1. oculus — de Vaan
oculus 'eye' [m. o] (Andr.+) Derivatives: ocellus 'little eye' (PL+), ocetlatum 'a stone with small spots' (Varro+), — [de Vaan, s.v. oculus, p. 439]
The corpus record — Latin
oculus
oculus
eye
Generated live from the audited Latin corpus — every figure on this page is a database query, not prose from memory.
Where it lives
- Ab Urbe Condita, books 8-10 - 13s 1 · 58.82/10k
- Lydia, Appendix Vergiliana 2 · 37.52/10k
- Dirae, Appendix Vergiliana 2 · 30.82/10k
- Cento Nuptialis 4 · 29.33/10k
- De Bissula 1 · 27.25/10k
- Hamartigenia 17 · 26.6/10k
- Epicedion in Patrem 1 · 26.39/10k
- Timaeus 11 · 26.05/10k
- Timoleon 2 · 24.15/10k
- Miles Gloriosus 28 · 22.08/10k
- Chabrias 1 · 20.45/10k
- Epistulae 48 · 18.77/10k
Densest 12 of 295 attested works shown, by occurrences per 10,000 attested tokens.
What it meant
2. ŏcŭlus — Lewis & Short
ŏcŭlus (sync. oclus, Prud. stef. 10, 592 dub.), i, m.kindr. with Sanscr. akshi and aksha, from the root ītsh, videre; Gr. o)/ssomai, o)/sse; Goth. augō; Germ. Auge; Engl. eye,
I an eye.
I Lit.:
quae (natura) primum oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit ... sed lubricos oculos fecit et mobiles,Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142; cf. Cels. 7, 7, 13; Plin. 11, 37, 52, § 139 sq.; Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 221:
venusti,id. Tusc. 5, 16, 46:
eminentes,prominent, id. Vatin. 2, 4:
oculi tanquam speculatores,id. N. D. 2, 57, 140:
acuti,id. Planc. 27, 69:
maligni,Verg. A. 5, 654:
minaces,Luc. 2, 26: oculos conicere in aliquem, to cast or fix one's eyes upon, Cic. Clu. 19, 54:
oculos conjecit in hostem,Verg. A. 12, 483: adicere alicui rei, to cast one's eyes upon, glance at:
ad eorum ne quem oculos adiciat suos,Plaut. As. 4, 1, 24; to covet, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 15, § 37:
adicere ad rem aliquam,id. Agr. 2, 10, 25:
de aliquo nusquam deicere,to never turn one's eyes away from, to regard with fixed attention, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15, § 33:
deicere ab aliquā re,to turn away, id. Phil. 1, 1, 1:
in terram figere,to fix one's eyes upon the ground, Tac. H. 4, 72:
deicere in terram,to cast down to, Quint. 1, 11, 9:
demittere,Ov. M. 15, 612:
erigere,id. ib. 4, 146: attollere. Verg. A. 4, 688; Ov. M. 2, 448:
circumferre,id. ib. 6, 169:
premere,Verg. A. 9, 487: deponere, to fix, Hor C. 1, 36, 18:
distorquere,id. S. 1, 9, 65:
spargere,to direct hither and thither, Pers. 5, 33:
oculis cernere,to see with one's own eyes, Nep. Timol. 2, 2:
oculos auferre spectanti,to blind the eyes of an observer, to cheat him before his eyes, Liv. 6, 15 fin.: ponere sibi aliquid ante oculos. i. e. to imagine to one's self any thing, Cic. Agr. 2, 20, 53:
proponere oculis suis aliquid,id. Sest. 7, 17:
esse ante oculos,to be before one's eyes, id. Lael. 11, 38: res posita in oculis, and ante oculos, that lies before one's eyes, is apparent, evident:
de rebus ante oculos positis,id. Ac. 1, 2, 5:
omnia sunt enim posita ante oculos,id. de Or. 1, 43, 192:
inque meis oculis candida Delos erat,before my eyes, Ov. H. 21, 82: vivere in oculis, habitare in oculis, to live in the sight of, in the presence of, in intercourse with:
