ὀφρῦς

English (LSJ)

ύος, ἡ, acc. ὀφρῦν, in late Poets ὀφρύα, AP12.186 (Strat.), Opp.C.4.405, Q.S.4.361: acc. pl. ὀφρύας (in the fourth foot) Od.9.389; but ὀφρῦς (before caesura) Il.16.740, and so in Att. (v. infr.). [ῡ in nom. and acc., which are accented ὀφρῦς, -ῦν by Hdn.Gr.2.937: the accentuation ὀφρύς, ὀφρύν may be admitted in late writers: compds. have ῠ, εὔοφρυς, λεύκοφρυς, etc.] (Cf. Skt.

   A bhrūs, gen. bhruvas, Slav. br[ucaron]v[icaron], OE. brú 'brow'.):—brow, eyebrow, τὸν . . ὑπ' ὀφρύος οὖτα Il.14.493; ἡ ὀ. ἡ δεξιά, ἡ ἀριστερά, Arist.PA671b32, cf. Pr.878b28: elsewh. in pl., ὑπ' ὀφρύσι δάκρυα λεῖβον Il.13.88, al.; ὑπ' ὀ. πῦρ ἀμάρυσσεν Hes. Th.827, etc.: freq. of signs, ἐπ' ὀφρύσι νεῦσε Κρονίων, i.e. ἐπένευσε ὀφρύσι, nodded assent, Il.1.528, etc.; ἡ δ' ἄρ' ἐπ' ὀ. νεῦσε nodded to him to do a thing, Od.16.164; ἀνὰ δ' ὀφρύσι νεῦον ἑκάστῳ made a sign not to do, 9.468; ὀφρύσι νευστάζων 12.194: in various phrases expressing emotions, τὰς ὀ. ἀνασπᾶν, in token of grief, τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνεσπακώς, ὥσπερ τι δεινὸν ἀγγελῶν Ar.Ach.1069; ἀνασπάσας τις τὰς ὀφρῦς οἴμοι λαλεῖ Men.556.3; of pride (cf. ὀφρυόομαι), D.19.314; οἱ τὰς ὀφρῦς αἴροντες Men.39; ὀφρῦν ἐπαίρειν E.Fr.1040, cf. Amphis 13; τὰς ὀ. ἔχειν ἐπάνω τῆς κορυφῆς Alex.16.6; ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς κροτάφους ὑπεραίρειν Luc.Am.54; ὀφρῦς ἔχειν Ar.Ra.925; ὀφρῦν ἐφέλκεσθαι AP7.440.6 (Leon., interpol.?); ἐρύσσαι ib.5.215 (Agath.); ἀνελκταῖς ὀφρύσι σεμνός Cratin.355: contrariwise, τὰς ὀφρῦς συνάγειν knit the brows, frown, Ar.Nu.582, Pl.756, etc.; τὰς ὀ. συνέλκειν Antiph.307; συσπᾶν Luc.Vit.Auct.7; κατεσπακώς Alciphr.3.3: on the other hand, καταβαλεῖν, λῦσαι, μεθεῖναι τὰς ὀ. or τὴν ὀ., let down or unknit the brow, become calm or cheerful again, E.Cyc.167, Hipp.290, IA648; ὀ. μὴ καθειμένη Zeno Stoic.1.58; σχάζεσθαι τὰς ὀ. Pl.Com.32; καθέσθαι Plu. 2.1062f: the brow was also the seat of smiles and joy, ἀγανᾷ χλοαρὸν γελάσσαις ὀφρύϊ Pi.P.9.38, cf. h.Cer.358; or gravity, στυγνὸν ὀφρύων νέφος E.Hipp.[172]; ὁρᾶτε ὡς σπουδαῖαι μὲν αὐτοῦ αἱ ὀφρύες X.Smp.8.3; on their physiognomical character, v. Arist.HA491b14, Phgn. 812b26.    2 ὀφρῦς alone, scorn, pride, AP7.409 (Antip.), 9.43 (Parmen.), 10.122 (Lucill.), etc.    II from like ness of shape, brow of a hill, crag, Il.20.151, Pi.O.13.106; embankment, ὀ. ἀπότομος Plb. 36.8.3; overhanging bank of a river, Id.2.33.7, etc.; ἐπ' ὀφρύων ποταμοῦ PAmh.2.68.9 (i A. D.); of the sea, A.R.1.178, etc.; of a ditch, Str.5.3.7 (cf. ὀφρύη); of the rim of joint-cavities, Gal.UP 1.15, al.; of the woodwork enclosing the bore of a torsion-engine, Ph.Bel.57.7: in Archit., architrave, Procop.Gaz.p.157 B.    III a plant, Plin.HN26.164.

