bāca — Lewis & Short
bāca (less correctly bacca), ae, f.acc. to Benfey, for bacsa, kindred with Sanscr. bhaksh, edere, vorare; cf. also bhaxa, food; but v. Vaniček, Etym. Wörterb. 2, p. 561,
I a small round fruit, a berry.
I Lit.
A In gen. (cf.:
acinus, glans): virgas murteas cum bacis servare,Cato, R. R. 101; Ov. M. 11, 234:
lauri,Verg. G. 1, 306:
tinus,Ov. M. 10, 98:
ebuli,Verg. E. 10, 27:
cupressi,Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 115:
platani,id. 15, 7, 7, § 29:
hyssopi,id. 26, 12, 76, § 124 al.—
B Esp. freq. the olive:
agricola cum florem oleae videt, bacam quoque se visurum putat,Cic. Div. 2, 6, 16; Hor. S. 2, 4, 69; id. Ep. 1, 16, 2; Ov. M. 6, 81; 8, 295; cf. Mart. 13, 101.—
C Esp., absol., in the poets of the olive, Hor. C. 2, 6, 16:
quot Sicyon bacas, quot parit Hybla favos,Ov. P. 4, 15, 10.—As sacred to Minerva:
ponitur hic bicolor sincerae baca Minervae,Ov. M. 8, 664; 13, 653.—And of the fruit of the wild olive-tree, Ov. M. 14, 525; cf. Verg. G. 2, 183.—
II Transf.
A In gen., any fruit of a tree, * Lucr. 5, 1363:
arbores seret diligens agricola, quarum aspiciet bacam ipse numquam,Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 31:
fruges terrae, bacaeque arborum,id. Div. 1, 51, 116; so id. Sen. 2, 5: rami bacarum ubertate incurvescere, id. poët. ap. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (Trag. Rel. inc. inc. v. 135 Rib.); cf. id. de Or. 3, 38, 154:
semen inclusum est in intimā parte earum bacarum, quae ex quāque stirpe funduntur,id. N. D. 2, 51, 127:
fruges atque bacae,id. Leg. 1, 8, 25:
felices,Sil. 15, 535.—
B That which is like a berry in shape.
1 A pearl:
marita, quae Onusta bacis ambulet,Hor. Epod. 8, 14:
aceto Diluit insignem bacam,id. S. 2, 3, 241; so Ov. M. 10, 116; 10, 265; Verg. Cul. 67; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 592; id. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 167; id. Laud. Stil. 2, 88; id. VI. Cons. Hon. 528.—
2 The dung of sheep or goats, Pall. Jan. 14, 3.—
3 A link of a chain in the shape of a berry, Prud. stef. 1, 46; so id. Psych. prooem. 33.