Seneca, Hercules Furens, 987
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 5.7
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.32
    • Cicero, De Senectute, 15
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.3
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.8
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 20.6
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 3, 6.60
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 4, 2.54
    • Seneca, Epistulae, 90.29
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 4.19
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 2.12.1
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 3.3.4
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 3.4.1
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 5.10.1
    • Ovid, Fasti, 2
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