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.

tŏrus, i, m. (also tŏrum, i, n., Varr. ap. Non. 11, 14; Lact. 6, 23, 15) [for storus; root ster-, stra-, of sterno, stramen; Gr. στορέννυμι, to spread, scatter], prop., a round, swelling, or bulging place, an elevation, protuberance, prominence; hence,

  1. I. A knot, bulge: (funis) Cato, R. R. 135, 4: funiculorum, Col. 11, 3, 6; cf.: vitis toris ad arborem religetur, id. 5, 6, 25: firmi vitis, id. Arb. 16, 4.
  2. II. The muscular or fleshy part, the muscle, brawn of animal bodies (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): o lacertorum tori! Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 9, 22; Ov. M. 2, 854; 9, 82; 12, 402; 14, 283; 15, 230; id. H. 9, 60: leo gaudet comantes Excutiens cervice toros, Verg. A. 12, 7: luxuriatque toris animosum pectus, id. G. 3, 81; Plin. 18, 7, 18, § 78; Sen. Hippol. 1042; Val. Fl. 4, 245; Tac. Or. 21: venarum tori, varicose dilatations of the veins, Cels. 7, 18 fin.
    1. B. Transf., the bulge, thickness of trees: utile toros futuri draconis pasci, Plin. 17, 23, 35, § 211; cf.: (asparagus) in toros striatur, id. 19, 8, 42, § 146; App. Flor. p. 363, 31.
  3. III. A raised ornament, a knot, on a garland; trop., of language: isque (stilus mediocris) uno tenore fluit, aut addit aliquos, ut in coronā, toros omnemque orationem ornamentis modicis verborum sententiarumque distinguit, Cic. Or. 6, 21.
  4. IV. A bolster, cushion, so named from its protuberances; hence, a couch, sofa, bed (mostly poet.; syn.: stratum, lectus): antiquis torus e stramento erat, qualiter etiam nunc in castris, Plin. 8, 48, 73, § 193: viridante toro consederat herbae, Verg. A. 5, 388; cf.: praebuit herba torum, Ov. H. 5, 14; id. M. 8, 655: datque torum caespes, id. ib. 10, 556: gramine vestitis accubuere toris, id. F. 1, 402: silvestrem montana torum cum sterneret uxor Frondibus, Juv. 6, 5: discumbere toris, Ov. M. 8, 565.
    So of a sofa: toro sic orsus ab alto, Verg. A. 2, 2; Ov. M. 12, 579.
    Of a bed: ambierantque torum, Ov. M. 7, 332: concutiuntque torum de molli fluminis ulvā Impositum lecto, id. ib. 8, 655: ebeno sublimis in atrā, id. ib. 11, 610; Suet. Aug. 73.
    Of a corpse-bed, Ov. M. 9, 503; id. F. 6, 668: membra toro defleta reponunt, Verg. A. 6, 220.
    Of a bridalbed, Ov. M. 6, 431: (lectica) sive illa toro resupina feretur, Ov. A. A. 1, 487; cf. Becker, Gallus, 2, p. 240 (2d ed.).
    1. B. Transf., like thalamus, as a designation for marriage: Deucalion … Cum consorte tori, with his consort, spouse, Ov. M. 1, 319; cf.: socia tori, id. ib. 1, 620; so id. ib. 7, 91; 7, 332; id. F. 3, 511; id. P. 3, 3, 50; id. H. 2, 41: genialis, Tac. A. 15, 37; Val. Max. 2, 6, 14: obscenus, i. e. illicit connection, Ov. Tr. 2, 378; cf. illiciti (with stupra), Sen. Hippol. 97: receptus in torum, Plin. 34, 2, 6, § 12.
      Hence, also, for a mistress: torum donare alicui, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 87.
  5. V. An elevation, bank of earth: riparum, Verg. A. 6, 674; Stat. Th. 4, 819: pulvinorum, Plin. 19, 4, 20, § 60; 22, 22, 34, § 76.
  6. VI. In architecture, a large, round moulding at the base of a column, a torus, Vitr. 3, 3, 8.