I.gen. sing. guttaiï, Lucr. 6, 614), f. etym. dub., a drop of a fluid (cf.: stilla, stiria).
I. Lit.: “numerus quem in cadentibus guttis, quod intervallis distinguitur, notare possumus,” Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 186: “guttae imbrium quasi cruentae,” id. N. D. 2, 5, 14: “gutta cavat lapidem, consumitur annulus usu,” Ov. P. 4, 10, 5: “si ego in os meum hodie vini guttam indidi,” Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 30: “guttam haud habeo sanguinis (prae metu),” id. Most. 2, 2, 76; cf. Verg. A. 3, 28: “gutta per attonitas ibat oborta genas,” i. e. tears, Ov. P. 2, 3, 90: “succina,” i. e. amber, Mart. 6, 15, 2; “the same, Phaëthontis,” id. 4, 32, 1: Arabicae, perh. oil of myrrh, App. M. 2, p. 118; cf. Sid. Carm. 5, 43: “sanguinis in facie non haeret gutta,” i. e. no blush, Juv. 11, 54.—
B. Transf.
1. Guttae, natural spots, specks on animals, stones, etc.: “nigraque caeruleis variari corpora (anguis) guttis,” Ov. M. 4, 578; cf. id. ib. 5, 461: “(apium) paribus lita corpora guttis,” Verg. G. 4, 99: “lapis interstinctus aureis guttis,” Plin. 36, 8, 13, § 63; 29, 4, 27, § 84.—
2. In archit., a small ornament under the triglyphs of a Doric column, drops, Vitr. 4, 3.—
II. Trop., a drop, i. e. a little bit, a little (ante-class. and very rare): “gutta dulcedinis,” Lucr. 4, 1060: “certi consilī,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 4.