in maximā celebritate atque in oculis civium quondam viximus,Cic. Off. 3, 1, 3:
habitavi in oculis,id. Planc. 27, 66; cf.:
in foro palam Syracusis in ore atque in oculis provinciae,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 33, § 81; Liv. 22, 12; 35, 10; Tac. H. 4, 77:
habere in oculis,to keep in sight, to watch, observe, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 66:
in oculis omnium submergi,Curt. 9, 4, 11:
se ante oculos suos trucidari sinerent,Liv. 2, 6, 2; 4, 14, 5; Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: ab oculis alicujus abire (ire), to leave one's presence:
Abin' hinc ab oculis?Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 147; id. Truc. 2, 5, 24; Sen. Ep. 36, 10; cf.:
ab oculis recedere,Plin. Ep. 2, 1, 11:
ab oculis concedere,Cic. Cat. 1, 7, 17:
(angues) conspecti repente ex oculis abierunt,out of sight, Liv. 25, 16, 2:
prodigii species ex oculis elapsa,id. 26, 19, 7:
(avem) ablatam ex oculis,Tac. H. 2, 50:
facesserent propere ex urbe ab ore atque oculis populi Romani,Liv. 6, 17, 8:
sub oculis alicujus,before a person's eyes, in his presence, Caes. B. C. 1, 71; Vell. 2, 79, 4:
sub oculis domini esse,Col. 9, 5, 2:
quos honores sub oculis tuis gessit,Plin. Ep. 10, 11, 2:
sub avi oculis necari,Just. 1, 4, 5; Flor. 4, 7, 8:
hostes sub oculis erant,Liv. 22, 14, 3; 26, 38, 9:
sub oculis Caesaris,Tac. A. 2, 35: hunc oculis suis nostrarum numquam quisquam vidit, with his own eyes, i. e. actually, in person, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 10:
numquam ante hunc diem meis oculis eam videram,id. Hec. 5, 4, 23: ad oculum, for display, to be seen:
non ad oculum servientes,Vulg. Eph. 1, 18; id. Col. 3, 22.—As a term of endearment, the apple of my eye, my darling:
ubi isti sunt quibus vos oculi estis, quibus vitae estis, quibus deliciae?Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 46:
bene vale, ocule mi!id. Curc. 1, 3, 47 —Hence, in a double sense:
par oculorum in amicitiā M. Antonii triumviri,Suet. Rhet. 5.—The ancients swore by their eyes:
si voltis per oculos jurare, nihilo magis facietis,Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 1.—
B Transf.
1 The power of seeing, sight, vision: ut eum quoque oculum, quo bene videret, amitteret, lost, i. e. became blind, Cic. Div. 1, 24, 48:
oculos perdere,id. Har. Resp. 18, 37:
restituere alicui,Suet. Vesp. 7; cf.:
oculis usurpare rem,i. e. see, Lucr. 1, 301.—
2 A luminary, said of the sun and stars (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): mundi oculus. i. e. the sun, Ov. M. 4, 228:
stellarum oculi,Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10.—
3 A spot resembling an eye, as on a panther's hide, a peacock's tail, etc., Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 62:
pavonum caudae,id. 13, 15, 30, § 96. —So arch. t. t.:
oculus volutae,Vitr. 3, 5. —
4 Of plants.
a An eye, bud, bourgeon: oculos imponere, i. e. to bud, inoculate, Verg. G. 2, 73:
gemmans,Col. 4, 24, 16.—
b A bulb or knob on many roots, on the reed, etc.:
harundinis,Cato, R. R. 6, 3; Varr. R. R. 1, 24, 3:
seritur harundo bulbo radicis, quem alii oculum vocant,Plin. 17, 20, 33, § 144.—
c A plant, called also aizoum majus, Plin. 25, 13, 102, § 160. —
II Trop.
