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ὄνυξ , υ^χος, , Hom. only in Ep. dat. pl. ὀνύχεσσι, and always of the eagle,
A.talons, claws, Il.8.248, al. ; so of the falcon, Hes.Op.204, 205, Ar.Av.1180 ; so of beasts of prey, Pi.N.4.63, Hdt.3.108 ; of the crocodile, Id.2.68 ; of the Sphinx, E.El.471 (lyr.); of human beings, nail, Hes.Sc.266, Hdt.4.64, etc.; “τοὺς ὄνυχας τῶν δακτύλωνAr.Av.8 ; of horses and oxen, hoof, X.Eq.1.3, Ap9.64 (Asclep. or Arch.): Arist. speaks of the hoof (ὁπλή) as homologous to the nail or claw (ὄνυξ), HA486b20, PA690a9: metaph., “πρὸς ὀξύν γ᾽ . πετραίου λίθουE.Cyc.401 codd. (leg. στόνυχα) :—Special phrases :
1. εἰς ἄκρους τοὺς . ἀφίκετο (sc. οἶνος) warmed me to my fingers' ends, ib.159; so “ἐκ κορυφῆς εἰς ἄκρους .AP9.709 (Phil.), cf. 12.93 (Rhian.) ; so also ἐξ ὀνύχων from the fingers' ends, ib.5.13 (Rufin.), Plu.2.3c ; but ἐξ ἁπαλῶν . from childhood, Horace's de tenero ungui, AP5.128 (Autom.).
3. ὅταν ἐν ὄνυχι πηλὸς γένηται, i. e. when the model reaches the nail stage, because the sculptor puts the finishing touches to the model with his nail, Polyclit. ap. Plu. 2.636c, cf. Plu.2.86a ; so δι᾽ ὄνυχος δίαιτα a most careful, close life, ib. 128e ; “τὸν Λυσιακὸν χαρακτῆρα ἐκμέμακται εἰς ὄνυχαad unguem expressit, D.H. Dem.13 ; σύμπηξις εἰς ὄνυχα a nice fit, Gal.2.737 ; “τὰς γωνίας ἐπ᾽ ὄνυχος συμβεβλημένας ἔχεινPh.Bel.66.37 ; “πρὸς ὄνυχα τὴν προσκαρτέρησιν ποιεῖσθαιPhld.Rh.1.11S.; cf. “ὀνυχίζω111, ἐξονυχίζω.
5. ἐξ ὀνύχων λέοντα (sc. τεκμαίρεσθαι) to judge by the claws, i. e. by a slight but characteristic mark, Alc.113, Apostol. 7.57.
II. anything like a claw,
1. fluke of an anchor, Plu.2.247e.
2. an instrument fixed by a surgeon to his finger, Hp.Superf. 7, Gal.19.107.
3. . σιδηροῦς tool used for scraping the 'figs' of the συκάμινος, Thphr.HP4.2.1 (pl.) ; also for making incisions to extract gum of balsam, ib.9.6.2(pl.).
4. κλιμακίδοιν τοὺς ., τῶν πλαισίων τοὺς ., dub. sens. in IG12.373.208,212, cf. 372 E10.
III. anything like the nail:
1. the white part at the end of rose-petals by which they are attached to the stalk, Dsc.1.99.
2. hypopyon, an accumulation of pus in the eye resembling a nail-paring, Aët.7.30 tit. (pl.), Paul.Aeg.3.22.23.
3. part of the liver, Ruf.Onom.180, Sch.Nic.Th.560.
4. veined gem, onyx, LXX Jb.28.16, Aristeas66, J.BJ5.5.7 ; “Σαρδῷος .sardonyx, Luc.Syr.D.32 (cf. σαρδόνυξ) ; “. σφραγίςIG22.1388.86, cf. 12.282.128.
5. an aromatic substance, onycha, LXX Ex.30.34, Damocr. ap. Gal.13.226, Dsc.2.8, POxy.1142.4(iii A. D.).
6. = ἀστράγαλος VII, Ps.-Dsc.4.61.
7. operculum of the κογχύλιον, Dsc.2.8, Gal.13.320, Orib.5.77.1, Paul.Aeg.7.3 ; of the πορφύρα, Dsc.Eup.2.92.
8. a shell-fish, supposed female of σωλήν, prob. Lithodomus, Xenocr. ap. Orib.2.58.106 (pl.).
9.ὄνυχες θαλάσσιοιsea-weed, Ps.-Democr.Alch.p.42 B. (Cf. Lat. unguis, Skt. nakhás 'nail', etc.)
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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (20):
    • Aristophanes, Birds, 1.3
    • Aristophanes, Birds, 1180
    • Aristophanes, Birds, 8
    • Euripides, Cyclops, 159
    • Euripides, Cyclops, 401
    • Euripides, Electra, 471
    • Euripides, Electra, 840
    • Herodotus, Histories, 2.68
    • Herodotus, Histories, 3.108
    • Herodotus, Histories, 4.64
    • Hesiod, Shield of Heracles, 266
    • Hesiod, Works and Days, 204
    • Hesiod, Works and Days, 205
    • Homer, Iliad, 8.248
    • Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, 5.5.7
    • Old Testament, Job, 28.16
    • Old Testament, Exodus, 30.34
    • Lucian, De Syria dea, 32
    • Lucian, Dialogi mortuorum, 11.4
    • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, De Demosthene, 13
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