1. sībĭlus — Lewis & Short
sībĭlus, i (collat. form, sībĭla, ōrum; cf. 2. sibilus
abl., sibilu, Sisenn. ap. Prisc. p. 715 P.—In plur. in the poets, prob. merely for the sake of the metre:I init.; but in Cic. sibili), m. cf. sifno/s, siblo/s, hollow; Angl. S. and Engl. sipan, sip; O. H. Germ. sip, Germ. Sieb, a sieve; regarded by the ancients as imitation of a natural sound; cf. Quint. 8, 6, 31; Auct. Her. 4, 31, 42, a hissing, a whistling (class.)
I In gen.
(a) Sing., of men:
sibilo dare signum,Liv. 25, 8 fin.—Of cattle:
(boves) sibilo allectari,Col. 2, 3, 2.—Of things: clamor tonitruum et rudentum sibilus, Poët. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 2, 1:
(arbor) Loquente saepe sibilum edidit coma,Cat. 4, 12:
venientis sibilus austri,Verg. E. 5, 82: sibilu significare alicui, Sisenn. ap. Prisc. p. 715 P.—
(b) Plur., of wind instruments:
calamorum sibila,Lucr. 5, 1382; cf.
pastoria,Ov. M. 13, 785; Stat. Th. 6, 338.—Of snakes, etc.:
serpens horrenda sibila misit,Ov. M. 3, 38:
sibila dant,id. ib. 4, 493:
mittere,id. ib. 15, 670;
15, 684: sibila torsit draco,Val. Fl. 7, 726:
angues stridula fuderunt vibratis sibila linguis,Luc. 9, 631:
sibila effundere,id. 9, 724:
vibrare,Sil. 3, 185; Corn. Sev. and Macer ap. Charis. p. 61 P.—Of a flying missile:
stridentis sibila teli,Sil. 9, 247; Val. Fl. 6, 201. —
II In partic., a contemptuous hissing, a hissing at or off (usually in plur.).
(a) Sing.:
sibilum metuis?Cic. Pis. 27, 65.—
(b) Plur.:
e scaenā sibilis explodi,Cic. Rosc. Com. 11, 30:
aliquem sibilis consectari,id. Att. 2, 18, 1:
crebris totius contionis sibilis vexatus,Val. Max. 7, 3, 6 ext.; Cic. Sest. 59, 126; cf.: gladiatorii sibili, id. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 61 P.:
quā dominus, quā advocati sibilis conscissi,id. Att. 2, 19, 3.