English (Strong)

perhaps from ὀπτάνομαι (through the idea of the shading or proximity to the organ of vision); the eye-"brow" or forehead, i.e. (figuratively) the brink of a precipice: brow.

Greek Monotonic

ὀφρῦς: [ῡ], ἡ, γεν. -ύος [ῠ], αιτ. ὀφρύν, πληθ. ὀφρύας, συνηρ. ὀφρῦς,
I. 1. φρύδι, τριχώδες δέρμα πάνω από τα μάτια, Λατ. supercilium, κυρίως στον πληθ., φρύδια, σε Όμηρ.· ἐπ' ὀφρύσι νεῦσε Κρονίων, δηλ. έγνεψε καταφατικά με τα φρύδια, σε Ομήρ. Ιλ.· ἀνὰδ' ὀφρύσι νεῦσεν ἑκάστῳ, τους έκανε ένα νεύμα αποτροπής, σε Ομήρ. Οδ.· χρησιμ. για να δηλώσει λύπη, περιφρόνηση, υπερηφάνεια: τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπᾶν, σε Αριστοφ.· ὀφρῦς ἐπαίρειν, σε Ευρ. κ.λπ.· τὰς ὀφρῦς συνάγειν, σουφρώνω τα φρύδια μου, συνοφρυώνομαι, σε Αριστοφ.· επίσης, καταβάλλειν, λύειν, μεθιέναι τὰς ὀφρῦς, αφήνω τα φρύδια μου να επανέλθουν στη θέση τους, χαλαρώνω τα φρύδια μου, σε Ευρ.
2. το ὀφρὺς μόνο του, όπως το Λατ. supercilium, περιφρόνηση, υπερηφάνια, αλαζονεία, σε Ανθ.
II. το χείλος προς τον γκρεμό ενός λόφου, απόκρημνος βράχος, σε Ομήρ. Ιλ. κ.λπ.

Frisk Etymological English

-ύος
Grammatical information: f., most plur.
Meaning: the eyebrows, metaph. elevated edge, brow of a hill (Il.; details on the inflexion Schwyzer 571 β).
Compounds: As 2. member a.o. in σύν-οφρυς with grown together eyebrows (Arist.).
Derivatives: ὀφρύ-διον n. dimin. (H. s. ἐπισκύνιον, Theognost.), NGr. (ὀ)φρύδι; ὀφρύη, -α elevation (Hdt., Argos) like ἰχθύ-η, -α a.o. (Schwyzer 463); -όεις situated on an edge, terraced (Χ 411; Bowra JHSt. 80, 18f.), -ώδης protrusive (Gal.). Denom. verbs: 1. ὀφρυ-όομαι to be haughty (Timo, Luc.) with -ωσις f. elevation, edge (Paul. Aeg.), older συν-οφρυόομαι to knit ones brows (S., E.); κατ- ὀφρῦς in κατωφρυωμένος to be provided with brows (Philestr. VA, Luc.); 2. -άζω to beckon with the eyebrows, also as expression of pride (Amips. Com. V--IVa); 3. -άω to be hilly (Str.); 4. ὀφρυγνᾳ̃ ὁμοίως (i.e. = -άζει). Βοιωτοί H. (unclear; after ὀριγνάομαι? doubting Schwyzer 695 n. 2).
Origin: IE [Indo-European] [172] cf. 142 *h₃bhreuH- eyebrow
Etymology: Old name of the eyebrows, except for the ὀ- identical with Skt. bhrū́-h, acc. bhrúv-am f.: IE *h₃bhruH́-s f.; thus from Celt. a. Germ. OIr. for-bru acc. pl., OS brū. Several enlargements: OCS brъv-ь, Lith. brùv-ė, -ìs, OWNo. brū-n, MPers. brū-k, Toch. B pärw-ā-ne (du.); also with dental in Av. brvat̃-byąm dat. pl. f., MIr. brūad gen. du. and in ἀβροῦτες ὀφρῦς. Μακεδόνες H. (Kretschmer Einleitung 287 w. n. 1 instead improbable (?) ἀβροῦϜες). -- Here also OHG brāwa f. eyebrew, wint-prāwa eyelash, which belongs with OS brāha id. to OE bræw m. eyebrew, OWNo. brā f. eyelash (more in WP. 2, 169, Pok. 142). Combinations to be rejected by Specht Ursprung 83 a. 162. -- WP. 2, 206f., Pok. 172f., Mayrhofer s. bhrū́ḥ, Fraenkel s. briaunà (quite doubtful), Vasmer s. brovь (w. lit. a. many details). Older lit. also in Bq. The nom. was *h₃bhreuH-s, (gen. *h₃bhruH-os), which explains the OHG form etc.