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.

ōvum, i, n. [ὠόν, i. e. ΩϝΟΝ].

  1. I. Lit., an egg: ovum parere, to lay, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 57; Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 8: edere, Col. 8, 3, 4: ponere, Ov. M. 8, 258: efferre, Verg. G. 1, 379: eniti, Col. 8, 11, 8 sq.: facere, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 17: pullos ex ovis excuderunt, to hatch, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 130 B. and K. (al. excluserunt): incubare ova, to sit on, brood on, hatch, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 8; 12; for which: incubare ovis, Col. 8, 11, 14: suppovere ova, id. 8, 6, 1: an pulli rostellis ova percuderint … nam saepe propter crassitudinem putaminum erumpere non queunt, Col. 8, 5, 14: quatenus in pullos animalis vertier ova cernimus alituum, Lucr. 2, 927.
    Also of the spawn of fish, etc.: etsi pisces, ova cum genuerunt relinquunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 129: testudines autem et crocodilos dicunt … obruere ova, id. ib. 2, 52, 129: saepius et tectis penetralibus extulit ova … formica, Verg. G. 1, 380; Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 145: ovi putamen, an eggshell, Col. 8, 5, 14: cortex ovi, Ser. Samm. 28, 531.
    The Romans usually began their meals with eggs and ended them with fruit; hence, integram famem ad ovum affero, until the egg, i. e. the beginning of the meal, Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 1; and: ab ovo Usque ad mala citaret, Io Bacche! i. e. from the beginning to the end, Hor. S. 1, 3, 6.
    Acc. to the myth, Leda became pregnant by Jupiter, who visited her in the shape of a swan; she laid two eggs, one by Jupiter, and the other by Tyndarus; from the former of which were born Pollux and Helen, and from the latter Castor and Clytaemnestra; hence, nec gemino bellum Trojanum orditur ab ovo, Hor. A. P. 147: Castor gaudet equis, ovo prognatus eodem Pugnis, from the same egg, i. e. of the same parentage, id. S. 2, 1, 26.
    In the circus seven wooden eggs were set up, one of which was removed at the completion of each circuit; hence, non modo ovum illud sublatum est, quod, etc., Varr. R. R. 1, 2: ova ad notas curriculis numerandis, Liv. 41, 27, 6.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. An egg-shell (as a measure), an egg-shellful, Plin. 22, 25, 67, § 137.
    2. B. An egg-shape, oval shape, oval, Calp. Ecl. 7, 34.