ψιμύθιον
πεσούσης νυκτός, πάσα γυνὴ Λαΐς εστί → at nightfall, every woman is a Laïs | all cats are gray at night | all cats are gray by night | all cats are gray in the dark | all cats are grey at night | all cats are grey by night | all cats are grey in the dark | all women look the same with the lights off | when lights are out all women look the same
English (LSJ)
(v. infr.), τό,
A = ψίμυθος, white lead, used as a pigment, esp. to whiten the skin of the face, Ar.Ec.878,929, Amips.3, Dialex.2.6, etc.; even for the hair, Pl.Ly.217d; ἐντετριμμένην ψιμυθίῳ X.Oec.10.2; περιπεπλασμένη ψιμυθίοις... ἀνάπλεῳ ψιμυθίου, Eub.98, cf. Ar.Ec.1072; τῷ ψ. κεχρισμένος Jul.Or.7.233b; also used in salves, Gp.17.7.2, 18.15.3: for its preparation, v. Thphr.Lap.56. (Written ψιμίθιον in PCair.Zen.763.19, 789.11,12 (iii B. C.), IG5(1).1390.22 (Andania, i B. C.), POxy.1088.4 (i A. D.), PLond.3.928.21, PMed.Strassb.p.4 (ii A. D.), and as v.l. in Dsc.5.88, etc.; ψιμμύθιον Jul. l. c., v. l. in GP. Il. cc.; ψιμμίθιον as v. l. in Dsc. l. c.: Aeol. ψημύθιον, acc. to Choerob. in Theod.1.201 H., Id. in An.Ox.2.241 (Ion. acc. to EM103.25): v. ψιμυθιόω.) [ῡ, Ar. ll. cc., etc.; ψῑ- indeterminate in these passages; ψῑμῡθίου in a hexam. (Nic.Al.75) might be due to metrical lengthening of ψῐ-: cf. ψίμυθος.]
German (Pape)
[Seite 1400] τό, = ψίμυθος; Ar. Plut. 1064; ψίμυθίῳ καταπεπλασμένη Eccl. 878, vgl. 929. 1072; εἴ τίς σου ξανθὰς οὔσας τὰς τρίχας ψιμυθίῳ ἀλείψειε Plat. Lys. 217 d.
Greek (Liddell-Scott)
ψιμύθιον: ἢ ψιμμύθιον (καὶ μεταγεν. ψιμίθιον), τό, ὡς τὸ ψίμυθος, τὸ λευκὸν τοῦ μολύβδου, Λατ. cerussa, ὅπερ μετεχειρίζοντο πρὸς λεύκανσιν τῆς ἐπιδερμίδος τοῦ προσώπου, Ἀριστοφ. Ἐκκλ. 878, 929, 1072· ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν τριχῶν, παρὰ Πλάτ. ἐν Λυσ. 217D· ἐντετριμμένην ψιμυθίῳ Ξεν. Οἰκ. 10, 2· περιπεπλασμέναι ψιμυθίοις.., ἀνάπλεῳ ψιμυθίου Εὔβουλος ἐν «Στεφανοπώλισιν» 1· ― περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς κατασκευῆς αὐτοῦ ἴδε Θεοφρ. περὶ Λίθ. 56. [ῡ, πλὴν ἐν Ἀνθ. Παλ. 11. 374, 408· ψῐ- ἐν τῷ ψίμυθος, ἔνθ’ ἀνωτ.· ἀλλὰ ψῑ- ἐν τῷ ψιμύθιον ἔν τινι ἑξαμέτρῳ, Νικ. Ἀλεξιφ. 75 ἐξ οὗ ὅμως δὲν ἀποδείκνυται ὅτι ἡ γραφὴ ψιμμ-, ὡς εὕρηται ἔν τισι τῶν Ἀντιγράφων, εἶναι ὀρθή· ― τὰ ἀρχαιότατα καὶ δοκιμώτατα Ἀντίγραφα ἔχουσι τὴν δι’ ἁπλοῦ μ γραφήν].
French (Bailly abrégé)
ου (τό) :
blanc de céruse qui servait de fard.
Étymologie: ψίμυθος.