Lewis & Short

mōles, is, f. [prob. for mog-les; root magh-; cf. magnus; Gr. μόχθος, μογεῖν, μόγις; cf.: μοχλός, molīri, molestus; Germ. Mühe], a shapeless, huge, heavy mass, huge bulk.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (poet.): Chaos, rudis indigestaque moles, Ov. M. 1, 7: vastā se mole moventem Pastorem Polyphemum, Verg. A. 3, 656: taurus et ipsa mole piger, Juv. 12, 12: stetit aequore moles Pinea, i. e. a fleet of large ships, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 19.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. A mass, pile, a cliff or ridge of rock: in mole sedens, Ov. M. 2, 12; 13, 923.
      2. 2. A mass or pile of waves: venti, tantas audetis tollere moles, Verg. A. 1, 134; 5, 790.
      3. 3. A huge, massive structure, esp. of stone; a dam, pier, mole; a foundation, etc. (freq. and class.): molem atque aggerem ab utrāque parte litoris jaciebat, Caes. B. C. 1, 25: moles oppositae fluctibus, moles, Cic. Off. 2, 4, 14; cf. id. Verr. 2, 4, 53, § 118: aditus insulae muniti mirificis molibus, id. Att. 4, 16, 13: exstructa moles opere magnifico, incisaeque litterae, virtutis testes sempiternae, a monument, id. Phil. 14, 12, 33: moles propinqua nubibus, Hor. C. 3, 29, 10: insanae substructionum moles, huge buildings, piles, Cic. Mil. 31, 85; Hor. C. 3, 1, 34: sepulcri moles, i. e. a tomb, Luc. 8, 865: molem aggeris ultra venire, Juv. 16, 26.
      4. 4. A huge engine or machine, used at sieges: velut celsam oppugnat qui molibus urbem, Verg. A. 5, 439.
      5. 5. Warlike apparatus, munitions of war: belli, Tac. H. 1, 61: non alias majore mole concursum, with a greater mass, id. A. 2, 46.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Greatness, might, power, strength, great quantity, heap: moles pugnae, Liv. 26, 6: molem invidiae austinere, Cic. Cat. 1, 9, 23; cf.: moles mali, id. ib. 3, 7, 17: vis consili expers mole ruit suā, Hor. C. 3, 4, 65: rerum, Suet. Aug. 84: fortunae, Tac. A. 15, 52: Herculea, Sil. 12, 143: densā ad muros mole feruntur, a vast crowd, immense body, Verg. A. 12, 575: curarum, multitude, crowd, Tac. A. 12, 66: tantae corporum moles in fugam consternati sunt, Liv. 38, 46, 4.
    2. B. Difficulty, labor, trouble: transveham naves haud magnā mole, without great difficulty, Liv. 25, 11: tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem, so much labor did it cost, Verg. A. 1, 33: Corbuloni plus molis adversus ignaviam militum, quam, etc., Tac. A. 13, 35.