novercae

nŏverca, ae, f. [for noverica, qs. nearikê, the new one], a step-mother, step-dame.

I.

Lit., Afran. ap. Non. 393, 26:

uxor generi, noverca filii, filiae paelex,

Cic. Clu. 70, 199:

cum is (Hippolytus) patri suspectus esset de novercā,

id. Off. 3, 25, 94:

saeviores tragicis novercas,

Quint. 2, 10, 5 Spald.:

injusta,

Verg. E. 3, 33:

saeva,

id. G. 2, 128:

scelerata,

Ov. F. 3, 853:

lurida terribiles miscent aconita novercae,

id. M. 1, 147; Gai. Inst. 1, 63; 3, 14; Juv. 6, 403.—Prov.:

apud novercain queri,

i. e. in vain, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 80.—

B.

Trop.:

rerum ipsa natura in eo... non parens sed noverca fuerit, si, etc.,

Quint. 12, 1, 2:

quorum noverca est Italia,

i. e. who are not natives of Italy, Vell. 2, 4, 4; so, viles operae, quorum est mea Roma noverca, Petr. poët. Sat. 122, 166.—

II.

Transf.: nŏvercae, ārum, f.

1.

Ditches which drain off the waler imperfectly and slowly, Agrim. ap. Goes. 119; 142; 143 al.—

2.

A rough piece of land (so called in allusion to the iniquitas novercae), Hyg. Mun. Castr. § 57 Lange.