Lewis & Short

1. ōra, ae, f. [kindred with Sanscr. avāra, ripa citerior fluminis], the extremity of a thing; the border, brim, edge, margin, end, boundary.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (class.; syn.: limbus, fimbria, instita, margo): omnes avidi spectant ad carceris oras, at the barriers, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 88 Vahl.): oras pocula circum, Lucr. 4, 12: (clipei), Verg. A. 10, 243: vestimentorum, Fest. p. 182 Müll.; Vulg. Exod. 26, 10; id. Hag. 2, 13: gemmae, Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 180: vulneris, Cels. 5, 26, 23: aether, extrema ora et determinatio mundi, Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 101. cf.: regio nes, quarum nulla esset ora, nulla extremitas, id. Fin. 2, 31, 102.
    2. B. In partic., the coast, sea-coast (syn.: litus, ripa): Graeciae, Cic. Fam. 12, 5, 1: Asiae, Nep. Alc. 5, 6: maritima, Caes. B. G. 3, 8: Jordanis, Vulg. 1 Macc. 9, 43; but transf.: ora maritima, the inhabitants of the coast, people of the maritime districts, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 23, 67. So, jam Misenensem classem et pulcherrimam Campaniam oram descivisse, Tac. H. 3, 60.
    3. C. Transf.
      1. 1. A region, clime, country: quacumque in orā ac parte terrarum, Cic. N. D. 2, 66, 164: gelida, Hor C. 1, 26, 4: conexa arbustorum ratio est, quas in oras debeant spectare, Plin. 17, 2, 2, 19 (al. horas): Trojae qui primus ab oris Italiam … venit, Verg. A. 1, 1; cf. id. ib. 3, 97; 10, 706.
      2. 2. Poet.: luminis orae, the world, the earth, life, light: tu produxisti nos intra luminis oras, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 41, 64 (Ann. v. 118 Vahl.); cf.: sum (i. e. eum) quae dederit in luminis oras, id. Fragm. ap. Fest. s. v. sum, p. 298 Müll. (Ann. v. 165 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 22: inde enascitur atque oras in luminis exit, id. 1, 170; 1, 179; cf. id. 5, 224; 781: quem Rhea sacerdos Furtivum partu sub luminis edidit oras, Verg. A. 7, 660: sponte suā quae se tollunt in luminis oras, id. G. 2, 47: Acherontis orae, the lower regions: animas Acheruntis in oras Ducere, Lucr. 6, 763.
      3. 3. A zone: globum terrae duabus oris distantibus habitabilem, Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 68.
      4. 4. A rope or cable by which a ship or boat is fastened to the shore; opp. ancoralia, the anchor-cables: cum alii resolutis oris in ancoras evecti tenentur, alii, ne quid teneat, ancoralia incidunt, Liv. 22, 19, 10 Weissenb. ad loc.: ne hostes cum suis simul inrumperent, trahunt scalas orasque et ancoras praecidunt, id. 28, 36, 11; cf.: sublatae sunt ancorae, solvimus oram, profecti sumus, Quint. 4, 2, 41; Ep. ad Tryph. 3.
  2. II. Trop. (very rare, and only poet.): quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? qs. to unroll the edges of the picture of this war, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.): imitated by Virgil: aspirate canenti … Et mecum ingentis oras evolvite belli, Verg. A. 9, 528; cf. Serv. ad loc.: in luminis oras eruere, to bring to light, Lucr. 5, 1455.