Lewis & Short

orbus, a, um, adj. [kindr. with Gr. ὀρφανός; cf. Fest. p. 183 Müll.], bereaved, bereft, of parents or children; parentless, fatherless, childless (class.; cf. pupillus).

  1. I. Lit.: senex, Cic. Par. 5, 2, 39; cf.: parens liberorum an orbus sit, Quint. 5, 10, 26; 7, 4, 23: filii mei, te incolumi, orbi non erunt, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 10.
    With gen.: Memnonis orba mei venio, Ov. M. 13, 595.
    With ab: a totidem natis orba, Ov. H. 6, 156.
    Of beasts: liberis orbae oves, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 38.
    Subst.: orba, ae, f., an orphan: ut orbae, qui sunt genere proximi, iis nubant, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 75; Quint. 7, 4, 24.
    Also, = vidua, a widow: censa civium capita centum quatuor milia . . . praeter orbos orbasque, orphans and widows, Liv. 3, 3, 9 (for which: praeter pupillos et viduas, id. Epit. 59; cf. Becker’s Antiq. 2, 2, p. 205).
  2. II. Transf., deprived, bereft, destitute, devoid of any thing, esp. of something precious: arce et urbe orba sum, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 114 Vahl.): plebs orba tribunis, Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 9: ab optimatibus contio, id. Fl. 23, 54: rebus omnibus, id. Fam. 4, 13, 3: forum litibus, Hor. C. 4, 2, 43: regio animantibus orba, without inhabitants, Ov. M. 1, 72: verba viribus, id. H. 21, 142: fide pectora, id. Am. 2, 2, 42: orbus omnibus sensibus, Vell. 1, 5, 4: cubile, empty, widowed couch, Cat. 66, 21: palmites, bereft of buds, Col. 4, 27.
          1. (β) With gen.: orbus auxilique opumque, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 19: pedum, Lucr. 5, 840: luminis, Ov. M. 3, 518.