bĭceps, cĭpĭtis (old form bĭcĭpes, like ancipes for anceps, acc. to Prisc. p. 754 P.; bĭcepsŏs, Varr. L. L. 5, § 50 Müll.; bĭ-căpĭtes, δικέφαλοι, Gloss. Philox.), adj. [bis-caput].
- I. Having two heads, twoheaded (rare but class.): puella nata biceps, * Cic. Div. 1, 53, 121: puer, Liv. 41, 21, 12: porcus, id. 28, 11, 3: Janus, Ov. F. 1, 65; id. P. 4, 4, 23: serpens, Plin. 10, 62, 82, § 169: partus, Tac. A. 15, 47: gladius, with two edges, Vulg. Prov. 5, 4.
Poet., of mountains, with two summits: Parnasus, Ov. M. 2, 221; cf. id. ib. 1, 316; Luc. 5, 72; Pers. prol. 2.
- II. Trop., divided into two parts: bicipitem civitatem fecit, discordiarum civilium fontem, Varr. ap. Non. p. 454, 23; Flor. 3, 17, 3: argumentum, i. e. a dilemma, App. Flor. 4, n. 18.