Lewis & Short

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testa, ae, f. [ = tosta, from torreo], a piece of burned clay, a brick, tile, ὄστρακον.

  1. I. Lit., Cic. Dom. 23, 61; Cato, R. R. 18, 7; 18, 110; Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 6; Vitr. 2, 8 fin.; 7, 1; 7, 4; Aus. Parent. 11, 9.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A piece of baked earthen-ware, an earthen pot, pitcher, jug, urn, etc. (cf. testu): si Prometheus … a vicinis cum testā ambulans carbunculos corrogaret, Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9: testā cum ardente viderent Scintillare oleum, a lamp, Verg. G. 1, 391: quo semel est imbuta recens, servabit odorem Testa diu, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 70; cf. Tib. 2, 3, 47: accipiat Manes parvula testa meos, Prop. 2, 13, 32 (3, 5, 16): vinum Graeca quod testā conditum levi, Hor. C. 1, 20, 2; 3, 21, 4: mihi fundat avitum Condita testa merum, Ov. A. A. 2, 696; Mart. 12, 48, 8; 12, 63, 2; 13, 7, 1; Plin. 31, 10, 46, § 114.
      Used in applause: audiat ille Testarum crepitus cum verbis, Juv. 11, 170 (cf. F. infra).
    2. B. A broken piece of earthen-ware, pottery, brick, etc.; a sherd, potsherd: dissipatis imbricum fragminibus ac testis tegularum, Sisenn. ap. Non. 125, 18: testa parem fecit, Ov. M. 8, 662: fulcitur testā mensa, Mart. 2, 43, 10; Plin. 32, 8, 28, § 89; 35, 3, 5, § 16; Tac. H. 5, 6; Prop. 4 (5), 7, 28; Juv. 3, 260.
      Hence,
      1. 2. Transf., a piece of bone, Cels. 8, 16; so of fragments of a broken tooth, id. 6, 9 med.; 7, 22.
    3. C. Like ὄστρακον, a sherd, potsherd, in the ostracism or judicial voting of the Greeks: testarum suffragiis, quod illi ὀστρακισμὸν vocant, Nep. Cim. 3, 1; cf. also testula.
    4. D. The shell of shell-fish or of testaceous animals: genera beluarum ad saxa nativis testis inhaerentium, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 100: ostreae, Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 60: muricum, id. 32, 7, 27, § 84: cochlearum, id. 30, 8, 21, § 66: testudinis, Varr. L. L. 5, § 79 Müll.
      Hence,
      1. 2. Transf.
        1. a. A shell-fish: non omne mare generosae fertile testae, Hor. S. 2, 4, 31: marina, id. ib. 2, 8, 53.
        2. b. A shell or covering, in gen.: lubricaque immotas testa premebat aquas, i. e. an icy shell, covering of ice, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 38: lubrica, Poët. ap. Anthol. Lat. 2, p. 62 Burm.
        3. c. The skull: testa hominis, nudum jam cute calvitium, Aus. Epigr. 72; Prud. στεφ. 10, 761; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1; 2, 1 fin. (hence, Ital. testa and Fr. tēte).
    5. E. A brick-colored spot on the face, Plin. 26, 15, 92, § 163; 48. 12, 50, § 185.
  3. F. A sort of clapping with the flat of the hands (as if with two tiles), in token of applause, invented by Nero, Suet. Ner 20.

testor, ātus, 1, v. a. [1. testis].

