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. pālus, i, m. (neutr. collat. form pālum, i, Varr. ap. Non. 219, 18) [for paglus (cf. dim. paxillus); root pag-; Sanscr. pācas, snare; Gr. πήγνυμι, fasten; Lat. pango; cf.: pignus, pax], a stake, prop, stay, pale.

  1. I. Lit. (very freq. and class.; syn.: sudes, stipes): ut figam palum in parietem, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 4; id. Men. 2, 3, 53: damnati ad supplicium traditi, ad palum alligati, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 5, § 11: palis adjungere vitem, Tib. 1, 8 (7), 33; Ov. F. 1, 665: palos et ridicas dolare, Col. 11, 2, 11; Varr. 1. 1.
    The Roman soldiers learned to fight by attacking a stake set in the ground, Veg. Mil. 1, 11; 2, 23; hence, aut quis non vidit vulnera pali? Juv. 6, 246.
    And, transf.: exerceamur ad palum: et, ne imparatos fortuna deprehendat, fiat nobis paupertas familiaris, Sen. Ep. 18, 6.
    In the lang. of gladiators, palus primus or palusprimus (called also machaera Herculeana, Capitol. Pert. 8), a gladiator’s sword of wood, borne by the secutores, whence their leader was also called primus palus, Lampr. Commod. 15; Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 694.
    Prov.: quasi palo pectus tundor, of one astonished, stunned, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 2.
  2. II. Transf., = membrum virile, Hor. S. 1, 8, 5.

2. pălus, ūdis (nom. sing. pălŭs, Hor. A. P. 65; but usually pălūs, Verg. A. 6, 107; v. infra; gen. plur. paludum, Caes. B. G. 4, 38, 2 Oud.; rarely paludium, Liv. 21, 54, 7 Drak.; Plin. 2, 68, 68, § 174; Just. 44, 1, 10; Eum. Pan. Const. Aug. 12, 2), f. [= Gr. πηλός, mud; cf. Sanscr. palvala, pool; perh. -ud of the stem = ὕδωρ, water], a swamp, marsh, morass, bog, fen, pool (cf.: stagnum, lacus).

  1. I. Lit.: ille paludes siccare voluit, Cic. Phil. 5, 3, 7: paludes emere, id. Agr. 2, 27, 71: palus erat non magna inter nostrum atque hostium exercitum, Caes. B. G. 2, 9: propter paludes exercitui aditus non est, id. ib. 2, 16: Cocyti tardāque palus inamabilis undā, Verg. G. 4, 479: sterilisve diu palus aptaque remis, Hor. A. P. 65: udae paludes intumuere aestu, Ov. M. 1, 737: stagnata paludibus ument, id. ib. 15, 269: nigra, Tib. 3, 3, 37: exusta, Verg. G. 3, 432: alta, id. ib. 4, 48: putida, Cat. 17, 10: nebulosa, Sil. 8, 382: sordida, Stat. S. 4, 3, 8.
    Hence, Palus Maeotis, = Lacus Maeotis, now the Sea of Azof, Plin. 2, 67, 67, § 168; Mel. 1, 19.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A reed that grows in marshes: tomentum concisa palus Circense vocatur, Mart. 14, 160, 1; 11, 32, 2.
    2. B. Water: (cymba) multam accepit rimosa paludem, Verg. A. 6, 414.