ater

Latin > English

ater atra -um, atrior -or -us, aterrimus -a -um ADJ :: black, dark; dark-colored (hair/skin); gloomy/murky; unlucky; sordid/squalid
ater ater atra -um, atrior -or -us, aterrimus -a -um ADJ :: deadly, terrible, grisly (esp. connected with underworld); poisonous; spiteful

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

āter: tra, trum, adj. cf. αἴθω, to burn; Sanscr. idh; αἴθων αἰθήρ, Αἴτνη, Aetna, aether, aestus, aestas (pr. burnt black, black as a coal; cf.:
I Tam excoctam reddam atque atram quam carbost, Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 63: hence), black; and specif., coalblack, lustreless-black, sable, dark (opp. albus, lustreless-white, and diff. from niger, glossy black, v. albus init.; class. and freq., but never in Vulg., which uses niger).
I Lit.: album an atrum vinum potas? Plaut. Men. 5, 5, 17: atrior multo Quam Aegyptii, id. Poen. 5, 5, 11: alba et atra discernere non poterat, Cic. Tusc. 5, 39, 114: nigra scuta, tincta corpora; atras ad proelia noctes legunt, Tac. G. 43: Mos erat antiquus niveis atrisque capillis, etc., Ov. M. 15, 41; so id. ib. 15, 44; cf. albus: fauces, Lucr. 6, 1147: dens, Hor. Epod. 8, 3: nubes, Lucr. 6, 180; Hor. C. 2, 16, 2: lumen, with smoke, Verg. A. 7, 457: agmen, with dust, id. ib. 12, 450 Serv.: axis, with blood, Sil. 2, 186: Eridanus ater stragibus, id. 6, 107: bilis, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 64, and Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 11 (cf. the Gr. μελαγχολία): cruor, Hor. Epod. 17, 31: tempestas, Lucr. 6, 258 sq.; Verg. A. 5, 693: hiemps, id. ib. 7, 214: canis, Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 25: corvus atro gutture, Cat. 108, 5: venena, Verg. G. 2, 130: Tartara, Lucr. 3, 966; so, Cocytus, Hor. C. 2, 14, 17: mare, dark, stormy, id. S. 2, 2, 16: fluctus, Verg. A. 5, 2: mons, v. 2. ater.— The proverb albus an ater, v. albus.—Poet., = atratus, clothed in black: lictores, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 6; cf. albus, I. B. 2.—
II Trop.
   A In gen., black, dark, gloomy, sad, dismal, unfortunate, etc.: funus, Lucr. 2, 580: formido, id. 4 [173], and id. 6, 254; so, Timor, Verg. A. 9, 719: cupressus, id. ib. 3, 64: dies, id. ib. 6, 429; Prop. 3, 2, 4: mors, Hor. C. 1, 28, 13: fila trium sororum, id. ib. 2, 3, 16: Esquiliae (as a burying-place), dismal, id. S. 2, 6, 32: seu mors atris circumvolat alis, id. ib. 2, 1, 58: cura, id. C. 3, 1, 40; 3, 14, 13; 4, 11, 35: lites, id. A. P. 423: comes, id. S. 2, 7, 115: serpens, Verg. G. 1, 129; Ov. M. 3, 63 al.: genius .. vultu mutabilis, albus et ater, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 189.—In Roman civil life, dies atri are the days on which the state experienced some calamity, unlucky days. (This designation is said to have arisen from the Roman custom of marking every unfortunate day in the calendar with coal); Varr. L. L. 6, § 29; Liv. 6, 1; Gell. 5, 17; Fest. s. v. nonarum, p. 179 Müll.; id. s. v. religiosus, p. 278 Müll.; Ov. A. A. 1, 418; Macr. S. 1, 15 fin. and 16; Afran. ap. Non. p. 73, 33: si atro die faxit insciens, probe factum esto, Liv. 22, 10.—
   B Esp.
   1    Rare and poet., of mind or feeling, malevolent, malicious, virulent (cf. niger, II. D., and the Gr. μέλας, II. 4 Lidd. and Scott): versus, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 30: si quis atro dente me petiverit, id. Epod. 6, 15.—
   2    Also poet. of something difficult to be understood, dark, obscure (so μέλας, Anth. Pal. 11, 347): latebrae Lycophronis atri, Stat. p. 5, 3, 157.—Comp.
v. supra, I.—Sup. and adv. not used.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

