gĕlum — Lewis & Short
gĕlum, i, n., and gĕlus, ūs, m. (gelu, n.,
nom.Prisc. 658 P.; but only found in Liv. ap. Non. 207, 30, a corrupt passage; and freq. in Vulg., e. g. Dan. 3, 69;I
Zach. 14, 6: gelum,Lucr. 6, 877; Varr. R. R. 1, 45, 2; gen. geli, Lucr. 5, 205 al.; nom. gelus, Att. ap. Prisc. 6, p. 685 P.; cf. Non. 208, 1, Fragm Trag. v. 390 Rib.; Afran. ap. Non. 207, 32, Com. Fragm. v. 106 Rib.; Cato, R. R. 40, 4 al.; acc. gelum, m., Cat. Orig. 2, Fragm. 30; abl. gelu, m., Mela, 3, 5 ext.; Flor. 4, 12, 18; Plin. Pan. 12) [root gal-, to be bright; whence gela/w, to laugh (cf. kuma/twn ge/lasma, Aesch. Pr. 90); ga/la, milk; galh/nh, calm; cf.: lac, glacies; cf. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 172], icy coldness, frost, cold (cf.: pruina, glacies, rigor).
I In gen.:
praeusti artus, nive rigentes nervi, membra torrida gelu,Liv. 21, 40, 9:
nec ventus fraudi, solve geluve fuit, Ov. de Nuce, 106: et maris adstricto quae coit unda gelu,id. Tr. 2, 196:
altitudo gelūs,Plin. 8, 28, 42, § 103:
geluque Flumina constiterint acuto,Hor. C. 1, 9, 3:
rura gelu tum claudit hiems,Verg. G. 2, 317:
horrida cano Bruma gelu,id. ib. 3, 442; Stat. Th. 5, 392.—
II In partic., coldness, chill produced by death, old age, fright, etc. (cf. gelidus, II.; poet.):
pectora pigro Stricta gelu,Luc. 4, 653:
sed mihi tarda gelu saeclisque effeta senectus,Verg. A. 8, 508; Sen. Troad. 624.