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.

clāvis (clāves, acc. to Pompon. Comment. p. 459), is, f. (acc. commonly clavem, clavim, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 78; Tib. 2, 4, 31; cf. Paul ex Fest. p. 56 Müll.;

  1. I. Don. p. 1750 P., Charis. p. 101 ib.; abl. clavi and clave: clavi, Varr. R. R. 1, 22 fin., App. M. 1, 14, p. 108; Dig. 48, 8, 1, § 3; Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 252; cf. Charis. l. l.: clave, Juv. 15, 158; App. M. 9, 20, p. 226; Dig. 21, 1, 17, § 15; cf. Neue, Formenl. 1, 199) [root klu-, v. claudo], a key: clavim cedo, Plaut Most. 2, 1, 78: clavem abduxi, id. Cas. 5, 2, 7: omnis horreorum clavis tradidisti, Cic. Dom. 10, 25: alias clavis portis imposuit, Liv. 27, 24, 8: unā portarum clave teneri, Juv. 15, 158: aptare claves foribus, Mart. 9, 47, 2: adulterinae portarum, false keys, Sall. J 12, 3; cf.: clavis adultera, Ov. A. A. 3, 643: sub clavi esse, to be shut up, Varr. R. R. 1, 22 fin.; cf.: Caecuba Servata centum clavibus, Hor C. 2, 14, 26: claves tradere, as an indication of the delivering up of the household (for possession or oversight), Dig. 18, 1, 74; 31, 77, § 21: claves adimere uxori, to separate from her, Cic. Phil. 2, 28, 69: Laconica, a peculiar key with several wards, used only for fastening from the outside, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 57 Lorenz ad loc.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. Clavis trochi, an instrument in the form of a key, by which a top was set in motion, Prop. 3 (4), 14, 6.
    2. * B. Clavis torculari, a lerer, bar (French, clef), Cato, R. R. 13, 1 Schneid. N. cr., and Comm. p. 57.

clāvus, i, m. [root klu-, v. claudo; prop. that which shuts or fastens].

  1. I. A nail, usually of metal.
    1. A. Lit.: offerumentas habebis pluris Quam ulla navis longa clavos, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 48: (leges) ad parietem fixae clavis ferreis, id. Trin. 4, 3, 32; so, clavi ferrei, Cato, R. R. 18 fin.; Caes. B. G. 3, 13; Vitr. 7, 3 al.
      Sometimes of hard wood: clavis corneis occludere, Cato, R. R. 18 fin.: cornus … lignum utile, si quid cuneandum sit in ligno clavisve figendum ceu ferreis, Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 206: clavis religare tigna, Caes. B. C. 2, 10: clavos per modica intervalla figentes, Liv. 28, 20, 4.
      Acc. to a Tuscan usage the ancient Romans designated the number of the year by nails, which the highest magistrate annually, at the Ides of September, drove into the wall of Jupiter’s temple: clavo ab dictatore fixo, Liv. 7, 3, 3 sqq.; 8, 18, 12 sq.; 9, 28, 6: clavus annalis, Paul. ex Fest. p. 56, 10 Müll.; cf. O. Müll. Etrusk. 2, p. 329 sq., and Dict. of Antiq. p. 263. Also, in a later age, country people seem to have kept an account of the years in this way, Petr. 135, 8, 9.
      Prov.: clavo clavum eicere, to drive out one nail by another (Gr. ἥλῳ τὸν ἧλον, παττάλῳ τὸν πάτταλον, sc. δεῖ ἐξελαύνειν): novo quidam amore veterem amorem tamquam clavo clavum eiciendum putant, Cic. Tusc. 4, 35, 75: aliquid trabali clavo figere, to fasten with a large nail, to clinch a matter, id. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 53; Arn. 2, p. 51.
      1. 2. As a symbol of immovable firmness: Necessitas Clavos trabales Gestans, Hor. C. 1, 35, 18: si figit adamantinos Necessitas Clavos, id. ib. 3, 24, 7; cf. O. Müll. as above cit., p. 331.
        Hence,
    2. B. Trop.: ex hoc die clavum anni movebis, i. e. reckon the beginning of the year, Cic. Att. 5, 15, 1: fixus animus clavo Cupidinis, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 4.
      Prov.: beneficium trabali clavo figere (v. trabalis), Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 53 Zumpt; cf. Arn. 2, p. 51.
  2. II. Meton. of objects of like form.
    1. A. (Lit. the handle of the rudder, the tiller; hence, pars pro toto.) The rudder, helm, in gen. (only sing.): ut clavum rectum teneam, Enn. ap. Isid. Orig. 19, 2, 12 (Ann. v. 472 Vahl.): clavum ad litora torquere, Verg. A. 5, 177 Serv.; 10, 218.
        1. b. Trop.: clavum tanti imperii tenere et gubernacula rei publicae tractare, Cic. Sest. 9, 20: abicere, to leave off the care of a thing, Arn. 3, 106: dum clavum rectum teneam, if I keep a steady helm, am not negligent (as in Gr. ὀρθὰν τὰν ναῦν), Quint. 2, 17, 24 Spald.; cf. the passage of Enn. supra.
    2. B. In medic. lang., a painful tumor or excrescence, a wart, a corn; on the feet, Cels. 5, 28, 14. clavis in pedibus mederi, Plin. 20, 17, 71, § 184; 22, 23, 49, § 101 sq.; 26, 11, 66, § 106; 28, 16, 62, § 222; on the eye, Cels. 6, 7, 12; in the nose, Plin. 24, 14, 77, § 126; upon the neck of cattle, Col. 6, 14, 6; in sheep, id. 7, 5, 11.
      Also a disease of the olive-tree, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 223.
    3. C. A kind of abortion of bees, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 50.
    4. D. A purple stripe on the tunica, which, for senators, was broad (latus, cf. laticlavius); for the equites, narrow (angustus; cf. angusticlavius). In the time of the emperors, however, the sons of the senators and equites also, who were preparing for civil office, wore the latus clavus, Liv. 9, 7, 9; Varr. L. L. 9, § 79 Müll.; Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 29 Jahn; cf. Hor. S. 1, 5, 36; 1, 6, 28; Quint. 11, 3, 138; Vell. 2, 88, 2; Suet. Aug. 94: tunicam ita consuere, ut altera plagula sit angustis clavis, altera latis, Varr L. L. 9, § 47 Müll.
      Hence the phrase: latum clavum ab Caesare impetravi, i. e. I have become senator, Plin. Ep. 2, 9, 2; cf.: clavum alicui tribuere, Suet. Claud. 24: impetrare, id. Vesp. 4: adimere, id. Tib. 35: adipisci, id. Vesp. 2.
      Rarely a purple stripe on bed or table cloths, Amm. 16, 8, 8.
      1. 2. Poet., a tunic, in gen., either wide or narrow striped: mutare in horas, Hor. S. 2, 7, 10: sumere depositum, id. ib. 1, 6, 25.