dens — Lewis & Short
dens, dentis (
I gen. plur. usually dentium, but dentum is approved by Varr. L. L. 7, 38, 67), m. root in Sanscr. dantas, Gr. o)dou/s, Goth. tunthus, Germ. Zahn, and Engl. tooth; cf. edo, Engl. eat, a tooth.
I Prop.: cui auro dentes juncti escunt, XII. Tab. 10, 9; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160 sq.; Cels. 8, 1; Cic. N. D. 2, 54; Isid. 11, 1, 52:
primores,the front teeth, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 68;
also called adversi acuti,Cic. N. D. 2, 54:
praecisores,Isid. 11, 1, 52;
and in beasts: rapaces,Veg. Vet. 6, 1, 1:
canini,the canine teeth, eye-teeth, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 3; Cels. 8, 1; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160;
in horses: columellares,Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 2; Plin. 11, 37, 61, § 160:
maxillares,the jaw-teeth, grinders, Cels. 8, 1; called also genuini, Cic. l. l.;
and molares, Isid. l. l. et saep.: dentes scalpere,Plin. 30, 4, 9, § 27:
fricare,id. ib.:
scariphare,id. 28, 11, 49, § 179; cf. id. 30, 3, 8, § 21:
mobiles confirmare,id. 28, 11, 49, § 178; cf.:
mobiles stabilire,id. 32, 7, 26, § 80:
eximere,to extract, Cels. 6, 9; so,
evellere,Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25:
extrahere,id. 32, 7, 26, § 79:
excutere,Juv. 16, 10 et saep.:
dens Indus,i. e. the elephant's, Ov. M. 8, 288; hence for ivory, id. ib. 11, 167;
also called dens Libycus,Prop. 2, 31, 12 (3, 29, 12 M.):
Numida,Ov. P. 4, 9, 28;
and Erythraeus,Mart. 13, 100.—
2 Prov.
a Albis dentibus deridere aliquem, i. e. to laugh heartily at a person (so as to show one's teeth), Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 48.—
b Venire sub dentem, to fall into the jaws, under the clutches of, Petr. 58, 6.—
c Dentem pro dente, tooth for tooth, Vulg. Matt. 5, 38.—
B Meton. of things resembling a tooth, a tooth, point, spike, prong, tine, fluke, etc.:
aratri,Col. 2, 4, 6; Verg. G. 2, 423 al.; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 135 Müll.: (irpicis) acc. to id. ib.:
pectinis,id. ib.; Tib. 1, 9, 68: (clavi) id. 1, 2, 18:
serrae,Plin. 16, 43, 83, § 227; Vitr. 1, 5; cf. Ov. M. 8, 246, and 6, 58;
hence, in architecture, the walls indentated like the teeth of a saw, which connected the two main walls,Vitr. 6, 11:
forcipis,id. 10, 2: (ancorae) Verg. A. 6, 3;
for falx (vinitorum),the pruning-hook, id. G. 2, 406 et saep.—
II Trop., the tooth of envy, envy, ill-will:
more hominum invident, in conviviis rodunt, in circulis vellicant: non illo inimico sed hoc maledico dente carpunt,Cic. Balb. 26:
invidus,Hor. Od. 4, 3, 16:
ater,id. Epod. 6, 15.—
B Of a destroying power:
leti sub dentibus ipsis,Lucr. 1, 852; cf.
of time: vitiataque dentibus aevi consumere omnia,Ov. M. 15, 235;
and of water: aqua dentes habet,Petr. 42;
of malice: malignitatis dentes vitare,Val. Max. 4, 7, extr. 2.