1. lăcus — Lewis & Short
lăcus, ūs (
I gen. laci, Vulg. Dan. 6, 17; 24; id. Jer. 37, 15; Cassiod. Var. 11, 14; dat. and abl. plur. lacis, Anthol. Lat. 5, 71, 10:
lacibus,Plin. 23, 1, 20, § 33;
usually lacubus,Ov. M. 12, 278 al.), m. root lak, to tear; Gr. la/kos, lakero/s, la/kkos; Lat. lacer, lacinia, lacuna, lāma; cf. lacerna; originally any thing hollow, hence.
I A large vessel for liquids, a basin, tank, tub; esp. a vat into which the wine flowed from the press, Cato, R. R. 25; 67, 2; Col. 12, 18, 3:
tu quoque devotos, Bacche, relinque lacus,Tib. 2, 3, 64:
de lacubus proxima musta tuis,Ov. F. 4, 888;
a tank of water, in which heated metal was cooled: alii stridentia tingunt Aera lacu,Verg. G. 4, 173:
gelido ceu quondam lamina candens tincta lacu, stridit,Ov. M. 9, 170:
ferrum, igne rubens ... lacubus demittit,id. ib. 12, 278.—Hence,
B Transf.:
oratio quasi de musto ac lacu fervida,i. e. still new, that has not done fermenting, Cic. Brut. 83, 288.—
II A large body of water which rises and falls (opp. stagnum, a standing pool), a lake, pond:
agri, aedificia, lacus, stagna,Cic. Agr. 3, 2, 7:
exhalant lacus nebulam,Lucr. 5, 463:
deae, quae illos Hennenses lacus lucosque incolitis,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 72, § 188; cf.
2, 4, 48, § 107: Averni,Lucr. 6, 746; Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37:
Albanus,id. Div. 1, 44, 100:
Fucinus,Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 124:
dicebar sicco vilior esse lacu,Prop. 2, 14 (3, 6), 12:
ad spurcos lacus,Juv. 6, 603.—Poet., of a river:
deinde lacu fluvius se condidit alto Ima petens,Verg. A. 8, 66; cf. v. 74;
of the Styx,id. ib. 6, 134; 238; 393.—
III A large reservoir for water, a basin, tank, cistern (of which there were a great number in Rome), Front. 3; 78; Liv. 39, 44; Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 121:
a furno redeuntes lacuque,Hor. S. 1, 4, 37.—A place called Lacus: garruli et malevoli supra Lacum, at the pond (perh. Lacus Curtius or Lacus Juturnae), Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 16.—Prov.:
siccus lacus, for something useless,Prop. 2, 11, 11 (3, 6, 12).—
IV
a A hole in which lime is slacked, a lime-hole, Vitr. 7, 2, 2.—
b One of the bins or receptacles for pulse in a granary:
sed et lacubus distinguuntur granaria, ut separatim quaeque legumina ponantur,Col. 1, 6, 14.—
c A den or cave for lions:
labitur in lacum leonum,Prud. Cath. 4, 65; Vulg. Dan. 6, 7.—
d The pit, the place of the dead (cf. II. fin. supra):
salvasti me a descendentibus in lacum,Vulg. Psa. 29, 4.—
V For lacunar, a panel in a ceiling (ante-class.): resultant aedesque lacusque, Lucil. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 726.