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acus

acus, a needle

Frieze-Dennison Vergil

acus , ūs, f.: a needle, 9.582. (acuō)
ăcus, ūs, f. [cf. 2. acer].
  • A needle or pin, as being pointed, both for common use and ornament: “qua sarcinatrix vel etiam ornatrix utitur,” Paul. ex Fest. p. 9 Müll.
    • A Lit.: mirabar vulnus, quod acu punctum videtur, Cic. Mil. 24.—Hence, acu pingere, to embroider, Verg. A. 9, 582; Ov. M. 6, 23; cf. Plin. 8, 48, § 191; Isid. Orig. 19, 22, 22.—Esp. a hair-pin: figat acus tortas sustineatque comas, Mart. 14, 24: foramen acūs, the eye of a needle, Vulg. Matt. 19, 24.—Also, a surgeon's needle, a probe, Cels. 7, 17.—Hence,
    • B Trop.: acu rem tangere, to touch the thing with a needle; in Engl. phrase, to hit the nail on the head, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 19 (1306); so, to denote careful and successful effort: si acum quaereres, acum invenisses, id. Men. 2, 1, 13 (238).—
  • II The tongue of a buckle, Treb. Poll. Claud. 14.—
  • III I. q. acus, ĕris, Col. 2, 10, 40.—
  • IV An implement of husbandry, Pall. 1, 43, 2.
ăcus, ĕris, n. (also, ūs, f., v. 1. acus, III.) [kindred with acus, ūs, Goth. ahana, old Norse agn, old Germ. Agana],
  • = ἄχυρον, the husk of grain and of pulse; chaff, Cato R. R. 54, 2; Varr. R. R. 1, 52; 57; 3, 9, 8.
ăcus, i, m. [1. acus],
  • a kind of sea-fish with a pointed snout, the hornpike or gar-pike (Gr. βελόνη): acus sive belone unus piscium, etc., Plin. 9, 51, 76, § 166: et satius tenues ducere credis acos, Mart. 10, 37, 6; cf. Plin. 32, 11, 53, § 145, where belonae again occurs. (Some read una for unus in the passage from Plin., and acūs for acos in Mart., as if these forms belonged to 1. acus.)

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