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.

crŏcum, i, n., and crŏcus, i, m.

    (
  1. I. fem., App. M. 10, p. 255, 30), = κρόκος, saffron: Crocus sativus, Linn.; masc. usu. of the plant, neutr. of the essence, etc., but the distinction is not closely observed.
          1. (α) Crocus, Verg. G. 4, 182; id. Cul. 399; plur. nom. croci, Ov. M. 4, 393; acc. crocos, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 16; Ov. F. 4, 442; Juv. 7, 208.
          2. (β) Crocum, Sall. H. 1, 80 Dietsch; Cels. 5, 11; Plin. 21, 6, 17, § 31 sq.
          3. (γ) Gen. incert., Lucr. 2, 416; Ov. F. 1, 342; 5, 318; Sall. H. 2, 23, 2 Dietsch; Col. 9, 4, 4 al.
            Frequently employed among the ancients, not only for the seasoning of food and in medicine, but transformed, by means of water and wine, to an essence, for the diffusion of a fragrant odor in theatres and other places; for anointing the hair, etc., Plin. 21, 6, 17, § 33; Sen. Ep. 90, 15; Lucr. 2, 416; Prop. 4 (5), 1, 16; Mart. 5, 25 al.; cf. Cilix and Cilissa, under Cilicia. II. a.
            Hence, poet.: recte necne crocum floresque perambulet Attae Fabula si dubitem, over fragrant floors, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 79.
            Crŏcus or Crŏcŏs, i, m., a youth who was metamorphosed into a saffron-flower, Ov. M. 4. 283; id. F. 5, 227; Plin. 16, 35, 63, § 154.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. Saffron-color: picta croco et fulgenti murice vestis, Verg. A. 9, 614; cf. Lucr. 6, 1188.
    2. B. The yellow stamens in many flowers, Plin. 21, 5, 11, §§ 23 and 24.