Lewis & Short

nox, noctis (collat. form of the abl. noctu; v. in the foll.: nox, adverb. for nocte; v. fin.), f. (once masc. in Cato; v. infra, I.) [Sanscr. nak, naktis, night; Gr. νύξ; Germ. Nacht; Engl. night; from root naç; cf. neco, νέκυς], night.

  1. I. Lit.: hinc nox processit stellis ardentibus apta, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 343 Vahl.): ipsa umbra terrae soli officiens noctem efficit, Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 49: negat ullum esse cibum tam gravem, quin is die et nocte concoquatur, in a day and a night, in twenty-four hours, id. ib. 2, 9, 24 (v. dies, I. B. 2.): quod serenā nocte subito candens et plena luna defecisset, id. Rep. 1, 15, 23: dinumerationibus noctium ac dierum, id. ib. 3, 2, 3: Milo mediā nocte in campum venit, id. Att. 4, 3, 4: omni nocte dieque, Juv. 3, 105: de nocte, by night, Cic. Mur. 33, 69: multā de nocte profectus est, late at night, id. Att. 7, 4, 2; and: vigilare de nocte, id. Mur. 9, 22 (v. de, I. B. 2.): multā nocte veni ad Pompeium, id. Q. Fr. 2, 9, 2: qui ad multam noctem vigilāssem, id. Rep. 6, 10, 10: ad multam noctem pugnatum est, Caes. B. G. 1, 26: sub noctem naves solvit, id. B. C. 1, 28: noctes et dies urgeri, night and day, Cic. de Or. 1, 61, 260; cf.: qui (scrupulus) se dies noctesque stimulat, id. Rosc. Am. 2, 6 et saep. (v. dies, I. B. 2.): concubiā nocte visum esse in somnis ei, etc., id. Div. 1, 27, 57 (v. concubius).
          1. (β) Abl. noctu: hac noctu filo pendebit Etruria tota, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 1, 4 (Ann. v. 153 Vahl.); so, hac noctu, Plaut. Am. 1, 1. 116: noctu hac, id. Mil. 2, 4, 28: noctu concubiā, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 1, 4 (Ann. v. 169 Vahl.): senatus de noctu convenire, noctu multā domum dimitti, Quadrig. ib.: ergo noctu futura, cum media esse coeperit, auspicium Saturnaliorum erit, Macr. S. 1, 4 fin.
            Once masc. (as in cum primo lucu; v. lux): in sereno noctu, Cato, R. R. 156, 3.
      1. 2. In partic., personified: Nox, the goddess of Night, the sister of Erebus, and by him the mother of Æther and Hemera, Cic. N. D. 2, 17, 44; Hyg. Fab. prooem.; Verg. A. 5, 721; Serv. Verg. A. 6, 250; Tib. 2, 1, 87; 3, 4 17; Ov. F. 1, 455; Val. Fl. 3, 211; Stat. Th. 2, 59 et saep.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. That which takes place or is done at night, nightdoings, night-work (poet. and in post-class. prose): omnis et insanā semita nocte sonat, nocturnal noise, a revelling by night, Prop. 5, 8, 60; Val. Fl. 2, 219.
        Hence, Noctes Atticae, the title of a work of Gellius, which he wrote at Athens by night, Gell. praef.
      2. 2. Sleep, a dream (poet.): pectore noctem Accipit, Verg. A. 4, 530: talia vociferans noctem exturbabat, Stat. Th. 10, 219: abrupere oculi noctem, id. ib. 9, 599; Sil. 3, 216.
      3. 3. In mal. part., Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 21; id. As. 1, 3, 42; Cic. Att. 1, 16, 5; Hor. Epod. 15, 13; Stat. Th. 1, 69; Just. 12, 3 et saep.; cf.: nox vidua, Cat. 6, 7; Ov. H. 19, 69.
      4. 4. Death (poet.): omnes una manet nox, Hor. C. 1, 28, 15: jam te premet nox fabulaeque Manes, id. ib. 1, 4, 16: in aeternam clauduntur lumina noctem, Verg. A. 10, 746.
