unguis

1. unguis — de Vaan

unguis 'finger-nail, claw' [m. ί] (Ρ1.+) Derivatives: unguiculus 'finger- or toenail, tip' (P1-+), ungula 'hoof, claw' (PL+). Pit. *ongu(-i)-9 *ongla-. > ; h h PIE *h3ng -u- *nail\ *h3ng -t~Jir 'nail . IE cognates: Olr. ingen [f.], MW ewin, Bret — [de Vaan, s.v. unguis, p. 655]

2. unguis — Lewis & Short

unguis, is (m.cf. Gr. *o*n*u*x-, o)/nuc; Sanscr. nakha,

abl. ungui, Cat. 62, 43; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 46; id. C. 2, 8, 4; Prop. 1, 20, 39; cf. Charis. p. 120),

I a nail of a person's finger or toe.

I Lit., Plin. 11, 45, 101, § 247; 10, 35, 52, § 106; 28, 2, 5, § 28; Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 51; 1, 19, 46; id. S. 1, 3, 101; Prop. 1, 20, 39; Ov. Am. 1, 7, 64; 2, 6, 4; id. A. A. 3, 708.—

2 Of animals. a claw, talon, hoof, Plin. 11, 45, 101, § 247; Hor. C. 2, 19, 24; Ov. M. 4, 717; 10, 540; Col. 6, 12; Mart. 14, 199 al.—

B Proverbial phrases.

1 Ab imis unguibus usque ad verticem summum, from top to toe, from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20.—

2 A rectā conscientiā transversum unguem non discedere, not to depart a finger's breadth in the least, Cic. Att. 13, 20, 4; cf. ellipt.: urge igitur, nec transversum unguem, quod aiunt, a stilo, id. Fam. 7, 25, 2: si tu ex isto loco digitum transvorsum aut unguem latum excesseris, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 17 sq.; Hier. Ep. 127, 8 (v. transversus and digitus).—

3 Cum medium ostenderet unguem, i. e. showed utter derision, the greatest contempt (because the middle finger was regarded as indecent), Juv. 10, 53.—

4 Incestos amores De tenero meditatur ungui, i. e. from childhood, e)c a(palw=n o\nu/xwn, Hor. C. 3, 6, 24 (for which: a teneris unguiculis, Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2).—

5 Ad or in unguem, after the Gr. ei)s o)/nuxa or e)p' o)/nuxos, to a hair, to a nicety, exactly, perfectly (an expression borrowed from sculptors, who, in modelling, give the finishing touch with the nail; or joiners, who test the accuracy of joints in wood by the nail: materiem dolare ad unguem, Col. 11, 2, 13: ad unguem Factus homo, highly polished, perfectly accomplished, Hor. S. 1, 5, 32; cf.: carmen decies castigare ad unguem, id. A. P. 294 Jan. ad loc.: suturae capitis in unguem committuntur, Cels. 8, 1, § 12; Verg. G. 2, 277 Serv.; Vitr. 4, 6, 2; cf. also: carmina molli numero fluere, ut per leve severos effundat junctura unguis, Pers. 1, 65.—

6 Homo, cujus pluris erat unguis, quam tu totus es, a man whose little finger was worth more than your whole body, Petr. 57 fin.—

7 Rodere ungues, to bite the nails, i. e. to be buried in thought, etc.: ille in versu faciendo Saepe caput scaberet vivos et roderet ungues, Hor. S. 1, 10, 71; cf.: ungue meam morso saepe querere fidem. Prop. 3 (4), 25, 4. et saepe inmeritos corrumpas dentibus ungues, id. 2, 4, 3 (13).—

II Transf.

A Of plants, a nail-like spot, the tip, extremity, Plin. 12, 9, 19, § 36; 21, 18, 73, § 121; Col. 4, 24, 7; Pall. Febr. 12, 5.—

B A kind of shell-fish, perh. the razor-fish, Varr. L. L. 5, 12, 23.—

C A hook: ferrei, Col. 12, 18, 2. —

D A white skin on the eye, a web, haw, pteru/gion, Cels. 7, 7, 4.

Where it lives

What it meant

In the wild

Where it came from