Lewis & Short

1. pūbes and pūber (cf. Prisc. p. 707 P.; also pūbis, ĕris, Caes. ib.), ĕris, adj. [root pu-, to beget; in Sanscr. putras, son; pumans, man; cf.: puer, pūpa, putus, etc.], that is grown up, of ripe age, adult, pubescent.

  1. I. Lit. (class.): pubes et puber qui generare potest: is incipit esse a quattuordecim annis: femina a duodecim viri potens, sive patiens, ut quidam putant, Fest. p. 250 Müll.; Crass. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 55, 224: filii, Cic. Off. 1, 35, 129: priusquam pubes esset, Nep. Dion, 4, 4: ad puberem aetatem, Liv. 1, 3.
    1. B. Subst.: pūbĕres, um, m., grown-up persons, adults, men (cf.: adulescens, ephebus): omnes puberes armati convenire consuerunt, Caes. B. G. 5, 56; id. B. C. 2, 13; 3, 9; Sall. J. 26, 3; 54, 6; Tac. A. 13, 39.
      Sing. collect.: omnem Italiae pubem commiserat, Cic. Mil. 23, 61; Liv. 1, 9, 6; Suet. Ner. 43; Tac. H. 2, 47.
      Rarely, of one person, a youth: ne praejudicium fiat impuberi per puberis personam, Dig. 37, 10, 3, § 8.
  2. II. Transf., of plants, covered with soft down, downy, pubescent, ripe: folia, Verg. A. 12, 413: uvae, Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 4, 4 Mai.

2. pūbes (nom. pubis, Prud. Cath. 7, 162), is, f. [1. pubes], the signs of manhood, i. e. the hair which appears on the body at the age of puberty, Gr. ἥβη.

  1. I. Lit.: si inguen jam pube contegitur, Cels. 7, 19: capillus et pubes, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 58.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. The hair in gen.: ciliorum, Mart. Cap. 2, § 132.
    2. B. The private parts, Verg. A. 3, 427; Ov. Am. 3, 12, 22; Plin. 11, 37, 83, § 208; 28, 15, 60, § 215; App. M. 10, p. 254, 3.
    3. C. Collect., grown-up males, youth, young men (class.): omnem Italiae pubem, Cic. Mil. 23, 61; Verg. A. 5, 573: robora pubis Lecta, id. ib. 8, 518: Romana, Liv. 1, 9; Tac. A. 6, 1; id. H. 2, 47; Sil. 1, 667.
      Poet., transf., of bullocks, Verg. G. 3, 174.
      1. 2. In gen., men, people, population: pube praesenti, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 124; Cat. 64, 4; 268; 68, 101: Dardana, Verg. A. 7, 219: captiva, Hor. C. 3, 5, 18: Romana, id. ib. 4, 4, 46 al.
  3. III. Trop., fulness, ripeness: pube agri variorum seminum laeti, Amm. 24, 5, 1.