Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

flo, flāvi, flātum, 1, v. n. and a. [root fla-; Gr. ἐκ-φλαίνω, to stream forth; φλασμός, vain-glorying; hence, Lat. flatus, flabrum, etc., flos, flōreo, Flōra; Germ. blasen, blähen; Eng. blow, bloom, blast, etc., Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 301; cf. Grimm, Wörterb. s. v. blähen, blasen].

  1. I. Neutr., to blow (class.; cf.: spiro, halo): belle nobis flavit ab Epiro lenissimus ventus, Cic. Att. 7, 2, 1: corus ventus in his locis flare consuevit, Caes. B. G. 5, 7, 3; id. B. C. 3, 25, 1; 3, 26 fin.; Quint. 12, 10, 67; Ov. M. 7, 664: Etesiae contra fluvium flantes, Lucr. 6, 717: quinam flaturi sint venti, Plin. 3, 9, 14, § 94: inflexo Berecynthia tibia cornu Flabit, will blow, sound, Ov. F. 4, 181.
    Prov.: simul flare sorbereque haud factu facile’st: ego hic esse et illic simitu hau potui, i. e. to do two opposite things at once, as we say, to blow hot and cold with the same breath, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 104.
  2. II. Act., to blow, blow at, blow out, blow up, or blow away (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.).
    1. A. Lit.: hieme anima, quae flatur, omnium apparet, which is emitted, Varr. L. L. 6, § 9 Müll.: Chimaera Ore foras acrem flaret de corpore flammam. Lucr. 5, 906: pulvis vento flatus, Auct. B. Afr. 52, 4: tibia flatur, is blown, Ov. F. 4, 341: Phrygius lapis flatur follibus, donec rubescat, is blown upon, Plin. 36, 19, 36, § 143.
      1. 2. Transf., to cast or coin metals by blowing: aes antiquissimum, quod est flatum, pecore est notatum, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 9: flata signataque pecunia, Gell. 2, 10, 3.
        Hence, the directors of the mint were called triumviri auro argento aeri flando feriundo (abbrev. III. VIRI A. A. A. F. F.), Inscr. Orell. 569; v. ferio.
    2. B. Trop.: omisso magna semper flandi tumore, of high-flown, bombastic talk, Quint. 12, 6, 5: spernere succina, flare rosas, Fulva monilia respuere, qs. to blow away, i. e. to despise, Prud. στεφ. 3, 21.

flōs, ōris, m. [root fla-; Gr. ἐκ-φλαίνω, to stream forth; cf. φλασμός; Lat. flare, flamen, etc., v. flo], a blossom, flower.

