torus

1. torus — de Vaan

torus 'strand, thong, muscle' [m. o] (Cato+) Derivatives: torulus 'thong, cord, muscle' (PL+). Has been derived from sterno (Leumann 1977: 276), but WH are hesitant. One would expect a verb like 'to turn' or 'knot'. In theory, torus might go back to *torh2-o- to the root *terhr 'to cross, go through', which would be semantically acceptable; but this cannot be further ascertained. BibL: WH II: 694f, EM 697. — [de Vaan, s.v. torus, p. 639]

2. tŏrus — Lewis & Short

tŏrus, i, m. (also tŏrum, i, n., Varr. ap. store/nnumi, to spread, scatter], prop.,

Non. 11, 14; Lact. 6, 23, 15) [for storus; root ster-, stra-, of sterno, stramen; Gr.

I a round, swelling, or bulging place, an elevation, protuberance, prominence; hence,

I A knot, bulge: (funis) Cato, R. R. 135, 4: funiculorum, Col. 11, 3, 6; cf.: vitis toris ad arborem religetur, id. 5, 6, 25: firmi vitis, id. Arb. 16, 4.—

II The muscular or fleshy part, the muscle, brawn of animal bodies (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): o lacertorum tori! Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 9, 22; Ov. M. 2, 854; 9, 82; 12, 402; 14, 283; 15, 230; id. H. 9, 60: leo gaudet comantes Excutiens cervice toros, Verg. A. 12, 7: luxuriatque toris animosum pectus, id. G. 3, 81; Plin. 18, 7, 18, § 78; Sen. Hippol. 1042; Val. Fl. 4, 245; Tac. Or. 21: venarum tori, varicose dilatations of the veins, Cels. 7, 18 fin. —

B Transf., the bulge, thickness of trees: utile toros futuri draconis pasci, Plin. 17, 23, 35, § 211; cf.: (asparagus) in toros striatur, id. 19, 8, 42, § 146; App. Flor. p. 363, 31.—

III A raised ornament, a knot, on a garland; trop., of language: isque (stilus mediocris) uno tenore fluit, aut addit aliquos, ut in coronā, toros omnemque orationem ornamentis modicis verborum sententiarumque distinguit, Cic. Or. 6, 21.—

IV A bolster, cushion, so named from its protuberances; hence, a couch, sofa, bed (mostly poet.; syn.: stratum, lectus): antiquis torus e stramento erat, qualiter etiam nunc in castris, Plin. 8, 48, 73, § 193: viridante toro consederat herbae, Verg. A. 5, 388; cf.: praebuit herba torum, Ov. H. 5, 14; id. M. 8, 655: datque torum caespes, id. ib. 10, 556: gramine vestitis accubuere toris, id. F. 1, 402: silvestrem montana torum cum sterneret uxor Frondibus, Juv. 6, 5: discumbere toris, Ov. M. 8, 565.—So of a sofa: toro sic orsus ab alto, Verg. A. 2, 2; Ov. M. 12, 579.—Of a bed: ambierantque torum, Ov. M. 7, 332: concutiuntque torum de molli fluminis ulvā Impositum lecto, id. ib. 8, 655: ebeno sublimis in atrā, id. ib. 11, 610; Suet. Aug. 73. — Of a corpse-bed, Ov. M. 9, 503; id. F. 6, 668: membra toro defleta reponunt, Verg. A. 6, 220.—Of a bridalbed, Ov. M. 6, 431: (lectica) sive illa toro resupina feretur, Ov. A. A. 1, 487; cf. Becker, Gallus, 2, p. 240 (2d ed.).—

B Transf., like thalamus, as a designation for marriage: Deucalion ... Cum consorte tori, with his consort, spouse, Ov. M. 1, 319; cf.: socia tori, id. ib. 1, 620; so id. ib. 7, 91; 7, 332; id. F. 3, 511; id. P. 3, 3, 50; id. H. 2, 41: genialis, Tac. A. 15, 37; Val. Max. 2, 6, 14: obscenus, i. e. illicit connection, Ov. Tr. 2, 378; cf. illiciti (with stupra), Sen. Hippol. 97: receptus in torum, Plin. 34, 2, 6, § 12.—Hence, also, for a mistress: torum donare alicui, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 87.—

V An elevation, bank of earth: riparum, Verg. A. 6, 674; Stat. Th. 4, 819: pulvinorum, Plin. 19, 4, 20, § 60; 22, 22, 34, § 76.—

VI In architecture, a large, round moulding at the base of a column, a torus, Vitr. 3, 3, 8.

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