lāmĭna or lammĭna, and sync. lamna (e. g. Hor. C. 2, 2, 2; id. Ep. 1, 15, 36; Val. Fl. 1, 123; Vitr. 7, 9; also, lamina, id. 5, 3), ae, f., a thin piece of metal, wood, marble, etc., a plate, leaf, layer, lamina [root la, = ἐλα- of ἐλαύνω; cf. ἐλατός].
- I. Lit. (class.): cum lamina esset inventa, Cic. Leg. 2, 23, 58: tigna laminis clavisque religant, Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 3: cataphracta rum tegimen ferreis laminis consertum, Tac. H. 1, 79: plumbi, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 166: ex argento laminas ducere, id. 33, 9, 45, § 128; cf.: aes in laminas tenuare, id. 34, 8, 20, § 94: ossa in laminas secare, id. 8, 3, 4, § 7: tenuem nimium laminam ducere, Quint. 2, 4, 7: argutae lamina serrae, the blade of a saw, Verg. G. 1, 143; of a knife, Sen. Ben. 4, 6, 2; of a sword, Ov. M. 5, 173; 12, 488: doliorum, i. e. staves, Plin. 18, 26, 64, § 236 (Jahn, lanas): laminae aëneae, Vulg. Exod. 38, 6.
- II. Transf.
- A. Laminae ardentes, red-hot plates, instruments of torture for slaves, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 63, § 163; so, candens, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 36; without adj.: advorsum laminas, crucesque conpedisque, Plaut. As. 3, 2, 4; Lucr. 3, 1017.
- B. Money coin: et levis argenti lamina crimen erat, Ov. F. 1, 209; cf. fulva, a gold piece, gold, id. M. 11, 124: inimicus lamnae, foe to money, Hor. C. 2, 2, 2: tuas opes … laminas utriusque materiae, of each precious metal, Sen. Ben. 7, 10, 1.
- C. A saw, Sen. Ben. 4, 6.
- D. Aurium, the flap of the ear, Arn. 2, 72: aurium laminae frigescunt, Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 14, 198.
- E. The tender shell of an unripe nut, Ov. Nux, 95.