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instar

instar, an image, likeness, resemblance, appearance

Frieze-Dennison Vergil

īnstar, indecl., n.: an image; figure; noble or majestic form, majesty, 6.865; w. gen., likeness; the size of, as large as, 2.15; like, 3.637. (1. in and stō)
instar, n. indecl. [perh. in and root sta-; cf. Gr. ἵστημι, στήλη, etc.].
  • A sketch, image, resemblance, likeness, kind, manner: parvum instar eorum, quae, etc., Liv. 28, 17, 2.—
    • B Ad instar, or simply instar.
      • 1 According to the likeness of, after the fashion of, like.
          • α Ad instar, with gen. (post-class.): vallis continuis montibus ad instar castrorum clauditur, Just. 36, 3: ad instar proprietatis, non ad instar possessionis, Dig. 6, 2, 7. —
          • β Instar, with gen. (class.): Erana, quae fuit non vici instar, sed urbis, Cic. Fam. 15, 4, 8: instar muri, Caes. B. G. 2, 17: instar montis equus, Verg. A. 2, 15: nomina ea partium urbis et instal urbium sunt, Liv. 25, 25, 5 Weissenb.—
      • 2 Instar, with gen., about: cohortes quaedam, quod instar legionis videretur, Caes. B. C. 3, 66; cf.: videretis vix duarum male plenarum legiuncularum instar in castris regis, Liv. 35, 49, 10: milites dati duarum instar legionum, id. 26, 28, 11: habet Tiro instar septuaginta (mearum epistularum), Cic. Att. 16, 5, 5: librorum octo, Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 10. —
  • II A form, figure, appearance: quantum instar in ipso! Verg. A. 6, 865: terra ad universi caeli complexum quasi puncti instar obtinet, has almost the appearance of, looks almost like a point, Cic. Tusc. 1, 17, 40.—
  • III Worth, value: omnia vix minimi momenti instar habent, Cic. Off. 3, 3, 11: unus ille dies mihi immortalitatis instar fuit, was worth immortality to me, id. Pis. 22, 52: unus is innumeri militis instar habet, is as good as, equivalent to, Ov. H. 16, 368: Plato mihi unus instar est omnium, is to me worth them all, Cic. Brut. 51, 191: clientes appellari, mortis instar putant, is as bad as death to them, id. Off. 2, 20, 69.

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