spica

spīca, ae (vulg. spēca: rustici, ut acceperunt antiquitus, vocant specam, Varr. R. R. 1, 48, 2.—Neutr. collat. form spī-cum, Varr. ap. Non. 225, 30; Cic. Sen. 15, 51, acc. to Non. 225, 29; Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 110.—Masc. collat. form spīcus, Poët. ap. Fest. s. v. spicum, p. 333 Müll.), f. [root spi-, to be sharp; Gr. σπίλος, rock; σπινός, lean].

• I Prop., a point; hence, in partic., of grain, an ear, spike (syn. arista), Varr. R. R. 1, 48; 1, 63, 2; Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 91; 4, 14, 37; Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 56; Cat. 19, 11: Cererem in spicis intercipit, Ov. M. 8, 292; 9, 689: distendet spicis horrea plena Ceres, Tib. 2, 5, 84: spicas hordaceas gerenti, Ap. Met. 7, 8, 5.—Prov.: his qui contentus non est, in litus harenas, In segetem spicas, in mare fundat aquas, Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 44.—
• II Transf., of things of a similar shape.
• • A A top, tuft, head of other plants, Cato R. R. 70, 1; Col. 8, 5, 21; Plin. 21, 8, 23, § 47; 22, 25, 79, § 161; Prop. 4 (5), 6, 74; Ov. F. 1, 76.—
  • B The brightest star in the constellation Virgo, Cic. poët. N. D. 2, 42, 110; German. Arat. 97; Col. 11, 2, 65; Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 311; Manil. 5, 269.—
  • C Spica testacea, a kind of brick for pavements, laid so as to imitate the setting of the grains in an ear of corn, Vitr. 7, 1 fin.; cf. spicatus, under spico.—
  • D Spicus crinalis, a hair-pin, Mart. Cap. 9, § 903 (al. spicum crinale, al. crinale spiclum; but in Lucr. 3, 198, the better reading is spiritus acer, v. Lachm. ad h. l.).

spīca, ae, f. u. spīcum, ī, n. u. spīcus, ī, m. (von gleichem Stamme mit spi-na), eig. die Spitze; dah. I) die Ähre des Getreides, 1) eig.: ad spicam perducere fruges, Cic.: spica triticea (Plur.), Claud. Mam.: fundit frugem spici ordine structam, Cic.: spicas desecare, Liv. – 2) übtr.: a) der hellste Stern im Gestirne der Jungfrau, die Kornähre, spicum illustre, Cic.: spica (Sing.), Colum. – b) v. Pflanzen, deren Spitze od. oberer Büschel ährenförmig ist, Ov. u. Plin.: bes. v. der Narde, spica nardi, Plin.: dah. spica nardi, Veget. mul., u. bl. spica, Scrib., die Pflanze selbst ist, wie bei uns, Spiekenard, d.i. Lavendel: so auch allii, Bollen, Colum. – c) spicus crinalis, Haarnadel, die Haare zu ordnen, Mart. Cap. poët. 9. § 903. – II) spica testacea, ein Brandstein zum ährenförmigen Pflaster, Vitr. 7, 1. § 7. – ➳ In der Bauernsprache spēca, Varro r.r. 1, 48, 2.

1 spica [CL] 1 ear of corn; b (as nominal rent); c (astr., w. ref. to Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo). uti raro ‥ videretur quasi post tergum ‥ messorum ‥ ~a Gildas EB 24; nil omnino, non dico ~arum, sed ne herbae quidem ex eo germinare ‥ contigit Bede HE IV 26 p. 272; non tantum in ~am non prosiluisse sed nec in herbam vel granum unum germinasse Gir. TH II 49; Jhesus et apostoli colligunt spicas [cf. Marc. ii 23] Vers. Cant. 17; unde et discipulis esurientibus et ~as manu confricantibus in Sabbato Rob. Bridl. Dial. 124; per agrum sacra scriptura intelligitur, per ~as sententie S. Langton Ruth 98; ~a, an er, cornehere WW.  b †1119 (1280) dedi ‥ terram Wifrici prepositi foris portam de North, prius per unam ~am frumenti, deinde per unum cultellum super altare S. Werburge Ch. Chester 8.  c sol signum intrat quod Virgo dicitur, que et ~am manu tenens pingitur Alb. Lond. DG 8. 13. 2 (w. nardi, Indica, Celtica, or aromatica) spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Celtic nard (Valeriana celtica), or a species of lavender (Lavandula stoechas); b (used medicinally). c (unspec.). muscus, invenitur in lumbis animalis quod vescitur ~anardi Garl. Mor. Scol. 590 gl.; 1313 pro ‥ una lb. cardamomi, una lb. ~enardi KR Ac 375/9 f. 22; nardus Celticus, i. ~a Celtica SB 31; ~a Celtica, saliunca SB 40; ~a Celtica, Gallica, rustica, nardi celtica, A. cattstayle, calketrape MS BL Add. 27582 f. 42; ~a celtica, spykenarde MS Camb. UL Dd. 10. 44 f. 111rc; nardus Indica, ~a Celtica Alph. 123; spica duplex est sc. ~a nardi et ~a celtica. ~a nardi invenitur circa radices cujusdam arboris. ~a celtica similis est musco Ib. 174; 14‥ ~a Celtica MS BL Sloane 420 f. 120v.  b in qua ‥ misceatur modicum ~e aro[matice] Gilb. II 77. 2; spica ‥ nardi ‥ / ‥ expurgat cor cerebrumque tibi Garl. Epith. IV 315; celtica spica ‥ / frangit apostema Garl. Epith. IV 317; medicina ‥ reparans stomachum: sumatur ‥ de ~a indica dragme iij Bacon V 106; ~a selteca Invent. Med. 13.  c ~a herba est Comm. Cant. III 79.

2 spica [ME spice, AN espece, espis < CL species], (usu. pl.) spice. ~a, ~e, unde spicatus ‥ sicut in evangelio legimus unguentum spicatum, quia de ~is aromatum factum Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 549; 1328 idem computat ‥ in ij libris de spikis, viij libris coloris pro cibis, lxxiiij libris de canellis ExchScot 119; quedam galea cum ~is venit Londonias Ann. Lond. 130; 1364 in vino viij d., in ~is emptis iij s. vj d. Gild Merch. II 96; 1413 pro potu et ~is in cena domini MonExon 280.

3 spica v. spika

1 spīca, (12) æ, f. , ¶ 1 pointe, [dʼoù] épi : Cic. Fin. 4, 37 ; 5, 91 || [prov.] in segetem spicas fundere Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 44, porter des épis dans un champ de blé [perdre son temps] ¶ 2 tête [dʼautres plantes], gousse : allii Col. Rust. 8, 5, 21, tête dʼail, cf. Cato Agr. 70, 1 ; Plin. 21, 47 ; 22, 161 ; Ov. F. 1, 76 ¶ 3 [fig.] a) lʼÉpi [étoile de la constellation de la Vierge] : Col. Rust. 11, 2, 65 ; b) testacea Vitr. Arch. 7, 1, brique triangulaire, carreau.

➳ forme speca Varro R. 1, 48, 2.

spica , ae. f.
穂。— allii 蒜一斂。— Cilissa 番紅花。— mutica 虛穗。— testacea 鋪地之尖甎。角。宿之星名。

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spīca ae, f

• SPI-, a point, ear, spike: seges spicis uberibus: Cererem in spicis intercipit, O.—Prov.: In segetem spicas fundat, carry coals to Newcastle, O.—Poet.: Cilissa, i. e. the pistils of crocus, saffron, O.