prora

prōra, ae (collat. form prōris; acc. prorim, Att. ap. Non. 200, 33, or Trag. 575), f., = prôra.

I.

The forepart of a ship, the prow (opp. puppis, the stern;

class.): astitit prorae,

Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 65; Lucr. 2, 554:

prorae admodum erectae,

Caes. B. G. 3, 13:

rostrata,

Plin. 9, 30, 49, § 94:

terris advertere proram,

Verg. G. 4, 117; id. A. 6, 3; 7, 35: prorae tutela Melanthus, i. e. the lookout stationed at the prow, = proreta, Ov. M. 3, 617:

suspensa prora navim in puppim statuebat,

Liv. 24, 34:

prorae litore illisae,

id. 22, 20; Luc. 9, 1082; Stat. Th. 5, 335.—Prov.: mihi prora et puppis, ut Graecorum proverbium est, fuit a me tui dimittendi, ut rationes nostras explicares, i. e. my intention from beginning to end, my whole design, Gr. prôra kai prumnê, Cic. Fam. 16, 24, 1.—

II.

Poet., transf., a ship:

quot prius aeratae steterant ad litora prorae,

Verg. A. 10, 223; Ov. M. 14, 164.