1. fŏlĭum — Lewis & Short
fŏlĭum, ii, n.Gr. fu/llon, for fulion; cf. alius, a)/llos; root prob. fla-, flasmo/s; Lat. flos, Flora,
I a leaf (cf. frons).
I Lit., of plants:
quid in arboribus? in quibus non truncus, non rami, non folia sunt denique, nisi, etc.,Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 179:
latissima (folia) fico, angusta myrto, capillata pino, aculeata aquifolio, etc.,Plin. 16, 24, 38, § 90:
concava caepae,id. 19, 6, 31, § 100:
foliis ex arboribus strictis,Caes. B. C. 3, 58, 3:
mobilia,Hor. C. 1, 23, 5:
amara,id. S. 2, 3, 114:
arida laureae,Cic. Pis. 40, 97.—
Prov.: folia nunc cadunt, si triduom hoc hic erimus, tum arbores in te cadent,Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 24.—As a proverb of mobility or changeableness:
nec me consules movent, qui ipsi pluma aut folio facilius moventur,Cic. Att. 8, 15, 2.—The Sibyl wrote her oracles on leaves (acc. to Varro, on palmleaves), Verg. A. 3, 444; 6, 74 Serv.;
hence, prov.: credite me vobis folium recitare Sibyllae,i. e. I am talking gospel, absolute truth, Juv. 8, 126.—*
II Trop., a thing of no consequence, a trifle:
folia sunt artis et nugae merae,App. M. 1, p. 106, 8.—
III Transf., a leaf of paper (late Lat. for plagula, charta, or schedula):
ille manu retractis in calcem foliis sic exorsus est,Macr. S. 5, 4, 1. (In Plin. 37, 7, 29, § 103, the better read. is fila; v. Jan. and Sillig, ad h. l.).