pellis

pellis, is ( abl. sing. pelle;

but pelli,

Lucr. 6, 1270; App. Mag. 22), f. [Gr. pella, pelas, skin; cf. erusipelas, epipolê, surface; also, platus, and Lat. palam], a skin, hide (of a beast), whether on the body or taken off; a felt, pelt, etc.

I.

Lit., Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6: inaurata arietis, Enn. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 22, 34 (Trag. v. 285 Vahl.):

rana rugosam inflavit pellem,

Phaedr. 1, 23, 4; Col. 6, 13, 2:

nationes caprarum pellibus vestitae,

Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 11; cf.:

quam tu numquam vides nisi cum pelle caprinā,

Cic. N. D. 1, 29, 82:

pelles pro velis,

Caes. B. G. 3, 13:

fulvique insternor pelle leonis,

Verg. A. 2, 722:

pelles perficere,

Plin. 24, 11, 56, § 94:

pelles candidas conficere,

id. 13, 6, 13, § 55:

pecudes aureas habuisse pelles tradiderunt,

Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 6.— Poet., of the human skin:

frigida pellis Duraque,

Lucr. 6, 1194:

ossa atque pellis tota est,

Plaut. Aul. 3, 6, 28; id. Capt. 1, 2, 32:

pellis nostra,

Vulg. Thren. 5, 10; id. Job, 10, 11; 19, 20: pellem habere Hercules fingitur, ut homines cultus antiqui admoneantur. Lugentes quoque diebus luctus in pellibus sunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 207 Müll.; cf.:

deformem pro cute pellem aspice,

Juv. 10, 192.—Prov.: detrahere pellem, i. e. to pull off the mask which conceals a person's faults, Hor. S. 2, 1, 64:

introrsum turpis, speciosus pelle decorā,

with a showy outside, id. Ep. 1, 16, 45: cf. Pers. 4, 14: in propriā pelle quiescere, to be content with one's own state or condition, Hor. S. 1, 6, 22 (v. pellicula):

caninam pellem rodere, said of lampooning a slanderer,

Mart. 5, 60, 10:

pellem pro pelle, et cuncta quae habet homo dabit pro animā suā,

Vulg. Job, 2, 4:

si mutare potest Aethiops pellem suam,

id. Jer. 13, 23.—

II.

Transf.

A.

Leather:

ruptā calceus alter Pelle patet,

Juv. 3, 150.—

B.

A garment, article of clothing made of skin, Col. 1, 8; cf. Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 19:

pes in pelle natet,

in the shoe, id. A. A. 1, 516; Pers. 5, 140.—

C.

A tent for soldiers (because it was covered with skins); usually in the phrase sub pellibus, in the camp:

ut non multum imperatori sub ipsis pellibus otii relinquatur,

Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4:

sub pellibus milites contineri non possent,

Caes. B. G. 3, 29 fin.:

(Caesar) sub pellibus hiemare constituit,

id. B. C. 3, 13 fin.; cf. Liv. 37, 39:

durare sub pellibus,

id. 5, 2; Tac. A. 13, 35; 14, 38:

pellium nomine,

for covering shields, Cic. Pis. 36, 87.—

D.

Parchment:

pellibus exiguis artatur Livius ingens,

on little parchments, Mart. 14, 190, 1.—

E.

A drum:

pelles caedere,

Min. Fel. 24, 4.