Lewis & Short

tĕnē̆brae, ārum (collat. form tĕnē̆-bra, ae, Lampr. Commod. 16; App. M. 5, p. 167, 25), f. [akin to Sanscr. tamisra, dark; cf. timere], darkness (stronger than obscuritas, and weaker than caligo; freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: veluti pueri omnia caecis In tenebris metuant, Lucr. 2, 56: tempestas atque tenebrae Coperiunt maria ac terras, id. 6, 491: cum obscurato sole tenebrae factae essent repente, Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25; cf.: nos tenebras cogitemus tantas, quantae, etc., id. N. D. 2, 38, 96: tetrae tenebrae et caligo, id. Agr. 2, 17, 44; v. caligo: tenebras et solitudinem nacti, id. Fin. 3, 11, 38: incultu, tenebris, odore foeda atque terribilis ejus (Tulliani) facies est, Sall. C. 55, 4: ipsis noctis tenebris, Quint. 10, 6, 1: obtentā densantur nocte tenebrae, Verg. G. 1, 248: neve velit (Sol) tenebras inducere rebus, Ov. M. 2, 395: tacitae, Sen. Med. 114.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. The darkness of night, night: redire luce, non tenebris, Cic. Phil. 2, 30, 76: classem in statione usque ad noctem tenuit: primis tenebris movit, Liv. 31, 23, 4: somnus qui faciat breves tenebras, Mart. 10, 47, 11: tenebris, during the night, Tib. 1, 6, 59; 2, 1, 76; Ov. Am. 1, 6, 10: tenebris obortis, Nep. Eum. 9, 5: per tenebras, Luc. 2, 686: (me) videt pulsis Aurora tenebris, Ov. M. 7, 703: effulget tenebris Aurora fugatis, id. ib. 2, 144.
      2. 2. The darkness or dimness of a swoon, a swoon: tenebrae oboriuntur, genua inedia succidunt, Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 30; Verg. A. 11, 824; Ov. M. 2, 181; 12, 136; id. Tr. 1, 3, 91; id. H. 13, 23; Luc. 3, 735; Plin. 7, 6, 5, § 41.
      3. 3. The darkness of death, death-shades (poet. and rare): juro, Me tibi ad extremas mansuram tenebras, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 17; cf.: (urbes) ad Erebi profundos hiatus abactae, aeternis tenebris occultantur, Amm. 17, 7, 13; cf. also in a play upon this signif. and that of B. 1.: certum’st mihi ante tenebras (i. e. noctem) tenebras (i. e. mortem) persequi, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 88.
      4. 4. Blindness (poet. and very rare): occidit extemplo lumen tenebraeque sequuntur, Lucr. 3, 415: tenebras et cladem lucis ademptae Obicit, Ov. M. 3, 515; 3, 525; Stat. Th. 4, 407.
    3. C. Transf., concr., a dark, gloomy place.
      1. 1. A dark bathing-place: Grylli, Mart. 2, 14, 13 (cf. id. 1, 60, 3).
      2. 2. A prison, dungeon: clausi in tenebris, cum maerore et luctu morte graviorem vitam exigunt, Sall. J. 14, 15: in atras et profundas tenebras eum claudebant, Tubero ap. Gell. 6, 4, 3.
      3. 3. Lurking-places, haunts: emersus ex diuturnis tenebris lustrorum ac stuprorum, Cic. Sest. 9, 20: demonstres, ubi sint tuae tenebrae, Cat. 55, 2.
      4. 4. Dark or poor lodgings: quanti nunc tenebras unum conducis in annum, Juv. 3, 225.
      5. 5. The infernal regions: tenebrae malae Orci, Cat. 3, 13: infernae, Verg. A. 7, 325; Hor. C. 4, 7, 25: Stygiae, Verg. G. 3, 551: quid Styga, quid tenebras timetis? Ov. M. 15, 154.
  2. II. Trop., darkness, gloom, obscurity of the mind, of fame, of fortune, fate, etc. (class.): isti tantis offusis tenebris ne scintillam quidem ullam nobis ad dispiciendum reliquerunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 19, 61: obducere tenebras rebus clarissimis, id. ib. 2, 6, 16; cf.: omnibus fulgore quodam suae claritatis tenebras obduxit, Quint. 10, 1, 72: quas tu mihi tenebras cudis? what darkness are you raising about me? i. e. what trick are you playing me? Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 40: tenebras dispulit calumniae, Phaedr. 3, 10, 42: quae jacerent omnia in tenebris, nisi litterarum lumen accederet, obscurity, concealment, Cic. Arch. 6, 14: vestram familiam abjectam et obscuram e tenebris in lucem evocavit, id. Deiot. 11, 30; cf.: o tenebrae, o lutum, o sordes (Piso)! obscurity, i. e. low birth, baseness, id. Pis. 26, 62; id. Att. 7, 11, 1: vitae, gloomy fate or fortunes, Lucr. 2, 15: qui tibi aestus, qui error, qui tenebrae erunt, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 14, 45: in illis rei publicae tenebris caecisque nubibus et procellis, id. Dom. 10, 24: ex superioris anni caligine et tenebris lucem in re publicā dispicere, id. Red. in Sen. 3, 5: si quid tenebrarum offudit exilium, id. Tusc. 3, 34, 82: tamquam si offusa rei publicae sempiterna nox esset, ita ruebant in tenebris omniaque miscebant, id. Rosc. Am. 32, 91.