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.

† 1. căballus, i, m., = καβάλλης [perh. Celtic; hence Ital. cavallo, Fr. cheval, Engl. cavalry, cavalier, etc.; cf. cob, Germ. Gaul], an inferior riding- or pack-horse, a nag (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tardus, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 86, 15; Varr. ib.: mediā de nocte caballum Arripit, his nag, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 88; so id. S. 1, 6, 59; 1, 6, 103; id. Ep. 1, 18, 36; Juv. 10, 60; 11, 195; Sen. Ep. 87, 8; Petr. 117, 12; Dig. 33, 7, 15: Gorgoneus, jestingly for Pegasus, Juv. 3, 118.

  1. B. Prov.
    1. 1. Optat ephippia bos piger, optat arare caballus, i.e. no one is content with his own condition, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 43.
    2. 2. Tamquam caballus in clivo, for one who walks wearily, Petr. 134, 2 (cf. Ov. R. Am. 394: principio clivi noster anhelat equus).

2. Căballus, i, m., a Roman cognomen, in the pun: qui Galbam salibus tuis, et ipsum Possis vincere Sextium Caballum. Non cuicumque datum est habere nasum. Ludit qui stolidā procacitate, non est Sextius ille, sed caballus, Mart. 1, 42 fin.