medulla

mĕdulla, ae, f. [medius], the marrow of bones; the pith of plants (class.).

I.

Lit., Hor. Epod. 5, 37:

cumque albis ossa medullis,

Ov. M. 14, 208:

ossa regum vacuis exsucta medullis,

Juv. 8, 90:

per media foramina a cerebro medullā descendente,

Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 178.—

B.

Transf., the pith, inside, kernel:

vitis medullā,

Col. 3, 18, 5; Plin. 16, 25, 42, § 103:

frumenta, quae salsā aquā sparsa moluntur, candidiorem medullam reddunt,

i. e. meal, flour, Plin. 18, 9, 20, § 87:

medulla ventris,

the inside, Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 17.—

II.

Trop., the marrow, kernel, innermost part, best part, quintessence:

at ego pereo, cui medullam lassitudo perbibit,

Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 18:

cum hic fervor tamquam in venis medullisque insederit,

Cic. Tusc. 4, 10, 24; cf.:

in medullis populi Romani ac visceribus haerebant,

id. Phil. 1, 15, 36:

haec mihi semper erunt imis infixa medullis,

Ov. Tr. 1, 5, 9:

qui mihi haeres in medullis,

who are at the bottom of my heart, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 2: [p. 1126] qui mihi sunt inclusa medullis, id. Att. 15, 4, 3:

nondum implevere medullas maturae mala nequitiae,

Juv. 14, 215:

communes loci, qui in mediis litium medullis versantur,

Quint. 2, 1, 11:

verborum,

inner meaning, Gell. 18, 4, 2:

divisio compagum ac medullarum,

the innermost parts, Vulg. Heb. 4, 12.— Poet.: suadae, the marrow or quintessence of eloquence, said of Cethegus, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58 (Ann. v. 309 Vahl.); cf. Quint. 2, 15, 4.