hĭātus — Lewis & Short
hĭātus, ūs, m.id.,
I an opening, aperture, cleft (class. in sing. and plur.; cf. rima, rictus).
I Lit.:
animalia cibum partim oris hiatu et dentibus ipsis capessunt, partim unguium tenacitate arripiunt,Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 122:
oris,Suet. Claud. 27; Verg. A. 11, 680.—Without oris:
ne immodicus hiatus rictum distendat,Quint. 1, 11, 9:
extremus exspirantis,id. 6, 2, 31:
Nemeaeus magnus hiatus Ille leonis,Lucr. 5, 24; cf.:
quinquaginta atris immanis hiatibus Hydra,i. e. open mouths, Verg. A. 6, 576; Ov. M. 7, 557; 11, 61; Val. Fl. 1, 34:
personae pallentis hiatus,Juv. 3, 175:
magno sublimis pardus hiatu,id. 11, 123; Plin. 28, 4, 7, § 38; cf.
of Boreas: imbres, sicco quos asper hiatu Persolidat Boreas,with a dry throat, dry breath, Stat. Th. 1, 352:
repentini terrarum hiatus,Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14:
hauriri urbes terrae hiatibus,Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 119; cf.:
qui (Gyges) descendit in illum hiatum,Cic. Off. 3, 9, 38:
neu distracta (Natura) suum late dispandat hiatum,Lucr. 6, 599:
quantum caeli patet altus hiatus,id. 4, 418; cf. id. 5, 375:
fit et caeli ipsius hiatus, quod vocant chasma,Plin. 2, 26, 26, § 96:
corticis bipedalis hiatus,id. 16, 12, 23, § 57:
hiatus patuli fontis,i. e. basin, Ov. M. 3, 162:
specus est tenebroso caecus hiatu,aperture, id. ib. 7, 409:
veteris rimae cum texit hiatum,Juv. 3, 195.—Poet.:
quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu?i. e. of such pompous language, high-flown style, Hor. A. P. 138; cf. Juv. 6, 636.—
II Trop.
A In gen., an eager desire, longing (so used by Tac.):
libidine sanguinis et hiatu praemiorum,Tac. H. 4, 42.—
B In partic., in gram., a hiatus: habet enim ille tamquam hiatus concursu vocalium molle quiddam et quod indicet non ingratam negligentiam, Cic. Or. 23, 77; Quint. 9, 4, 33:
(Catullus) amans hiatus illius Homerici suavitatem, ebriosa dixit propter insequentis a litterae (verbi acinae) concentum,Gell. 7, 20, 6.