Lewis & Short

fărīna, ae, f. [far], ground corn, meal, flour.

  1. I. Prop., Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 88; Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 17; Plin. 20, 13, 51, § 139; 22, 25, 67, § 137.
    Prov.: facis farinam, i. e. waste, scatter, Mart. 8, 16, 5; Vulg. Matt. 13, 33.
    1. B. Transf., of the dust or powder of other substances resembling meal: folia myrti siccantur in farinam, Plin. 23, 9, 81, § 162; cf.: gypsum resolvitur in farinam, id. 36, 24, 59, § 183: minium tunditur in farinam, id. 33, 7, 40, § 119; so, cornus cervini, id. 28, 11, 49, § 178: tofi, id. 17, 20, 34, § 147: marmoris, id. 32, 7, 26, § 79: caminorum, id. 28, 7, 23, § 84.
  2. II. Trop., to designate the material of which a thing is composed, i. e. its nature, quality (postAug.): cum fueris nostrae farinae, Pers. 5, 115: Cassius quidam Parmensis quadam epistola ut pistoris nepotem sic taxat Augustum: Materna tibi farina ex crudissimo Ariciae pistrino, etc., Suet. Aug. 4.