A A principal ornament: hi duo illos oculos orae maritimae effoderunt (Corinth and Carthage), Cic. N. D. 3, 38, 91:
ex duobus Graeciae oculis,i. e. Athens and Sparta, Just. 5, 8, 4.—
B The eye of the soul, the mind's eye:
eloquentiam quam nullis nisi mentis oculis videre possumus,Cic. Or. 29, 101:
acrioribus mentis oculis intueri,Col. 3, 8, 1:
oculos pascere re aliquā,to feast one's eyes on any thing, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 26, § 65; cf.:
concupiscentia oculorum,Vulg. 1 Joh. 2, 16: fructum oculis (dat.) capere ex aliquā re, Nep. Eum. 11, 2: oculi dolent, the eyes ache, i. e. one is afflicted by something seen, Ter. Ph. 5, 8, 64; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 14, 1; cf.:
pietas, pater, oculis dolorem prohibet,i. e. forbids me to take offence, Plaut. As. 5, 1, 4: in oculis, in the eye, i. e. in view, hoped or expected:
frumenti spes, quae in oculis fuerat, utrosque frustrata pariter,Liv. 26, 39, 23:
acies et arma in oculis erant,Curt. 3, 6, 3:
Philotae supplicium in oculis erat,id. 8, 6, 21:
esse in oculis,to be beloved, esteemed, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 5:
esse in oculis multitudinis,id. Tusc. 2, 26, 63: ferre, gestare in oculis, to love, esteem, value:
oderat tum, cum, etc....jam fert in oculis,id. Phil. 6, 4, 11:
rex te ergo in oculis,Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 11: aequis oculis videre, i. e. contentedly, with satisfaction (like aequo animo), Curt. 8, 2, 9: ante oculos, in mind, in view:
mors ante oculos debet esse,Sen. Ep. 12, 6; Plin. Ep. 3, 16, 6; also plain, obvious:
simul est illud ante oculos,Cic. de Or. 2, 85, 349:
sit ante oculos Nero,i. e. set him before you, consider him, Tac. H. 1, 16: ante oculos habere, to keep in mind (post-class.):
habe ante oculos hanc esse terram,Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 4:
mortalitatem,id. ib. 2, 10, 4; Just. 5, 6, 1; for which (late Lat.) prae oculis: prae oculis habere terrorem futuri judicii, Greg. M. Ep. 2, 48;
3, 27 al.: nec jam fas ullum prae oculis habent,Amm. 30, 4, 18: ob oculos versari, to be before the mind, etc.:
mors (ei) ob oculos versatur,Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 39; Liv. 28, 19, 14; cf.:
usu versatur ante oculos vobis Glaucia,Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 98; id. Fin. 2, 22, 75; 5, 1, 3; id. Dom. 55, 141; Liv. 34, 36, 6: ponere aliquid ante oculos, to call up in mind, imagine, etc.:
eā (translatione) utimur rei ante oculos ponendae causā,Auct. Her. 4, 34, 45:
ora eorum ponite vobis ante oculos,Cic. Phil. 13, 2, 4:
calamitatem Cottae sibi ante oculos ponunt,Caes. B. G. 6, 37:
exsilium Cn. Marci sibi proponunt ante oculos,Liv. 2, 54, 6:
conjurationem ante oculos ponere,id. 24, 24, 8:
studia eorum vobis ante oculos proponere,Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48;
rarely: constituere sibi aliquid ante oculos,Cic. Cael. 32, 79; Aug. Serm. 233, 3: ante oculos ponere (proponere), with ellips. of dat. of person, Cic. Marc. 2, 5; id. Deiot. 7, 20; id. Phil. 2, 45, 115; 11, 3, 7; id. N. D. 1, 41, 114:
nec a re publicā deiciebam oculos,id. Phil. 1, 1, 1.
In the wild
- oculus Augustine, Epistulae. Selections. 49.10
- oculorum Tertullian, Apologeticum 21.16
- oculis Petronius, Satyricon 115
- oculos Livy, Ab urbe condita libri, erklärt von M. Weissenborn, books 41-42 - 42 p54
- oculis Ovid, Tristia 4.9.18
- oculis Vergil, Aeneid 10.516
6 of 3,827 attestations shown.
Where it came from
- Treated in de Vaan, Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Brill 2008) s.v. oculus (scan p. 439; entry #1195).
- Treated in Ernout-Meillet, Dictionnaire etymologique de la langue latine s.v. oculus (scan p. 482; entry #7795).
Latin text and lemmatization derived from the Perseus Digital Library (canonical-latinLit), CC BY-SA 4.0. Lewis & Short (public domain) via Perseus. This derived data is shared under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 license.