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.

pīca, ae, f. [prob. from pingo, the variegated, spotted bird], a pie, magpie, Plin. 10, 29, 41, § 78; 10, 42, 59, § 118; Ov. M. 5, 294 sq.; Pers. prol. fin.

1. pīcus, i, m. [perh. root pingo; cf. pica].

  1. I. A woodpecker, one of the birds used in augury, Plaut. As. 2, 1, 12: sunt et parvae aves uncorum unguium, ut pici, Martio cognomine insignes et in auspicatu magni, Plin. 10, 18, 20, § 40; 11, 37, 44, § 122; Non. 518, 24.
  2. II. A fabulous bird, the griffin: picos veteres esse voluerunt, quos Graeci γρύπας appellant. Plautus Aulularia (4, 8, 1): pici divitiis, qui aureos montes colunt, Ego solus supero, Non. 152, 7 sq.

2. Pīcus, i, m., son of Saturn, grandfather of Latinus, king of the aborigines, and a prophet; he was changed by Circe, whose love he had slighted, into a woodpecker, Ov. M. 14, 320; Verg. A. 7, 189 Serv.; Juv. 8, 131.