I.gen. plur. volucrium, Cic. ap. Charis. p. 119 P.; masc. volucris, Tib. 4, 1, 209; Sil. 10, 471; fem. volucer fama, Petr. poët. 123, 210; cf. acer; on the quantity of the u in volucris, v. Quint. 1, 5, 28), adj. cf. 2. volo, flying, winged (class.; syn.: ales, volatilis).
I. Lit.
1. Adj.: “bestiae,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; id. Lael. 21, 81: “angues,” id. N. D. 1, 36, 101: “dracones,” Ov. M. 7, 218: “Cupido,” id. ib. 9, 482: “natus,” i. e. Cupid, id. ib. 5, 364: “deus,” i. e. Mercury, Stat. Th. 2, 55; cf. “pes (Mercurii),” Ov. F. 5, 88; and: “o nuntium volucrem!” Cic. Quint. 25, 80.—
2. Subst.: vŏlū^cris , is, f. (sc. avis, once masc., sc. ales: “teneros volucres, Cic. poët. Div. 2, 30, 64),” a bird, a flying creature, Lucr. 1, 12; 2, 145; 2, 344; Cic. de Or. 2, 6, 23; id. Ac. 2, 25, 81: “marinae,” Prop. 3, 7 (4, 6), 11; Ov. A. A. 3, 35; id. H. 10, 123: “Junonis,” i. e. the peacock, id. M. 15, 385; cf. “Junonia,” id. Med. Fac. 33; of the cock: volucres cecinere diem, Coripp. 1, 199; cf. Sil. 14, 22; “the eagle,” Luc. 6, 129: “obscenae,” Verg. A. 3, 241: “Tityi volucres,” vultures, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 31; Hor. S. 1, 8, 6; “of the sirens,” Stat. S. 5, 3, 87; Quint. 10, 3, 24; 12, 11, 13; Suet. Aug. 13: “pictae,” Verg. A. 4, 525; Ov. M. 1, 308: “volucris parvula,” the fly, Phaedr. 5, 3, 3.—
B. Transf., of any thing that moves rapidly, flying, winged, fleet, swift, rapid (mostly poet.; “syn. velox): lumen,” Lucr. 6, 173; cf.: “ritu flammarum,” id. 1, 1102: “fumi,” Verg. G. 2, 217: “aurae,” id. A. 11, 795; Ov. M. 13, 807: “nebulae,” id. ib. 1, 602: “procellae,” id. Am. 2, 11, 33: “sagitta,” Verg. A. 5, 242; Ov. M. 9, 102; “called also ferrum,” id. Tr. 3, 10, 64: “harundo,” Verg. A. 5, 544: “equi,” Ov. M. 2, 153; 2, 234; 4, 245: “currus,” Hor. C. 1, 34, 8: “volucri freta classe pererrat,” Ov. M. 7, 460: “jam volucrem sequor Te per gramina Martii Campi,” speeding, running, Hor. C. 4, 1, 38 et saep.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., fleet, swift, rapid: “nihil est tam volucre quam maledictum,” Cic. Planc. 23, 57: “aliud genus (dicendi) est ... verbis volucre atque incitatum,” id. Brut. 95, 325: “volucri spe et cogitatione rapiuntur a domo longius,” id. Rep. 2, 4, 7: “somnus,” Verg. A. 2, 794: “fatum,” Hor. C. 2, 17, 24.—
B. In partic., passing quickly by, fleeting, transient, transitory: “o volucrem fortunam,” Cic. Sull. 32, 91: “dies,” Hor. C. 3, 28, 6; 4, 13, 16: “fama,” Ov. H. 17, 207; Petr. 123: “gaudium,” Tac. Or. 9.—Adv.: vŏlŭcrĭter , swiftly, rapidly (post-class.): “congregati,” Amm. 17, 1, 12: “perurgebat nocentes innocentesque,” id. 29, 1, 18.
