capillus

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

căpillus: i, m. (căpillum, i, n., Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 97, acc to Non. p. 198, 20) [a
dim. form, akin to caput and Gr. κεφαλή>; lit., adj. sc. crinis.
I Lit., the hair of the head, the hair (while crinis is any hair).
   A Collect. (hence, acc. to Varr, ap. Charis. p. 80 P. in his time used only in the <number opt="n">sing.</number>; but the plur is found once in Cic., and since the Aug. poets very freq.) capillus passus, prolixus, circum caput Rejectus neglegenter, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 49; cf. id. Phorm. 1, 2, 56: versipellis, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 48: compositus (or -um, acc. to Non. l. l.), id. Most. 1, 3, 97; Ter Eun. 4, 3, 4 Ruhnk.; 5, 2, 21: compositus et delibutus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 46, 135: horridus, id. Sest. 8, 19: promissus, long hair, Caes. B. G. 5, 14: longus barbaque promissa, Nep. Dat. 3, 1: horrens. Tac. G. 38: ornatus, Prop. 1, 2, 1: tonsus, Ov. M. 8, 151: niger, Hor. A. P. 37: albus, id. Epod. 17, 23: albescens, id. C. 3, 14, 25: fulvus, Ov. M. 12, 273 (opp. barba): virgines tondebant barbam et capillum patris, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 58: capillum et barbam promisisse, Liv. 6, 16, 4; Plin. 11, 39, 94, § 231.—
   B A hair (<number opt="n">sing.</number> very rare): in imaginem capilli unius sat multorum, Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 11, 29.—So plur. (freq.), Cic. Pis. 11, 25; Prop. 1, 15, 11; 3 (4), 6, 9; Hor. C. 1, 12, 41; 1, 29, 7; 2, 11, 15; 3, 20, 14; Quint. 8, 2, 7; 11, 3, 160 (in Ov. M. alone more than fifty times).—
II Transf.
   A The hair of men gen., both of the head and beard: Dionysius cultros metuens tonsorios, candente carbone sibi adurebat capillum, Cic. Off. 2, 7, 25 Beier (cf. id. Tusc. 5, 20, 58: ut barbam et capillum sibi adurerent): ex barbā capillos detonsos neglegimus, Sen. Ep. 92, 34; Suet. Ner. 1.—
   B The hair of animals: cuniculi, Cat. 25, 1: apum, Col. 9, 10, 1; Pall. Jun. 7, 7: haedi, Gell. 12, 1, 15: membranae, Pers. 3, 10; cf. Macr. S. 5, 11.—
   C The threads or fibres of plants, Phn. 21, 6, 17, § 33: capillus in rosā, id. 21, 18, 73, § 121; hence, capillus Veneris, a plant, also called herba capillaris, maidenhair, App. Herb. 47.