previous next
tēla , ae, f. prob. contr. from texia, from texo; cf. ala, from axilla; “mala, from maxilla,” Cic. Or. 45, 153,
I.a web.
I. Lit.: “texentem telam studiose ipsam offendimus,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 44: “Penelope telam retexens,” Cic. Ac. 2, 29, 95: “tenui telas discreverat auro,” Verg. A. 4, 264; 11, 75: “vetus in telā deducitur argumentum,” Ov. M. 6, 69: “commenta retexere tela,” Stat. S. 3, 5, 9; Dig. 32, 1, 69; 34, 2, 22: “lanā et telā victum quaeritans,” Ter. And. 1, 1, 48; cf.: “assiduis exercet bracchia telis,” Ov. F. 4, 699: “antiquas exercet telas,” id. M. 6, 145: “plena domus telarum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 26, § 59.—Of a spider's web: “deiciamque eorum (araneorum) omnis telas,” Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 25; Cat. 68, 49; Mart. 8, 33, 15; Juv. 14, 61.—
B. Transf.
1. The threads that run lengthwise in the loom, the warp (syn.: “stamen, trama),” Tib. 1, 6, 79: licia telae Addere, Verg. G. 1, 285; 3, 562; Ov. M. 4, 275; 6, 54 sq.—
2. A weaver's beam, yarn-beam; also, a loom, Cato, R. R. 10, 5; 14, 2; Ov. M. 4, 35; 6, 576. —
II. Trop., a web, i. e. a plan, design: “exorsa haec tela non male omnino mihi est,” Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 116: “ad detexundam telam,” id. Ps. 1, 4, 7: “quamquam ea tela texitur et ea incitatur in civitate ratio vivendi, ut, etc.,” Cic. de Or. 3, 60, 226.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (14 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (14):
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.4.59
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 4.275
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 6.145
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 6.69
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 1.4
    • Plautus, Stichus, 2.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 4.264
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.285
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 4.35
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 2.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.60
    • Statius, Silvae, 3.5
    • Cicero, Orator, 45.153
    • Ovid, Fasti, 4
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: