παίγνιον

English (LSJ)

τό,

   A plaything, toy, ἄνθρωπον θεοῦ τι παίγνιον εἶναι Pl.Lg.803c, cf. Plt.288c; τύχης π. Secund.Sent.7; πλοῖον ἀνέμων π. ib.17; οἷον π. φεῦγον, of Matter because of its instability, Plot.3.6.7: in pl., Pl.Lg.797b, etc.; dainties, Ephipp. 24.    2 of persons, darling, pet, Anaxandr.9.3: also in pl. (of one person), Ar.Ec.922, Plu.Ant.59.    II in Theoc.15.50, the Egyptians are called κακὰ παίγνια, roguish cheats,—unless here it be acc. cogn. (dirty tricks) after παίζω.    III game, Κουρήτων ἐνόπλια π. Pl. Lg.796b: metaph., child's play, of an easy task, Euphro 1.35.    2 comic performance, Pl.Lg.816e, Ephipp.7, Suet.Aug.99.    3 light poem, AP6.322 (Leon.), Plb.16.21.12; Ὁμήρου, Κράτητος π., Jul.Or. 2.60d, 6.199d; title of poems by Philetas, Stob.2.4.5, al.; applied to those of Theocritus, Ael.NA15.19: metaph., of the merry chirp of the cicada, AP7.196.6 (Mel.).    4 of a prose trifle, Gorg.Hel. 21.    5 Δημοκρίτου παίγνια jocular recipes, PMag.Lond.121.167.