Lewis & Short

ălumnus, a, um, adj. [qs. contr. of alomenos, from alo].

  1. I. That is nourished, brought up; for the most part subst.
    1. A. ălumnus, i, m., a nursling, a pupil, foster-son.
      1. 1. Lit. (most freq. in the poets.): desiderio alumnūm ( = alumnorum), Pac. ap. Non. 243, 6 (Trag. Rel. p. 116 Rib.): erus atque alumnus tuus sum, Plaut. Merc. 4, 5, 7: quid voveat dulci nutricula majus alumno? Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 8; Verg. A. 11, 33: Tityon, terrae omniparentis alumnum, id. ib. 6, 595; so Ov. M. 4, 524; cf. with 421: legionum alumnus, i. e. brought up in the camp, Tac. A. 1, 44; cf. id. 1, 41: Vatinius sutrinae tabernae alumnus, id. ib. 15, 34: suum flevit alumnum, Val. Fl. 8, 94: alumni hominum peccatorum, * Vulg. Num. 32, 14.
        Of the inhabitants of a country (cf. altrix): Italia alumnum suum summo supplicio fixum videret, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66; of cattle: Faune, abeas parvis Aequus alumnis, Hor. C. 3, 18, 3; so id. ib. 3, 23, 7.
      2. 2. Trop.: ego itaque pacis, ut ita dicam, alumnus, Cic. Phil. 7, 3: alumnus fortunae, a child of fortune, Plin. 7, 7, 5, § 43.
        Hence, of pupils: Platonis alumnus, pupil, disciple, Cic. Fin. 4, 26: alumnus disciplinae meae, id. Fam. 9, 14.
    2. B. ălumna, ae, f., a foster-daughter, a pupil: nostra haec alumna, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 96: Italia omnium terrarum alumna eadem et parens (i. e. quae ab aliis terris alitur), Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 39: aliquam filiam et alumnam praedicare, Suet. Claud. 39: trepidam hortatur alumnam, Val. Fl. 5, 358.
      Of frogs: aquai dulcis alumnae, Poët. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 9, 15.
      Trop.: cana veritas Atticae philosophiae alumna, truth, the foster-child of Attic philosophy, Varr. ap. Non. 243, 2: jam bene constitutae civitatis quasi alumna quaedam, eloquentia, the foster-child of an already well-ordered state, * Cic. Brut. 12, 45: cliens et alumna Urbis Ostia (as a colony of the same), Flor. 3, 21.
    3. C. The neutr.: numen alumnum, Ov. M. 4, 421.
  2. II. In late Lat., act., nourishing; or subst., nourisher, one who brings up or educates: cygnus alumna stagna petierat, Mart. Cap. 1, p. 11.
    Hence Isidorus: et qui alit et alitur, alumnus dici potest, Orig. 10, 1.