Lewis & Short

† aura, ae (gen. sing. aurāï, Verg. A. 6, 747; v. Neue, Formenl. I. p. 11; also, auras, like familias, custodias, terras, etc.; Servius gives this in Verg. A. 11, 801; still all the MSS. give aurae, and so Rib.), f., = αὔρα [ΑΩ, αὔω, to blow].

  1. I. The air, as in gentle motion, a gentle breeze, a breath of air (syn.: aër, ventus, spiritus): agitatus aër auram facit, Isid. Orig. 13, 11, 17: semper aër spiritu aliquo movetur; frequentius tamen auras quam ventos habet, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 5: flatus, qui non aura, non procella, sed venti sunt, Plin. 2, 45, 45, § 116: et me … nunc omnes terrent aurae, now every breeze terrifies me, Verg. A. 2, 728: Concutiat tenerum quaelibet aura, Ov. A. A. 2, 650.
    Hence,
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. In gen., a breeze, a wind (even when violent): Et reserata viget genitabilis aura Favoni, Lucr. 1, 11; cf.: Aura parit flores tepidi fecunda Favoni. Cat. 64, 282: omnes, Aspice, ventosi ceciderunt murmuris aurae, Verg. E. 9, 58: aurae Vela vocant, id. A. 3, 356: aura post meridiem, Vulg. Gen. 3, 8: aura tenuis, ib. 3 Reg. 19, 12: lenis, ib. Job, 4, 16: petulans, Lucr. 6, 111: ignarae, brutish, Cat. 64, 164, ubi v. Ellis: rapida, Ov. M. 3, 209: stridens, Val. Fl. 2, 586: violentior, Stat. Th. 6, 157: aurae flatus, Vulg. Act. 27, 40: omnes eos tollet aura, ib. Isa. 57, 13 et saep.
      Also breath: flammas exsuscitat aura, Ov. F. 5, 507.
    2. B. Trop.: dum flavit velis aura secunda meis, while a favorable breeze breathed on my sails, i. e. so long as I was in prosperity, Ov. P. 2, 3, 26: totam opinionem parva non numquam commutat aura rumoris, Cic. Mur. 17: tenuis famae aura, Verg. A. 7, 646: quem neque periculi tempestas neque honoris aura potuit umquam de suo cursu aut spe aut metu demovere, Cic. Sest. 47 fin.: levi aurā spei objectā, Liv. 42, 39, 1: sperat sibi auram posse aliquam adflari in hoc crimine voluntatis defensionisque eorum, quibus, etc., token of favor, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13: nescius aurae (sc. amoris) Fallacis, Hor. C. 1, 5, 11: incerta Cupidinis aura, Ov. Am. 2, 9, 33.
      Hence freq. aura popularis, the popular breeze, popular favor, Cic. Har. Resp. 20 fin.; Liv. 3, 33, 7; 30, 45, 6 al.; Hor. C. 3, 2, 20; Quint. 11, 1, 45 (cf.: ventus popularis, Cic. Clu. 47, 130); so, aura favoris popularis, Liv. 22, 26, 4.
      Also in plur.: nimium gaudens popularibus auris, Verg. A. 6, 816; and absol.: adliciendo ad se plebem jam aurā non consilio ferri, Liv. 6, 11, 7.
  3. C.
    1. 1. The air (mostly poet. and plur.): cum Nubila portabunt venti transversa per auras, Lucr. 6, 190: Tenvis enim quaedam moribundos deserit aura, id. 3, 232: Aurarumque leves animae calidique vapores, id. 5, 236: (anima) discedit in auras, id. 3, 400; 6, 1129 et saep.
      Hence, aurae aëris or aëriae aurae freq. in Lucr.: (res) Aëris in teneras possint proferrier auras, 1, 207; 1, 783; 1, 801; 1, 803; 1, 1087; 2, 203; 3, 456; 3, 570; 3, 591; 4, 693: liquidissimus aether Atque levissimus aërias super influit auras, id. 5, 501; 1, 771; 4, 933: Nulla nec aërias volucris perlabitur auras, Tib. 4, 1, 127: Qui tamen aërias telum contorsit in auras, Verg. A. 5, 520.
      1. 2. Esp., the vital air: Vivit et aetherias vitalīs suscipit auras, breathes a breath of ethereal air, Lucr. 3, 405; imitated by Verg.: haud invisus caelestibus auras Vitales carpis, A. 1, 387: vesci vitalibus auris, i. e. vivere, Lucr. 5, 857; imitated by Verg., A. 1, 546, and 3, 339; so, haurire auram communem, Quint. 6, prooem. § 12: captare naribus auras, to snuff the air, Verg. G. 1, 376.
        Trop.: libertatis auram captare, to catch at the air of freedom, i. e. to seize upon any hope of liberty, Liv 3, 37, 1.
      2. 3. Meton.
        1. a. The upper air, Heaven, on high: assurgere in auras, Verg. G. 3, 109; so id. A. 4, 176: dum se laetus ad auras Palmes agit, id. G. 2, 363: ad auras Aetherias tendit, id. ib. 2, 291; so id. A. 4, 445: stat ferrea turris ad auras, poet. for ad alta, rises high, id. ib. 6, 554: Sorbet in abruptum fluctus, rursusque sub auras Erigit alternos, id. ib. 3, 422; 7, 466; 2, 759; 5, 427 al.; cf. Wagner, Quaest. Verg. X. 1.
        2. b. In opp. to the lower world, the upper world (cf. aether, I. B. 3.): Eurydice superas veniebat ad auras, Verg. G. 4, 486; so id. A. 6, 128: Ortygiam, quae me superas eduxit prima sub auras, Ov. M. 5, 641; 10, 11 (cf. Verg. A. 6, 481: ad superos); so of childbirth: pondus in auras expulit, Ov. M. 9, 704.
          In gen. for publicity, daylight: ferre sub auras, i. e. to make known, Verg. A. 2, 158: reddere ad auras, to restore, id. ib. 2, 259: fugere auras, to seclude or hide one’s self, id. ib. 4, 388.
    2. D. Transf. to other atmospheric objects which exert an influence on bodies, as light, heat, sound, vapor, etc.
      1. 1. A bright light, a gleam, glittering (cf. φάεος ἀϋτμή, Callim. Hymn. Dian. 117): discolor unde auri per ramos aura refulsit, Verg. A. 6, 204 (splendor auri, Serv.).
      2. 2. The warmth of sunlight: solis calidior visa est aura, Varr. ap. Non. p. 275, 25.
      3. 3. Sound, tone, voice, echo: Si modo damnatum revocaverit aura puellae, Prop. 3, 23, 15: at illi Nomen ab extremis fontibus aura refert, id. 1, 20, 50.
      4. 4. Vapor, mist, odor, exhalation: inolentis olivi Naturam, nullam quae mittat naribus auram, Lucr. 2, 851: at illi Dulcis compositis spiravit crinibus aura, a sweet odor exhaled, Verg. G. 4, 417; so Mart. 3, 65; Val. Fl. 5, 589; cf. Heins. ad Ov. M. 15, 394: si tantum notas odor attulit auras, Verg. G. 3, 251: pingues ab ovilibus aurae, Stat. Th. 10, 46.