I.deprived or bereft of a husband or wife, bereft of a lover, spouseless, mateless, widowed.
I. Lit.: “quae (Penelopa) tam diu vidua viro suo caruit,” Plaut. Stich. 1, 1, 2: “vidui viri,” id. Merc. 4, 6, 13; Ov. A. A. 1, 102; id. H. 8, 86: “quidve tibi prodest viduas dormire puellas?” Prop. 2, 33 (3, 31), 17.—
B. Subst.: vĭdŭa , ae, f., a widow: “nupta, vidua, virgo,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 37: “cognitor viduarum,” Cic. Caecin. 5, 14: “orbarum et viduarum tributa,” id. Rep. 2, 20: “viduas avaras venari,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 78.—Of unmarried women: “se rectius viduam et illum caelibem futurum fuisse contendere quam cum impari jungi,” Liv. 1, 46, 7; Sen. Herc. Fur. 245; id. Med. 215; cf. Dig. 50, 16, 242, § 3.—
II. Transf.
A. Of animals: “columba,” Plin. 10, 34, 52, § 104. —
B. Of things: “torus,” Prop. 2, 9, 16: “cubile,” Ov. Am. 2, 10, 17: “noctes,” id. H. 19, 69: “domus,” id. F. 1, 36: “manus (Penelopes),” id. H. 1, 10: “caelibatus,” Sen. Ben. 1, 9, 4.— “So of a vine which is not trained to any tree, which stands alone: ut vidua in nudo vitis quae nascitur arvo,” Cat. 62, 49; “and conversely, of trees which are without vines: et vitem viduas ducit ad arbores,” Hor. C. 4, 5, 30: “ulmos,” Juv. 8, 78: “platanus,” Mart. 3, 58, 3: “ramus,” Col. 5, 6, 31.—
C. In gen., deprived or bereft of, destitute of, without any thing (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose); constr. with a or ab, the simple abl., or gen.: “cogor adire lacus viduos a lumine Phoebi,” Verg. Cul. 371: “me ipse viduus (i. e. viribus meis), Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 10, 25: viduus pharetrā Apollo,” Hor. C. 1, 10, 11: “alni (i. e. naves) moderantibus,” Stat. Th. 10, 13: “clavus (gubernatore),” id. ib. 10, 183: “solum arboribus,” Col. 2, 2, 25; 3, 11, 5: “pabulationes pecudibus,” id. 9, 4, 1: “viduus mente,” App. M. 2, p. 120, 38: “nec viduum pectus amoris habet,” Ov. Am. 3, 10, 18: “viduus teli,” Sil. 2, 247.—Absol.: “arae,” desolate, without fire, App. M. 4, p. 155, 41.