ātĕr,⁸ tra, trum, noir [sombre, qui manque d’éclat],
1 [en parl. de nuage] Virg. En. 4, 248, etc. ; [de la nuit] En. 1, 89, etc. ; des torches fumantes] En. 9, 73 ; [de caverne] En. 1, 60 ; [de bois ombreux] En. 1, 165 ; [d’une tempête horrible] En. 5, 693 ; [de la mer orageuse] Hor. S. 2, 2, 16 ; O. 3, 27, 18 ; [du sang] Virg. En. 3, 28 ; des licteurs dans les funérailles] Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 6 || alba et atra discernere Cic. Tusc. 5, 114, distinguer le blanc du noir
2 [fig.] sombre, triste, funeste, cruel [en parl. de la mort] : Hor. O. 1, 28, 13 ; [de l’épouvante] Virg. En. 12, 335 ; Lucr. 4, 173 ; [du souci] Hor. O. 3, 1, 40 ; des procès] Hor. P. 423 ; [de jours malheureux] Varro L. 6, 29 ; Gell. 5, 17, 1 ; Ov. F. 1, 58 ; [du jour de la mort] Virg. En. 6, 429 ; [de vers perfides] Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 30 || atrior Pl. Pœn. 1290 ; Gell. 2, 26, 14 ; 2, 30, 11 || superl. inusité.

Latin > German (Georges)

(1) āter¹, ātra, ātrum, Adi. m. Compar. (= umbr. atru, adro), wie unser dunkel, um das Lichtverhältnis anzudeuten (Ggstz. lucidus), od. die Farbe = glanzlos schwarz, farblos (Ggstz. albus, glanzlos weiß, versch. von niger, glänzend schwarz, Ggstz. candidus, glänzend weiß), I) eig.: 1) adi.: atrum an album vinum potas? dunkelroten oder weißen, Plaut.: reddam tam atram quam carbo est, Ter.: filius, ein Mohr, Ov.; vgl. atrior multo ut siet quam Aegyptii (Aegyptini), schwärzer als die Mohren, Plaut.: atrae gentes et quodammodo Aethiopes, Mela: caprae, Cato fr.: intibi, Pompon. com. fr.: lapilli (Stimmsteinchen), Ggstz. nivei, Ov.: panis, Ter. Eun. 939: color, Ov.: nemus, speluncae, dunkel, Verg.: odor, schwarzer Qualm, Verg.: nubes, Plin. ep.: mare, schwarz (Ggstz. glaucus et caeruleus, Gell.), dunkel, aufgewühlt, stürmisch, Hor.: atrae et profundae tenebrae, Ael. Tuber. fr.: poet. = atratus, schwarz gekleidet (als Zeichen der Trauer), lictores, Hor. ep. 1, 7, 6. – Sprichw., s. albus no. I, 1. – 2) subst.: alba discernere et atra non posse, Cic. Tusc. 5, 114: candida de nigris et de candentibus atra facere, Ov. met. 11, 314 sq. (sprichw.). – II) übtr.: A) als Zeichen der Trauer von allem Betrübenden, Unglücklichen, Unheilbringenden, schwarz, finster, traurig, unglücklich, unheilvoll, Unheil bringend od. -drohend, funus, Lucr.: dies, Afran. fr. u. Verg.: cupressus, Verg.: mors, Hor.: timor, tigris, Verg.: vipera, Hor.: acies, Verg.: agmen, Verg.: lites, leidige, schnöde Händel, Hor. – Im röm. Staatsleben sind dies atri (Unheil bringende) die Tage, an denen dem Staate ein Unglück begegnet, s. alte Formel bei Liv. 22, 10, 6; vgl. Fab. Max. fr. 4 (bei Macr. sat. 1, 16, 25). Varr. LL. 6, 29. Gell. 5, 17 in. Macr. sat. 1, 15, 22; 1, 16, 21 sqq. – B) giftig, schwarz = böse, mens, Sil. 2, 355: Aemilia cute fusca,... sed non atra animo, Auson. parent. (XV) 7, 3 u. 5. p. 44 Schenkl. – bes. = giftig, hämisch, atro dente petere alqm, Hor. epod. 6, 51: versibus atris oblinere alqm, Hor. ep. 1, 19, 30. – C) schwer zu verstehen, dunkel, Lycophron, Stat. silv. 5, 3, 157 zw. (Bährens arti). – / Compar. bei Plaut. Poen. 1290. Gell. 2, 26, 14; 2, 30, 11. Lact. 5, 3, 23.