λευκός

English (LSJ)

ή, όν,

   A light, bright, clear (opp. μέλας in all senses), αἴγλη Od. 6.45; λευκὸν (v.l. λαμπρόν) . . ἠέλιος ὥς Il.14.185; λ. φάος S.Aj.708 (lyr.), cf. infr. 11.3; αἰθήρ E.Andr.1228 (anap.); of metallic surfaces, λέβης Il.23.268; λ. γαλήνη a glassy calm, Od.10.94; of water, clear, limpid, Il.23.282, Od.5.70, A.Supp.23 (anap.); λ. νᾶμα E.HF573; -ότατος ποταμῶν Call.Jov.19.    2 metaph., clear, distinct, of the voice, Arist.Top.106a25, S.E.M.6.41: in literary sense, clear, λ. στίχος AP11.347 (Phil.): prov., λευκὸς Ἑρμῆς, when a rogue was detected, Macar. 5.53. Adv. -κῶς, πάντα φαίνειν, of Hermes, Corn.ND16: Comp. -ότερον, διαλεχθῆναι Hld.7.20.    II of colour, white, freq. in Hom., varying from the pure white of snow ([ἵπποι] -ότεροι χιόνος Il.10.437) to the grey of dust (λευκοὶ ἐγένοντο κονισάλῳ 5.503); γάλα λ. 4.434; κρῖ 5.196; ἄλφιτα 18.560; ἡνία λεύκ' ἐλέφαντι 5.583; ὀδόντες 10.263; ὀστέα 16.347; ἱστία 1.480; φᾶρος 18.353, etc.; λ. ἅρμα, = λεύκιππον, E.Ph.172; of the white horses used by tyrants, λ. ζεῦγος D. 21.158, cf. λεύκιππος; λ. λίθος marble, OGI219.36 (Sigeum, iii B.C.), etc., cf. λευκόλιθος; λευκῷ<ν>λίθῳ λ. στάθμη a white line on a white stone, prov. of explanations which do not explain, S.Fr.330; ἡ λ. ῥίζα white root (= ἡ τοῦ δρακοντίου, acc. to Gal.19.118), Hp.Morb.2.48, Nat.Mul.32; freq. of white or grey hair, λ. κάρη Tyrt.10.23; θρίξ S.Ant.1092; λ. γῆρας Id.Aj.625 (lyr.); λευκὰ γήρᾳ σώματα E.HF 909, etc.    b of the human skin, white, fair, sts. as a sign of youth and beauty, χρώς, πήχεε, Il.11.573, Od.23.240; λ. παρειά, παρηΐς, S.Ant.1239, E.Med.923; σάρξ, δέρη, ib.1189 (v.l.), IA875 (troch.); freq. with the notion of bare, κῶλον, πούς, Id.Ba.665, 863 (lyr.), Ion 221 (lyr.); cf. λευκόπους.    c of persons, white-skinned, Pl.R.474e: hence, weakly, womanish, Ar.Th.191, Ec.428, X.HG3.4.19; λευκῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐδὲν ὄφελος Macar.5.55; cf. λευκόπρωκτος, λευκόχρως.    d λευκαὶ φρένες in Pi.P.4.109 is expld. by Hsch. μαινόμεναι, frantic, passionate (cf. λευκῶν πραπίδων· κακῶν φρενῶν, Id.).    2 λ. χρυσός, pale gold, i.e. gold alloyed with silver (prob. the same as ἤλεκτρον), opp. ἄπεφθος χρυσός, Hdt.1.50.    3 metaph., bright, fortunate, happy, λευκὸν ἦμαρ νυκτὸς ἐκ μελαγχίμου A.Pers.301, cf. Ag.668; a joyful day or holiday, Call.Aet.1.1.2; λ. ἡμέρα a happy day, S.Fr.6, cf. Sch.Call.Iamb.in PSI9.1094.39; variously expld. in Phylarch. 83 J., Plu.Per.27; ἡ λ. ψῆφος the vote of acquittal, Luc.Harm.3, cf. Hsch.    III λεύκη, ἡ, leuko/n, τό, as Subst., v. sub vocc. (Cogn. with Lat. lux, etc.)