1. testa — Lewis & Short
testa, ae, f. = tosta, from torreo,
I a piece of burned clay, a brick, tile, o)/strakon.
I Lit., Cic. Dom. 23, 61; Cato, R. R. 18, 7; 18, 110; Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 6; Vitr. 2, 8 fin.; 7, 1; 7, 4; Aus. Parent. 11, 9.—
II Transf.
A A piece of baked earthen-ware, an earthen pot, pitcher, jug, urn, etc. (cf. testu):
si Prometheus ... a vicinis cum testā ambulans carbunculos corrogaret,Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9:
testā cum ardente viderent Scintillare oleum,a lamp, Verg. G. 1, 391:
quo semel est imbuta recens, servabit odorem Testa diu,Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 70; cf. Tib. 2, 3, 47:
accipiat Manes parvula testa meos,Prop. 2, 13, 32 (3, 5, 16):
vinum Graeca quod testā conditum levi,Hor. C. 1, 20, 2; 3, 21, 4:
mihi fundat avitum Condita testa merum,Ov. A. A. 2, 696; Mart. 12, 48, 8; 12, 63, 2; 13, 7, 1; Plin. 31, 10, 46, § 114.—Used in applause:
audiat ille Testarum crepitus cum verbis,Juv. 11, 170 (cf. F. infra).—
B A broken piece of earthen-ware, pottery, brick, etc.; a sherd, potsherd: dissipatis imbricum fragminibus ac testis tegularum, Sisenn. ap. Non. 125, 18:
testa parem fecit,Ov. M. 8, 662:
fulcitur testā mensa,Mart. 2, 43, 10; Plin. 32, 8, 28, § 89; 35, 3, 5, § 16; Tac. H. 5, 6; Prop. 4 (5), 7, 28; Juv. 3, 260.—Hence,
2 Transf., a piece of bone, Cels. 8, 16; so of fragments of a broken tooth, id. 6, 9 med.; 7, 22.—
C Like o)/strakon, a sherd, potsherd, in the ostracism or judicial voting of the Greeks: testarum suffragiis, quod illi o)strakismo\n vocant, Nep. Cim. 3, 1; cf. also testula.—
D The shell of shell-fish or of testaceous animals:
genera beluarum ad saxa nativis testis inhaerentium,Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 100:
ostreae,Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 60:
muricum,id. 32, 7, 27, § 84:
cochlearum,id. 30, 8, 21, § 66:
testudinis,Varr. L. L. 5, § 79 Müll. —Hence,
2 Transf.
a A shell-fish:
non omne mare generosae fertile testae,Hor. S. 2, 4, 31:
marina,id. ib. 2, 8, 53.—
b A shell or covering, in gen.:
lubricaque immotas testa premebat aquas,i. e. an icy shell, covering of ice, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 38: lubrica, Poët. ap. Anthol. Lat. 2, p. 62 Burm.—
c The skull:
testa hominis, nudum jam cute calvitium,Aus. Epigr. 72; Prud. stef. 10, 761; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1; 2, 1 fin. (hence, Ital. testa and Fr. tēte).—
E A brick-colored spot on the face, Plin. 26, 15, 92, § 163; 48. 12, 50, § 185.—
F A sort of clapping with the flat of the hands (as if with two tiles), in token of applause, invented by Nero, Suet. Ner 20.