Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon

A.the choicest, the flower of its kind: in Hom. mostly of the finest wool, “οἰὸς ἄωτον” Il.13.599,716, Od.1.443; without οἰός (which must be supplied from the context), flock, down, 9.434; once of the finest linen, “λίνοιό τε λεπτὸν ἄωτον” Il.9.661; of the golden fleece, “χρύσεον ἄωτον” A.R.4.176, cf. Orph.A.1336; ἄκρον ἄωτον [ὕδατος], of pure water, Call.Ap.112; of the foam on a wave, “κύματος ἄκρῳ ἀ.” Id.Hec.1.4.3; “μέλιτος ἄ. γλυκύς” Pi.Pae.6.59: freq. in Pi., ἄ. ζωᾶς the prime or flower of life, Id.I.5(4).12; ἄ. στεφάνων the fairest of . . , ib.6(5).4, cf. O.5.1; Χαρίτων ἄ. their fairest gift, Id.I. 8(7).16; σοφίας ἄκρος ἄ. the choicest gift of minstrel's art, ib.7(6).18; ἄ. γλώσσας, i.e. a song, ib.1.51; “ὕμνων” Id.P.10.53; “δίκας ἄ.” Id.N.3.29; “Ἀφροδίτας . . ἄωτον” A.Supp.666 (lyr.): rarely in pl., “στεφάνων ἄωτοι” Pi.O.9.19; “ἡρώων ἄωτοι” Id.N.8.9; “ῥόδων ἄωτοι” Simon.148: in Epitaphs, θνῄσκω . . ἀκμᾶς ἐν ἀώτῳ in the flower of youth, IG3.1328; “τὸν . . ἄωτον τοῦ δήμου” CIG2804, cf. Epigr.Gr.455.

II. that which gives honour and glory to a thing, ἄ. ἵππων a song in praise of horses, Pi.O.3.4; “χειρῶν ἄ. ἐπίνικον” Id.O.8.75.—The gender is indeterminate in Hom. and A.; Pi. always has ἄωτος, and so Theoc.13.27; A.R. and later Ep. ἄωτον (Opp.C.4.154, οἰὸς ἄωτα in pl.).