      5. 5. Darkness, obscurity, the gloom of tempest: quae lucem eriperet et quasi noctem quandam rebus offunderet, Cic. N. D. 1, 3, 6: carcer infernus et perpetuā nocte oppressa regio, Sen. Ep. 82, 16: taetrā nimborum nocte coörtā, Lucr. 4, 172: imber Noctem hiememque ferens, Verg. A. 3, 194: venturam melius praesagit navita noctem, Prop. 4, 10, 5 (mortem, Müll.).
        Hence, poet., of clouds of missiles, Luc. 7, 520; Val. Fl. 7, 598: veteris sub nocte cupressi, the shadow, id. 1, 774.
      6. 6. Blindness: perpetuāque trahens inopem sub nocte senectam Phineus, Ov. M. 7, 2: ego vero non video, nox oboritur, Sen. ap. Quint. 9, 2, 43: vultus perpetuā nocte coöpertus, Ps.-Quint. Decl. 1, 6.
      7. 7. The shades below, the infernal regions: descendere nocti, Sil. 13, 708: noctis arbiter, i. e. Pluto, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 1, 55.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Darkness, confusion, gloomy condition: doleo me in hanc rei publicae noctem incidisse, Cic. Brut. 96, 330; cf.: rei publicae offusa sempiterna nox esset, id. Rosc. Am. 32, 91: nox ingens scelerum, Luc. 7, 571.
    2. B. Mental darkness, ignorance (poet.): quantum mortalia pectora caecae Noctis habent, Ov. M. 6, 472.
      1. 2. Obscurity, unintelligibility: mei versus aliquantum noctis habebunt, Ov. Ib. 63.
        Hence, adv.: nocte, noctū (cf. diu), and nox, in the night, at night, by night.
          1. (α) Form nocte (rare but class.): luce noctem, nocte lucem exspectatis, Auct. Her. 4, 36, 48: in campum nocte venire, Cic. Att. 4, 3, 4 (shortly after: in Comitium Milo de nocte venit): nec discernatur, interdiu nocte pugnent, Liv. 8, 34 fin.; so id. 21, 32, 10; cf.: nec nocte nec interdiu, id. 1, 47; Juv. 3, 127, 198: velut nocte in ignotis locis errans, Quint. 7 prol. 3.
          2. (β) Form noctu (so most freq.): ob Romam noctu legiones ducere coepit, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 179 Müll. (Ann. v. 295 Vahl.): noctuque et diu, Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 5; so, noctu diuque, Titin. and Sall. Hist. Fragm. ap. Charis. p. 185 P.; cf.: nec noctu nec diu, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 98, 27: continuum diu noctuque iter properabant, Tac. A. 15, 12 fin.: quā horā, noctu an interdiu, Auct. Her. 2, 4, 7; cf.: nonnumquam interdiu, saepius noctu, Caes. B. G. 1, 8 fin.: noctu ambulabat in publico Themistocles, Cic. Tusc. 4, 19, 44: noctu ad oppidum respicientes, id. Div. 1, 32, 69; id. Fam. 14, 7, 1: noctu Jugurthae milites introducit, Sall. J. 12, 4: noctu profugere, id. ib. 106, 2: dum noctu stertit, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 27: noctu litigare, Juv. 6, 35; 605; 14, 306.
          3. (γ) Form nox (cf. pernox, and the Gr. νυκτός, only ante-class.): SI NOX FVRTVM FACTVM SIT, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Macr. S. 1, 4 med.: hinc media remis Palinurum pervenio nox, Lucil. Sat. 3, 22: quin tu hic manes? Arg. Nox si voles manebo, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 7 Ussing (al. mox); cf. id. Trin. 4, 2, 22 Brix, Krit. Anh. and Ritschl, ed. 2: si luci, si nox, si mox, si jam data sit frux, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 724 P. (Ann. v. 412 Vahl.); cf. Gell. 12, 1.