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σφαῖρα

σφαῖρα, a ball, playing-ball

σφαῖρᾰ, ας, ἡ,
  • ball, σφαίρῃ παίζειν play at ball, Od. 6.100; σφαῖραν ἔρριψε ib. 115; σ. καλὴν μετὰ χερσὶν ἕλοντο 8.372; σφαίρῃ ἀνʼ ἰθὺν πειρήσαντο ib. 377; ὥσπερ σφαῖραν ἐκδεξάμενος τὸν λόγον Pl. Euthd. 277b; ῥαπτὴ σ. AP 12.44 (Glauc.), cf. Nicom.Com. 1.25, Antiph. 234; διὰ σφαίρας . . ἐκπονῆσαι τὸ σῶμα Gal. 6.134, cf. Sor. 1.49, 93; ἡ διὰ τῆς σ. ὄρχησις Ath. 1.14d: metaph., σφαῖραν ἐποίησε τὴν οὐσίαν (cf. συστρογγύλλω) Alex. 246.3: prov., σ. κατὰ πρανοῦς, of accelerating motion, Eust. 249.1.
      • 2 any globe, Parm. 8.43; sphere, as a geom. figure, Ti.Locr. 95d, etc.; esp. the terrestrial globe, earth, Str. 2.3.1; an artificial globe, Hermesian. 7.88, Str. 12.3.11.
      • 3 hollow sphere or globe: in the Ancient Physics, from the time of Anaximander (cf. Placit. 2.16.5), of the spheres believed to revolve round the earth carrying the heavenly bodies, and according to the Pythagoreans arranged after the intervals of the musical scale (cf. Alex.Eph. ap. Theon.Sm. p.139 H., Cic. de Rep. 6.18), Arist. Metaph. 1073b18, Cael. 286b24, Mete. 341b20, 354b24, Thphr. Ign. 4; σ. ἀπλανής, = ἡ τῶν ἀπλανῶν σ. the sphere of the fixed stars, Procl. Hyp. 5.1; so ἡ ἀπλανής, without σ., ib. 7.25; αἱ πλανώμεναι σ. planetary spheres, Plu. An.procr. 2.1028a; Astrol., ἡ ὀρθὴ σ. right sphere, i.e. the celestial sphere as viewed from the equator, Rhetorius in Cat.Cod.Astr. 8(1).231.
      • 4 a weapon of boxers, prob. iron ball, worn with padded covers (ἐπίσφαιρα) instead of boxing-gloves (ἱμάντες) in the σφαιρομαχίαι, Pl. Lg. 830b, cf. Plu. Profect. 2.80b.
      • 5 αἱ σ. τῶν ὀμμάτων eye-balls, Arist. Pr. 958a7.
      • 6 σ. θαλάττιαι sea-balls, Id. HA 616a20, Crito ap. Gal. 12.437.
      • 7 pill, Archig. ap. Orib. 8.2.18.
      • 8 πλατάνου σφαῖραι, i.e. globular catkins, Dsc. 4.73.
      • 9 as a quantitative measure, ἐπίβαλε . . φύκους στυπτηρίου ὡς σφαῖραν PHolm. 16.32.

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