ἄχνη (achne)

Where it lives

Trachiniae 1 · 1.38/10k
Orestes 1 · 1.02/10k
Oedipus at Colonus 1 · 0.97/10k
Iliad 5 · 0.45/10k
Odyssey 2 · 0.23/10k

What it meant — LSJ

anything that comes off the surface

anything that comes off the surface:

I foam, froth, exudation, froth, dew, dewy

of liquids, foam, froth, in Hom. of the sea, Od. 12.238, al.; ἁλὸς ἄ. 5.403, cf. Tim. Pers. 95, A.R. 2.570; θοὴν ἀπερεύγεται ἄχνην, of a river, D.P. 693: Medic., exudation, Hp. Int. 1; οἰνωπὸς ἄ. froth of wine, E. Or. 115; ἄχνα οὐρανία dew of heaven, S. OC 681 (lyr.); δακρύων ἄχνα dewy tears, Id. Tr. 848 (lyr.); also ἄχνη πυρός, i.e. smoke, A. Fr. 336.

II chaff, down, fluff, shreds, lint, finespun, dust, wall-decorations, stramina

of solids, chaff, in pl., ὡς δʼ ἄνεμος ἄχνας φορέει Il. 5.499; καρπόν τε καὶ ἄχνας ib. 501; down on the quince, μῆλον λεπτῇ πεποκωμένον ἄ. AP 6.102 (Phil.); ἄχνη ἡ ἀφʼ ἡμιτυβίου fluff, shreds, used for lint, Hp. Art. 37; ὀθονίου Id. Mochl. 2; ἄ. Λυδῆς κερκίδος, of finespun fabrics, S. Fr. 45; ἄ. χαλκίτιδος metallic dust, Plu. QConv. 2.659c, cf. Orph. L. 455; ἄχναι wall-decorations, dub. in Aret. CA 1.1 (stramina Cael. Aur.).

III morsel, the least bit

ἄχνην in acc., as Adv., morsel, the least bit, ἢν δʼ οὖν καταμύσῃ κἂν ἄχνην Ar. V. 92.

IV

πυρὸς ἄ., = χαμελαία, Dsc. 4.171; = θυμελαία, ib. 172.

V

ἄχναν· τὴν οἴκησιν, Hsch.

In the wild

ἄχνην · achnēn Euripides, Orestes (DIORISIS sentence 67)
ἄχνη · achnē Iliad 11.307
ἄχνῃ · achnēi Iliad 15.626
ἄχνην · achnēn Iliad 4.426
ἄχνας · achnas Iliad 5.499
ἄχνας · achnas Iliad 5.501

6 of 10 attestations shown. Ask for more.

Where it came from

Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque Treated in Chantraine, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue grecque s.v. ἄχνη (scan p. 165; entry #1092).
Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch Treated in Frisk, Griechisches etymologisches Worterbuch s.v. ἄχνη (scan p. 232; entry #916).

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