καλάμη

English (LSJ)

ἡ, (v. κάλαμος)

   A stalk, esp. the stalk or straw of corn, metaph. in Hom., αἶψά τε φυλόπιδος πέλεται κόρος ἀνθρώποισιν, ἧς τε πλείστην μὲν καλάμην Χθονὶ Χαλκὸς ἔχευεν, ἄμητος δ' ὀλίγιστος, i.e. when there is much straw and little harvest, much slaughter and little profit, Il.19.222; κ. πυρῶν wheat-straw, Hdt.4.33; σῖτος σὺν τῇ καλάμῃ ἀποκείμενος X.An.5.4.27; καλάμαν τε καὶ ἱερὰ δράγματα . . ἀσταχύων Call.Cer.20; prov. of a greedy farmer, πυροὺς ἐπὶ καλάμῃ ἀροῦν to exhaust ground by one corn-crop after another, Lys.Fr.77: pl., σῖτος ἐπὶ ταῖς κ. D.H.5.13.    2 stubble, Arist.Mete.341b27, PSI4.380.6 (iii B.C.), 1 Ep.Cor.3.12, etc.: metaph., of an old man, καλάμην γέ σ' ὀΐομαι εἰσορόωντα γιγνώσκειν thou mayst still, I ween, perceive the stubble (i.e. the residue) of former strength, Od.14.214; τὸ γῆρας καλάμη Arist.Rh.1410b14; τὴν κ. δωρῇ, δοὺς ἑτέροις τὸ θέρος AP11.36 (Phil.); Ῥήσου κ. the remains of Rhesus, i.e. his corpse, Orac. ap. Polyaen.6.53; ἀπὸ τῆς κ. τεκμαίρεσθαι to judge from the remains, Luc.Alex.5.    3 κολχὶς κ., = λίνον, Call.Fr.265.    II = κάλαμος, Hld.8.9.