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. carbo, ōnis, m. [Sanscr. c)ra, coquere; cf. cremo],

  1. I. a coal, charcoal (dead or burning); of dead coals, Cato, R. R. 38 fin.; Plaut. Truc. 5, 12; Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 63; Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 8 al.
    Of glowing, burning coals, Cato, R. R. 108; Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 48; Lucr. 6, 802; Cic. Off. 2, 7, 25; Plin. 2, 20, 18, § 82; 16, 10, 19, § 45; Hor. C. 3, 8, 3 al.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. From the black color of coals are derived the trop. expressions: impleantur elogiorum meae fores carbonibus, i.e. with scurrilous verses, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 73: sanin cretā an carbone notati? Hor. S, 2, 3, 246; imitated by Pers. 5, 108 (cf. opp. albus): miror Proelia rubrica picta aut carbone, Hor. S. 2, 7, 98.
    2. B. For something of little value; hence prov.: carbonem pro thesauro invenire, to be deceived in one’s expectation, Phaedr. 5, 6, 6.
    3. C. A bad tumor, Ser. Samm. 39, 725; cf. carbunculus, C.

2. Carbo, ōnis, m., a Roman surname in the gens Papiria, Cic. Fam. 9, 21, 3; cf. Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 68 al.