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.

alvĕus, i, m. (alveum, n., ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. naustibulum, p. 169 Müll.) [alvus], a hollow, a cavity.

  1. I. In gen.: vitiosae ilicis alveo, Verg. G. 2, 453.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. A hollow, deep vessel, a basket, trough, tray; also, a deep cavity, excavation, Cato, R. R. 11, 5: in alveo, id. ib. 11, 81: fluitans alveus, Liv. 1, 4; Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 22: alveus scrobis, Col. 4, 4, 2 al.
    2. B. The hold or hull of a ship: alveos navium, Sall. J. 18, 5: alvei navium quassati, Liv. 23, 34.
      Hence (pars pro toto), a small ship, a boat, skiff: cavatus ex materiā alveus, Vell. 2, 107: accipit alveo Aeneam, Verg. A. 6, 412.
    3. C. A hollowed gaming-board, Varr. ap. Non. 108, 33: alveus cum tesseris lusorius, Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 13; Suet. Claud. 33: alveo et calculis vacare, Val. Max. 8, 8, n. 2.
    4. D. = alvus and alvearium, a beehive (in Pliny, alvus (Jan), q. v. II. C.): gens universa totius alvei consumitur, Col. 9, 4, 3; so id. 9, 4, 1; 9, 9, 4; App. M. 4, p. 150, 37.
    5. E. A bathing-tub: in balneum venit … ut in alveum descenderet, etc., Auct. ad Her. 4, 10; Cic. Cael. 28.
  3. F. The channel or bed of a river: fluminis alveo, Verg. A. 7, 33; id. G. 1, 203: fluminis Ritu feruntur, nunc medio alveo Cum pace delabentis etc., Hor. C. 3, 29, 34: nec quisquam citus aeque Tusco denatat alveo, id. ib. 3, 7, 28 Müll. (not elsewhere): pleno alveo fluere, Quint. 2, 1, 4: alveo navigabile perfodere angustias, i. e. a canal, Plin. 4, 4, 5, § 10: per crepidinem alvei, Vulg. Exod. 2, 5: reversae sunt aquae in alveum suum, ib. Jos. 4, 18 al.