1. caerŭlĕus — Lewis & Short
caerŭlĕus, and in poetry equally common, caerŭlus, a, um, adj.cf. cae -sius, ku/anos, and Sanscr. cjamas = dark
I Lit., dark-colored, dark blue, dark green, cerulean, azure, kua/neos; poet. epithet of the sky, of the sea, and other similar objects (as dark, opp. albus and marmoreus color, Lucr. 2, 771 sq., and syn. with ater, Verg. A. 3, 64; v. under II. A.).
A Of the sky: caeli caerula templa, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 20, 40 (Ann. v. 50 Vahl.); id. ap. Varr, L. L. 7, § 6 Müll. (Ann. v. 66 Vahl.); cf.:
(zonae) extremae Caeruleā glacie concretae,Verg. G. 1, 236.—Also subst.: caerŭla. ōrum, n., Ov. M. 14, 814:
per caeli caerula,Lucr. 1, 1089; 6, 96;
and without caeli,id. 6, 482.—Of the universe:
magni per caerula mundi,Lucr. 5, 770;
and of the brightness of the stars: bigae,Verg. Cir. 37.—Of mountain heights, Ov. M. 11, 158; cf.
candor,Plin. 35, 6, 28, § 47:
splendor,id. 37, 9, 51, § 134.—
B Of the sea:
ponti plaga caerula,Lucr. 5, 482; cf. id. 2, 772 sq.:
pontus,Cat. 36, 11; Ov. M. 13, 838: mare, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 162, 30:
aequora,Cat. 64, 7; so,
campi = mare,Plaut. Trin. 4, 1, 15:
aquae,Ov. M. 8, 229; 15, 699:
undae,Tib. 1, 3, 37; 1, 4, 45; Varr. ap. Non. p. 254, 21:
vada,Verg. A. 7, 198:
gurges,Ov. M. 2, 528:
color (lacus) caerulo albidi or, viridior et pressior,Plin. Ep. 8, 20, 4:
Oceani amictus,Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 249; App. M. 10, p. 254, 11.—Also subst.: cae-rŭla, ōrum, n., the sea, the blue surface of the sea:
caerula verrunt,Verg. A. 4, 583; 3, 208; 8, 672; Stat. Th. 3, 250.—Of objects that have relation to the sea:
di,sea-deities, Ov. M. 2, 8 sq.: deus, kat' e)coxh/n, Neptune, Prop. 3 (4), 7, 62; cf.
of the same: Jovis frater,Ov. M. 1, 275:
Triton,id. ib. 1. 333: Nereus. id. H. 9, 14:
Thetis,Tib. 1, 5, 46;
and of the same: mater (sc. Achillis),Hor. Epod. 13, 16; Ov. M. 13, 288:
Psamathe,a sea-nymph, id. ib. 11, 398: oculi Neptuni. Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 83:
currus (Neptuni),Verg. A. 5, 819:
equi (Tritonis),Ov. H. 7, 50:
Scylla (navis),Verg. A. 5, 123; cf.
color. Ov M. 14, 555: puppis,id. F. 2, 112; via. Plaut Rud. 1, 5, 10; Ov. H. 16, 104.—
C Also of rivers and things that are connected therewith:
caeruleus Thybris,Verg. A. 8, 64 amnis, Tib. 3, 4, 18; Stat. S. 1, 5, 51: Cydnus. Tib. 1, 7, 14:
crines,Ov. M. 5, 432; guttae. id. ib. 5, 633.—
D Of other darkblue objects:
omnes se Britanni vitro inficiunt, quod caeruleum efficit colorem, atque hoc horridiores sunt in pugnā aspectu,Caes. B. G. 5, 14:
an si caeruleo quaedam sua tempora fuco Tinxerit. idcirco caerula forma bona'st?Prop. 2, 18, 31 sq. (3, 11, 9 sq.); Mart. 11, 53, 1:
olearum plaga,Lucr. 5, 1372; draco. Ov. M. 12, 13' angues, Verg. G. 4, 482;
colla,id. A. 2, 381:
serpens,Ov. M. 3, 38:
guttae (serpentis),id. ib. 4, 578: vestis. Juv. 2. 97:
vexillum,Suet. Aug. 25:
flos (heliotropi),Plin. 22, 21, 29, § 57:
oculi (Germanorum),Tac. G. 4; hence Germania pubes, Hor. Epod. 16, 7.—Hence, subst.: caerŭlĕum, i, n., a blue color, steel-color, both natural and artificial, Plin. 33, 13, 57, § 161 sq.; 35, 6, 28, § 47; Vitr. 7, 111; 9, 1.—
II Transf.
A In gen., dark, gloomy, dun, sable, black; poet. epithet of death, the night, rain, etc.:
stant Manibus arae Caeruleis moestae vittis,Verg. A. 3, 64 Serv.:
imber,id. ib. 3, 194;
5, 10: caeruleus (color) pluviam denuntiat,id. G. 1, 453; so,
equi (Plutonis),Ov. F. 4, 446:
ratis fati,Prop. 2 (3), 28, 40.
puppis (Charontis),Verg. A. 6, 410:
mors,Albin. ad Liv. 1, 93:
nox,Stat. S. 1, 6, 85:
umbra noctis,id. Th. 2, 528; Verg. Cir. 214:
panis,Juv. 14, 128:
baca (lauri),Plin. 15, 30, 39, § 128:
bacis caerula tinus,Ov. M. 10, 98.—
B Dark green, green, greenish:
cucumis,Prop. 4 (5), 2, 43.
coma,Ov. M. 11, 158:
arbor Palladis,id. A. A. 2, 518: campi caerula laetaque prata, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 3.