niger

1.

nĭger, gra, grum ( gen. fem. nigraï, Lucr. 4, 537; comp. nigrior, Ov. H. 18, 7), adj., black, sable, dark, dusky (cf.: ater, pullus).

I.

Lit.:

quae alba sint, quae nigra, dicere,

Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9:

quamvis ille niger, quamvis tu candidus esses,

Verg. E. 2, 16:

hederae nigrae,

id. G. 2, 258:

silvae (= umbrosae),

Hor. C. 1, 21, 7:

frons,

id. ib. 4, 4, 58:

collis,

id. ib. 4, 12, 11:

lucus,

Ov. F. 3, 295 (for which atrum nemus, Verg. A. 1, 165):

caelum pice nigrius,

Ov. H. 18, 7:

nigerrimus Auster,

i. e. causing darkness, Verg. G. 3, 278; so,

venti,

Hor. C. 1, 5, 7:

Eurus,

id. Epod. 10, 5:

nigros efferre maritos,

i. e. killed by poison, Juv. 1, 71; cf.:

pocula nigra,

poisoned, Prop. 2, 20, 68 (3, 23, 10).—Prov.: facere candida de nigris;

nigra in candida vertere,

to turn black into white, Juv. 3, 29; cf. Ov. M. 11, 315.— Subst.: nĭgrum, i, n., a black spot, Ov. A. A. 1, 291.—

II.

Trop.

A.

Of or pertaining to death:

nigrorumque memor, dum licet, ignium (= lugubris rogi),

of the funeral pile, Hor. C. 4, 12, 26:

hora,

Tib. 3, 5, 5:

dies,

the day of death, Prop. 2 (3), 19, 19:

Juppiter niger,

i. e. Pluto, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1705.—

B.

Sad, mournful:

domus,

Stat. S. 5, 1, 18; Val. Fl. 3, 404.—

C.

Unlucky, ill-omened: huncine solem Tam nigrum surrexe mihi? Hor. S. 1, 9, 72; Prop. 2, 21, 38 (3, 25, 4): lapis, the spot in the Comitium where Romulus or one of his adherents was slain, Paul. ex Fest. p. 177 Müll.—

D.

Of character, black, bad, wicked:

Phormio, nec minus niger, nec minus confidens, quam ille Terentianus est Phormio,

Cic. Caecin. 10, 27:

hic niger est, hunc tu, Romane, caveto,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 85.

2.

Nĭger, gri, m., a Roman surname:

Aquilius Niger,

Suet. Aug. 11.

3.

Nĭger, gris, m., a river in Africa, Mart. Cap. 6, § 673; v. Nigris.