nodus

nōdus, i, m. [for gnodus; Sanscr. root gadh-, gandh-, grasp; cf. Gr. Chandanô, hold; gnathos, jaw; Lat. pre-hend-o; Germ. Knoten; Engl. knot], a knot (cf. nexus).

I.

Lit.:

nodus vinculumque,

Cic. Univ. 4: necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colores, Verg. E. 8, 77:

Cacum Corripit in nodum complexus,

clasping him as in a knot, id. A. 8, 260:

nodos manu diducere,

Ov. M. 2, 560:

nodus Herculis or Herculaneus,

a knot difficult to untie, of which Hercules was held to be the inventor, Plin. 28, 6, 17, § 63:

unus tibi nodus, sed Herculaneus, restat,

Sen. Ep. 87, 38:

tamquam nodus Gordius difficillimus,

Amm. 14, 11, 1: cingulum (novae nuptae) Herculaneo nodo vinctum vir solvit ominis gratia, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. cingulo, p. 63 Müll.—

B.

Transf.

1.

A girdle ( poet. ):

nodoque sinus collecta fluentes,

Verg. A. 1, 320; Mart. 6, 13, 5.—

Hence, astronom.: nodus anni,

the circle of the equator, Lucr. 5, 688.—

2.

A mode of dressing the hair, a knot, club:

Rheni nodos,

the hair of the Germans gathered into a club, Mart. 5, 37, 8; cf.:

insigne gentis obliquare crinem nodoque substringere,

Tac. G. 38.—

3.

Plur.:

nodi,

a knotted fishing-net, Manil. 5, 664.—

4.

A knot, knob, node on a joint of an animal's body:

crura sine nodis,

Caes. B. G. 6, 27:

cervix articulorum nodis jungitur,

Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 177; 11, 37, 88, § 217:

dirae nodus hyaenae,

a backbone, dorsal vertebra, Luc. 6, 672.—

Hence, nodi articulorum,

a swelling, tumor on the joints, Plin. 24, 5, 13, § 21; 30, 12, 36, § 110.—

5.

A knot, knob, fold, etc.

(α).

In wood or the branches of plants:

baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens,

Liv. 1, 18, 7; Sen. Ben. 7, 9:

stipes gravidus nodis,

Verg. A. 7, 507:

telum solidum nodis,

id. ib. 11, 553:

gracilitas harundinis, distincta nodis,

Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158; Col. Arb. 3.—Hence, the knotty club of Hercules, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1661.—

(β).

Of a writhing serpent:

nixantem nodis seque in sua membra plicantem,

Verg. A. 5, 279.—

(γ).

Prov.: nodum in scirpo quaerere, to look for knots in a bulrush (which contains none), i. e. to find difficulties where there are none, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 330 Müll. (Sat. v. 46 Vahl.):

in scirpo nodum quaeris,

Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 22; Ter. And. 5, 4, 38.—

6.

A knot, hard part of a thing;

so of metals,

Plin. 34, 13, 37, § 136;

of precious stones,

id. 37, 10, 55, § 150.—

7.

A star in the constellation Pisces, Cic. Arat. 14; Caes. Germ. Arat. 243.—

8.

In astron.:

nodi,

the four points in the heavens where the seasons begin, the nodes, Manil. 3, 618; cf. id. 2, 430.—

II.

Trop.

A.

In gen., a band, bond:

his igitur singulis versibus quasi nodi apparent continuationis,

Cic. Or. 66, 222:

velut laxioribus nodis resolvemus,

Quint. 9, 4, 127:

amabilissimum nodum amicitiae tollere,

Cic. Lael. 14, 51.—

B.

In partic.

1.

A bond, obligation ( poet. ):

exsolvere animum nodis religionum,

Lucr. 4, 7:

imponere nodos, i. e. jusjurandum,

Ov. H. 20, 39 Ruhnk.—

2.

A knotty point, difficulty, impediment.— Absol.:

dum hic nodus expediatur non putet senatus nos oportere decedere,

Cic. Att. 5, 21, 3: incideramus in difficilem nodum, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1.—With gen.:

Abantem interimit, pugnae nodumque moramque,

Verg. A. 10, 428:

cum scopulus et nodus et mora publicae securitatis superesset Antonius,

Flor. 4, 9, 1:

qui juris nodos et legum aenigmata solvat (an allusion to the Gordian knot),

Juv. 8, 50 (hence, Cicuta nodosus; v. nodosus).— Esp.: nodus linguae, the bond or tie of the tongue:

nodum linguae rumpere,

Gell. 5, 9, 2:

nodos linguae solvere,

Just. 13, 7, 6.