λίνον

English (LSJ)

[ῐ], τό,

   A anything made of flax (v. fin.)    1 cord, fishingline, Il.16.408; thread spun from a distaff, E.Or.1431 (lyr.), Archipp. 38, etc.: pl., E.Tr.537 (lyr.); thread for stringing jewels, ὅρμον χρυσείοισι λίνοισιν ἐερμένον h.Ap.103; ἄλλα παντοδαπὰ χρυσᾶ ἀνηρμένα ἐπὶ λίνου IG11(2).208.22 (Delos, iii B. C.); thread used as a ligature, Gal. 2.669.    2 metaph., thread of destiny spun by the Fates, Il.20.128, Od.7.198, etc.: pl., τά γε μὰν λ. πάντα λελοίπει ἐκ Μοιρᾶν Theoc.1.139, cf. Call.Lav.Pall.104; ὑπὲρ τὸ λ., = ὑπὲρ μόρον, Luc.JConf.2.    3 prov., with or without neg., λίνον λίνῳ συνάπτειν, i. e. join like with like, deal with matters of like kind, Pl.Euthd.298c, Stratt.38, Arist. Ph.207a17.    4 fishing-net, ἀψῖσι λίνου ἁλόντε Il.5.487, cf. κλωστήρ 11; also, hunting-net, Theoc.8.58, 27.17; for catching birds, D.S.1.60, AP9.396 (Paul. Sil.), 343 (Arch.); λ. δορκάδεια hunting-nets for gazelles, PCair.Zen.524 (iii B. C.).    5 linen, linen-cloth, Il. 9.661, Od.13.73, 118: pl., linen cloths, linen garments, A.Supp.121, 132 (both lyr.): sg., linen garment, Apoc.15.6; sail-cloth, Ar.Ra.364, A.R.1.565, etc.    6 flax for spinning, λίνου μεστὸν ἄτρακτον Ar. Ra.1347, cf. PRev.Laws39.7 (iii B. C.), etc.; λ. Καρπάσιον asbestos, Paus.1.26.7.    II the plant flax, Linum usitatissimum, λίνον ἐργάζεσθαι Hdt.2.105, etc.; λίνου σπέρμα linseed, Th.4.26: pl., ἡ ἐκ των λ. δημιουργία Pl.Plt.280c.    2 = θυμελαία, Dsc.4.172.    3 = χρυσόγονον, ib.56.    4 λ. πύρινον, an unknown plant, Thphr. HP9.18.6.    5 λ. ἀπὸ τῶν δενδρέων cotton, Gossypium herbaceum, Nearch. ap. Arr.Ind.1.16.1.    III v. Λίνος 11. (Lith. linaĩ pl. 'flax', with ῐ as in Gr., but Lat. linum, OE. lin, etc. with ῑ: ῑ also in the doubtful words λινόσαρκος, λινοπτάομαι, ἀμφίλινος.)