membrāna — Lewis & Short
membrāna, ae, f.membrum,
I the skin or membrane that covers parts of the body (class.).
I Lit.:
natura oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit,Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142:
cerebri,the membrane of the brain, meninges, Cels. 8, 4:
membranis cicadae volant,Plin. 11, 28, 33, § 96:
membranis volant fragilibus insecta,id. 11, 39, 94, § 228.—
B Esp., the skin or slough of snakes, Ov. M. 7, 272; Luc. 6, 679.—
II Transf.
A The thin skin of plants and other things, Plin. 15, 22, 24, § 88:
corio et membrana Punica (teguntur),id. 15, 28, 34, § 112:
tenuissimis membranis velatur allium,id. 19, 6, 34, § 111:
putaminis ovi,id. 29, 3, 11, § 46.—
B A skin prepared for writing, etc., parchment, Quint. 10, 3, 31:
Homeri carmen in Membrana scriptum,Plin. 7, 21, 21, § 85: sic raro scribis, ut toto non quater anno Membranam poscas, Hor. S. 2, 3, 2:
Parrhasiae, for drawing,Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 68:
croceae membrana tabellae,Juv. 7, 23:
quod in chartulis sive membranis meis aliquis scripserit, meum est,Gai. Inst. 2, 77.—
C The surface, outside of a thing (poet.):
coloris,Lucr. 4, 95.—Trop.:
scies, sub ista tenui membrana dignitatis quantum mali jaceat,Sen. Ep. 115, 9.