  1. I. To be a witness, speak as witness, to bear witness, give evidence, depose, testify, attest any thing.
    1. A. Lit. (very rare, and not in Cic.; cf. testificor): confiteor: testere licet: signate Quirites, thou canst attest it, Ov. P. 4, 15, 11: quasi inclamaret aut testaretur locutus est, Quint. 11, 3, 172.
    2. B. Transf., in gen., to make known, show, prove, demonstrate; to give to understand, to declare, aver, assert, bear witness to, etc. (class and very freq.): ego quod facio, me pacis, otii, etc. … causā facere, clamo atque testor, Cic. Mur. 37, 78: auctoritatem hujus indicii monumentis publicis, id. Sull. 14, 41: nunc illa testabor, non me sortilegos … agnoscere, id. Div. 1, 58, 132: testatur isto audiente, se pro communi necessitudine id primum petere, id. Quint. 21, 66: clarissimā voce se nomen Oppianici … delaturum esse testatur, id. Clu. 8, 23: ea quae accidere testatus antea, Sall. H. 4, 61, 10 Dietsch: testatus, quae praestitisset civibus eorum, etc., Liv. 25, 10, 8: vectigal testandi causā publicum agrum esse imponere, id. 31, 13, 7: assiduoque suos gemitu testata dolores, Ov. M. 2, 486: quod Cicero pluribus et libris et epistulis testatur, Quint. 12, 2, 6: utraeque (venae et arteriae) vim quandam incredibilem artificiosi operis divinique testantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: sunt Agamemnonias testantia litora curas, Prop. 3, 7 (4, 6), 21: ut pura testantur sidera caelo, Tib. 4, 1, 10: verba nos testantia gratos, Ov. M. 14, 307: carmina raros testantia mores, id. P. 1, 9, 43: campus sepulcris proelia testatur, Hor. C. 2, 1, 31: numerus autem (saepe enim hoc testandum est) est non modo non poëtice junctus, verum etiam, etc., Cic. Or. 68, 227; Quint. prooem. § 26; 11, 1, 5.
      1. 2. In partic., to publish one’s last will or testament, to make a will, provide by will for any thing, Cic. Inv. 2, 21, 62: cum ignorans nurum ventrem ferre, immemor in testando nepotis decessisset, Liv. 1, 34, 3: quis dubitaret, quin ea voluntas fuisset testantis, ut is non nato filio heres esset, Quint. 7, 6, 10: si exheredatum a se filium pater testatus fuerit elogio, id. 7, 4, 20: primipilari seni jam testato, id. 6, 3, 92: intestati appellantur, qui cum possent testamentum facere, testati non sunt, Dig. 38, 16, 1; 29, 1, 19 pr.; 49, 14, 45 pr.: nomen testatas intulit in tabulas, i. e. into his will, Cat. 68, 122.
  2. II. To call upon or invoke a person or thing as witness (likewise class.): Venus Cyrenensis, testem te testor mihi, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 51: vos, di patrii ac penates, testor, me defendere, etc., Cic. Sull. 31, 86: C. Marii et ceterorum virorum mentis testor, me pro illorum famā propugnandum putare, etc., id. Rab. Perd. 10, 30: omnes deos, with an obj.-clause, id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 2: ego omnes homines deosque testor, id. Caecin. 29, 83: deos immortales, id. Clu. 68, 194: me potissimum testatus est, se aemulum mearum laudum exstitisse, id. Phil. 2, 12, 28 stuprata per vim Lucretia a regis filio, testata cives, se ipsa interemit, id. Fin. 2, 20, 66: implorarem sensus vestros, uniuscujusque indulgentiam in suos testarer, etc., id. Sull. 23, 64: consulibus deos hominesque testantibus, Liv. 4, 53, 5: Jovem et laesi foederis aras, Verg. A. 12, 496: vos, aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum testor numen, id. ib. 2, 155: Theseus infernis, superis testatur Achilles, Hic Ixioniden, ille Menoetiaden, Prop. 2, 1, 37: volnera testor, Ov. F. 4, 885: id testor deos, Ter Hec. 3, 5, 26: hoc vos, judices, testor, Cic. Sull. 12, 35.[??]
      1. 1. Act. collat. form testo, āre, acc. to Prisc. p. 797 P.
      2. 2. Pass. (acc. to I. B.), Cic. Fl. 11, 26: cum aliorum monumentis tum Catonis oratione testatum est, shown, proved, attested, Quint. 2, 15, 8; 2, 17, 2; 8, prooem. § 20.
        Hence, P. a. in pass. force: testātus, a, um, public, manifest, published (class.): ut res quam maxime clara ac testata esse posset, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 76, § 187; 2. 2, 42, § 104; 1, 16, 48: haec testata sunt atque inlustria, id. Fam. 11, 27, 6: ut testatum esse velim, de pace quid senserim, id. Att. 8, 9, 1: nihil religione testatum, id. Fl. 11, 26.
        Comp.: ut res multorum oculis esset testatior, Cic. Cael. 27, 64: quo notior testatiorque virtus ejus esset, Hirt. B. G. 8, 42: quo testatior esset poena improborum, id. ib. 8, 44; Nep. Alcib. 4, 5.
        Sup.: testatissima miracula, Aug. Conf. 8, 6.
        Hence, adv.: testātō, before witnesses: jussum accipiendum est, sive testato quis, sive verbis, aut per nuntium, jusserit, Dig. 15, 4, 1; cf. ib. 18, 6, 1; 45, 1, 122; App. Mag. p. 324, 11.
      3. 2. As is well known or evident, Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 130.
      4. 3. After making a will, testate: sive testato, sive intestato, decesserint, Dig. 49, 14, 45.