  1. I. Lit.: suaves flores, Lucr. 1, 8: juvat novos decerpere flores, id. 1, 928: novi, Hor. C. 4, 1, 32: recentes, id. ib. 3, 27, 44: verni, id. ib. 2, 11, 9: florum omnium varietas, Cic. de Sen. 15, 54: suavitas odorum, qui afflarentur e floribus, id. ib. 17, 59: laetissimi flores, id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 107: ninguntque rosarum Floribus, Lucr. 2, 628: flores rosae, rosarum, Hor. C. 2, 3, 14; 3, 29, 3; 4, 10, 4: piabunt floribus et vino Genium, id. Ep. 2, 1, 144; cf.: fons Bandusiae, dulci digne mero non sine floribus, id. C. 3, 13, 2: nitidum caput impedire myrto Aut flore, id. ib. 1, 4, 10: recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attae Fabula, si dubitem, etc., the stage strewed with flowers, id. Ep. 2, 1, 79: carduus florem purpureum mittit inter medios aculeos, puts forth, Plin. 20, 23, 99, § 262; cf. id. 21, 6, 17, § 31: legere, Ov. M. 4, 315.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. The honey of flowers sucked out by the bees: rure levis verno flores apis ingerit alveo, Conpleat ut dulci sedula melle favos, Tib. 2, 1, 49; Verg. G. 4, 39; Plin. 11, 7, 7, § 17.
      2. 2. In gen., like the Gr. ἄνθος, for whatever forms either the best part or the highest part of a thing (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose).
        1. a. The flower of any thing, i. e. the prime or best part, also the best kind of any thing: postquam est honoratus frugum et floris Liberi, the bouquet or flavor of wine, Pac. ap. Non. 498, 12; so, vini (Bacchi), Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 1; id. Cas. 3, 5, 16; Lucr. 3, 221.
          The best kind of oil, Plin. 15, 6, 6, § 23; of wax, id. 21, 14, 49, § 84; of rosin, id. 14, 20, 25, § 124; of salt, id. 13, 1, 2, § 14; Cato, R. R. 88, 2; of meal, Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 86 et saep.; of cream, Vitr. 8, 3; of the finest dish: cenae, Favorin. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 2.
        2. b. The highest part, the top, crown, head of a thing.
          Of the froth of wine, Cato, R. R. 11, 2; Col. 12, 30; Plin. 14, 21, 27, § 136.
          The blisters, scales that are formed in smelting metals, id. 34, 11, 24, § 107; the upper dust of marble or gypsum, Col. 12, 20, 8.
          Poet. of the first downy hairs of the beard: nunc primum opacat flore lanugo genas, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. genas, p. 94 Müll. N. cr.; Verg. A. 8, 160; Luc. 6, 562: ante genas dulces quam flos juvenilis inumbret, Claud. in Prob. Cons. Pan. 69.
          Donec flammai fulserunt flore coorto, a tip or flash of flame, Lucr. 1, 900.
      3. 3. In archit., carved flowers placed as ornaments on a Corinthian capital, Vitr. 4, 1, 12; on a cupola, id. 4, 8.
  2. II. Trop., the flower, crown, ornament of any thing (class.; a favorite flg. of Cic.).
    1. A. In gen.: ea tempestate flos poëtarum fuit (Plautus), Plaut. Cas. prol. 18: sic omnis fetus repressus, exustusque siti flos veteris ubertatis exaruit, Cic. Brut. 4, 16: (Ennius) flos delibatus populi … qua (eloquentia) virum excellentem praeclare tum illi homines florem populi esse dixerunt, id. ib. 15, 58 sq. (cf. Enn. Ann. v. 309 ed. Vahl.): flos nobilitatis ac juventutis, id. Phil. 2, 15, 37; so, legatorum, id. Fl. 26, 61: versaris in optimorum civium vel flore vel robore, id. Or. 10, 34; cf.: quod floris, quod roboris in juventute fuerat, amiserant, Liv. 37, 12, 7: ex morbo velut renovatus flos juventae, id. 28, 35, 7; 26, 2, 6; Curt. 3, 5, 8: provincia Galliae … ille flos Italiae, illud firmamentum imperii populi Romani, illud ornamentum dignitatis, Cic. Phil. 3, 5, 13: flos dignitatis, id. Balb. 6, 15; cf.: ego te, Crasse, cum vitae flore, tum mortis opportunitate, divino consilio et ortum et exstinctum esse arbitror, splendor, glory, id. de Or. 3, 3, 12: in ipso Graeciae flore, in the very flower, the most flourishing condition, id. N. D. 3, 33, 82: flos aetatis, the flower of one’s age, the prime of life, Lucr. 3, 770; 5, 847; cf.: non venirem contra gratiam, non virtutis spe, sed aetatis flore collectam, Cic. Phil. 2, 2, 3.
      Without aetas: Pa. Anni? Ch. Anni? Sedecim. Pa. Flos ipse, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 28: viridissimo flore puella, Cat. 17, 14: in flore primo tantae indolis juvenis exstinctus est, Plin. Ep. 5, 9, 5: in flore virium se credens esse, Liv. 42, 15, 2: primus flos animi, youthful vigor, Stat. Ach. 1, 625; but also: flos animi, ripe age, Sen. Ep. 26: videmus Vergilium ea de causa hortorum dotes fugisse, et e tantis, quae retulit, flores modo rerum decerpsisse, i. e. the choicest, best, Plin. H. N. 14 praef. § 7.
      1. 2. Transf.: flos aetatis, maidenly or youthful innocence (of girls or boys), virginity: (virgo) cum castum amisit polluto corpore florem, Cat. 62, 46: Hasdrubal flore aetatis, uti ferunt, primo Hamilcari conciliatus, Liv. 21, 2, 3; cf. id. 21, 3, 4: florem aetatis (Caesaris) in Bithynia contaminatum, Suet. Caes. 49.
    2. B. In partic., of speech, a flower, embellishment, ornament: ut porro conspersa sit (oratio) quasi verborum sententiarumque floribus, etc., Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 96: flos aut lumen eloquentiae, id. Brut. 17, 66; cf.: nullus flos tamen neque lumen ullum (in M. Crassi oratione), id. ib. 66, 233: florem et colorem defuisse, id. ib. 87, 298: alia copia locuples, alia floribus laeta, Quint. 8, 3, 87: male audire … nimiis floribus et ingenii affluentia, id. 12, 10, 13.