Lewis & Short

mātĕrĭa, ae (gen. materiāi, Lucr. 1, 1051), and mātĕrĭes, ēi (only in nom. and acc. sing., and once gen. plur. materierum, Lact. 2, 12, 1; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 383), f. [from same root with mater, q. v.], stuff, matter, materials of which any thing is composed; so the wood of a tree, vine, etc., timber for building (opp. lignum, wood for fuel); nutritive matter or substance for food (class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: materia rerum, ex qua et in qua sunt omnia, Cic. N. D. 3, 39, 92; cf. id. Ac. 1, 6, 7: materiam superabat opus, Ov. M. 2, 5: materiae apparatio, Vitr. 2, 8, 7: rudis, i. e. chaos, Luc. 2, 8; cf.: omnis fere materia nondum formata rudis appellatur, Cinc. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 265 Müll.: (arbor) inter corticem et materiem, Col. 5, 11, 4: crispa, Plin. 16, 28, 51, § 119: materiae longitudo, Col. 4, 24, 3: vitis in materiam, frondemque effunditur, id. 4, 21, 2: si nihil valet materies, Cic. de Or. 2, 21, 88: in eam insulam materiam, calcem, caementa, atque arma convexit, id. Mil. 27, 74: caesa, Col. 11, 2, 11; cf. Caes. B. G. 4, 17; 5, 39: cornus non potest videri materies propter exilitatem, sed lignum, Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 206: materiae, lignorum aggestus, Tac. A. 1, 35: videndum est ut materies suppetat scutariis, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 35: proba materies est, si probum adhibes fabrum, id. Poen. 4, 2, 93: imprimebatur sculptura materiae anuli, sive ex ferro sive ex auro foret, Macr. S. 7, 13, 11.
      Plur.: deūm imagines mortalibus materiis in species hominum effingere, Tac. H. 5, 5.
      Of food: imbecillissimam materiam esse omnem caulem oleris, Cels. 2, 18, 39 sqq.; cf. of the means of subsistence: consumere omnem materiam, Ov. M. 8, 876; matter, in gen.: materies aliqua mala erat, Aug. Conf. 7, 5, 2.
      In abstract, matter, the material universe: Deus ex materia ortus est, aut materia ex Deo, Lact. 2, 8.
    2. B. Esp., matter of suppuration, pus, Cels. 3, 27, 4.
  2. II. Transf., a stock, race, breed: quod ex vetere materia nascitur, plerumque congeneratum parentis senium refert, Col. 7, 3, 15: generosa (equorum), id. 6, 27 init.
  3. III. Trop.
    1. A. The matter, subjectmatter, subject, topic, ground, theme of any exertion of the mental powers, as of an art or science, an oration, etc.: materiam artis eam dicimus in qua omnis ars et facultas, quae conficitur ex arte, versatur. Ut si medicinae materiam dicamus morbos ac vulnera, quod in his omnis medicina versetur; item quibus in rebus versatur ars et facultas oratoria, eas res materiam artis rhetoricae nominamus, Cic. Inv. 1, 5, 17: quasi materia, quam tractet, et in qua versetur, subjecta est veritas, id. Off. 1, 5, 16: est enim deformitatis et corporis vitiorum satis bella materies ad jocandum, id. de Or. 2, 59, 239; 1, 11, 49; id. Rosc. Com. 32, 89; id. Div. 2, 4, 12: sermonum, id. Q. Fr 1, 2, 1: materies crescit mihi, my matter (for writing about) increases, id. Att. 2, 12, 3: rei. id. Q. Fr. 2, 1, 1: aequa viribus, a subject suited to your powers, Hor. A. P. 38: infames, Gell. 17, 12, 1: extra materiam juris, the province, Gai. Inst. 2, 191.
    2. B. A cause, occasion, source, opportunity (cf. mater, II.): quid enim odisset Clodium Milo segetem ac materiam suae gloriae? Cic. Mil. 13, 35 (for which shortly before: fons perennis gloriae suae): materies ingentis decoris, Liv. 1, 39, 3: non praebiturum se illi eo die materiam, id. 3, 46, 3: major orationis, id. 35, 12, 10: criminandi, id. 3, 31, 4: omnium malorum, Sall. C. 10: materiam invidiae dare, Cic. Phil. 11, 9, 21: materiam bonitati dare, id. de Or. 2, 84, 342: scelerum, Just. 3, 2, 12: seditionis, id. 11, 5, 3: laudis, Luc. 8, 16: benefaciendi, Plin. Pan. 38: ne quid materiae praeberet Neroni, occasion of jealousy, Suet. Galb. 9: epistolae, quae materiam sermonibus praebuere, Tac. H. 4, 4: praebere materiam causasque jocorum, Juv. 3, 147: materiamque sibi ducis indulgentia quaerit, id. 7, 21.
    3. C. Natural abilities, talents, genius, disposition: fac, fuisse in isto C. Laelii, M. Catonis materiem atque indolem, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 160: in animis humanis, id. Inv. 1, 2, 2: materiam ingentis publice privatimade decoris omni indulgentia nostra nutriamus, Liv. 1, 39, 3: ad cupiditatem, id. 1, 46; Quint. 2, 4, 7.
      Hence, one’s nature, natural character: non sum materia digna perire tua, thy unfeeling disposition, Ov. H. 4, 86.
    4. D. A subject, argument, course of thought, topic (post-Aug.): tertium diem esse, quod omni labore materiae ad scribendum destinatae non inveniret exordium, Quint. 10, 3, 14: argumentum plura significat … omnem ad scribendum destinatam materiam ita appellari, id. 5, 10, 9: video non futurum finem in ista materia ullum, nisi quem ipse mihi fecero, Sen. Ep. 87, 11: pulcritudinem materiae considerare, Plin. Ep. 3, 13, 2; 2, 5, 5: materiam ex titulo cognosces, id. ib. 5, 13, 3 al. (materies animi est, materia arboris; et materies qualitas ingenii, materia fabris apta, Front. II. p. 481 Mai.; but this distinction is not observed by class. writers).