Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

bĭdens (old form duidens), entis (abl. bidenti, Lucr. 5, 209; Verg. Cir. 212; Pomp. ap. Gell. 16, 6, 7: bidente, Tib. 2, 3, 6; Verg. Cat. 8, 9; Plin. 17, 21, 35, § 159; gen. plur. bidentium, Hor. C. 3, 23, 14: bidentum, Ov. M. 15, 575), adj. [bis-dens], with two teeth (not in Cic.).

  1. I. Adj.
    1. A. Lit.: amica, i.e. anus, Auct. Priap. 82: bos, Paul. ex Fest. p. 35 Müll.: hostiae, Plin. 8, 51, 77, § 206.
    2. B. Transf., with two prongs, points, etc.: ancora, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 209: forfex, Verg. Cat. 8, 9: ferrum = forfex, id. Cir. 212.
  2. II. Subst.
    1. A. Masc., a heavy hoe or mattock with two crooked iron teeth; Gr. δίκελλα: valido bidenti ingemere, Lucr. 5, 209: Tib. 1, 1, 29; 1, 10, 49; 2, 3, 6: glaebam fran/gere bidentibus, Verg. G. 2, 400: duros jactare bidentis, id. ib. 2, 355: durus bidens et vomer aduncus, Ov. F. 4, 927: bidentibus soli terga convertere, Col. 4, 14, 1; 4, 17, 8; Pall. Jul. 5; cf. id. ib. 1, 43, 1; Dig. 33, 7, 8 al.
      Hence, meton. for agriculture: bidentis amans, Juv. 3, 228.
    2. B. Fem. (old form duidens, Paul. ex Fest. p. 66 Müll.; cf. the letter B), an animal for sacrifice (swine, sheep, ox): bidentes hostiae, quae per aetatem duos dentes altiores habent, Jul. Hyg. ap. Gell. 16, 6, 14: bidentes sunt oves duos dentes longiores ceteris habentes, Paul. ex Fest. p. 33 Müll.; Isid. Orig. 12, 1, 9. It is more correct to understand by bidens an animal for sacrifice whose two rows of teeth are complete; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 4 Müll.: ambidens sive bidens ovis appellabatur, quae superioribus et inferioribus est dentibus, and in Heb. [??], the dual of [??], of the two rows of teeth; v. Gesen. Heb. Lex. under [??]: mactant lectas de more bidentīs Legiferae Cereri, Verg. A. 4, 57 Forbig. ad loc; id. ib. 7, 93; 12, 170; * Hor. C. 3, 23, 14; Ov. M. 10, 227; 15, 575; Pompon. ap. Gell. 16, 6, 7; Plin. 8, 51, 77, § 206.
      Transf. from the lang. of offerings to a general use = ovis, a sheep, Phaedr. 1, 17, 8.