rivus

rīvus, i, m. [root ri- (li-), to flow, drop; Gr. limnê;cf. liris; Sanscr. rīna, flowing; cf. ripa], a small stream of water, a brook (cf.: fluvius, amnis).

I.

Lit.: rivus est locus per longitudinem depressus, quo aqua decurrat, cui nomen est apo tou rhein, Dig. 43, 21 (de rivis), 1:

rivorum a fonte deductio,

Cic. Top. 8, 33:

prostrati in gramine molli Propter aquae rivum,

by a waterbrook, Lucr. 2, 30; so,

aquae,

id. 5, 1392; Hor. C. 3, 16, 29; cf. Inscr. Orell. 51:

omnia flumina atque omnes rivos, qui ad mare pertinebant, etc.,

Caes. B. C. 3, 49; 3, 37; cf. 3, 88 fin.; Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 7:

pronus,

id. ib. 1, 10, 21; id. C. 1, 29, 11:

mobiles,

id. ib. 1, 7, 14; cf.

celeres,

id. ib. 3, 11, 14:

gelidi,

id. ib. 3, 13, 7; id. Ep. 1, 18, 104:

claudite jam rivos,

Verg. E. 3, 111:

tenuis fugiens per gramina rivus,

id. G. 4, 19.—Prov.: e rivo flumina magna facere, to magnify an insignificant object; or, as we say, to make a mountain of a mole-hill, Ov. P. 2, 5, 22.—

B.

Transf.

1.

An artificial water-course, channel, canal, Dig. 7, 1, 61; 8, 3, 15; 8, 4, 11.—

b.

A gutter, Vitr. 8, 6 (7), 1 al.—

2.

Of other liquids, a stream, etc. (mostly poet. ):

manabat venis ferventibus argenti rivus et auri,

Lucr. 5, 1256:

lactis uberes,

Hor. C. 2, 19, 11:

sanguinis,

Verg. A. 11, 668; Liv. 26, 23; Curt. 4, 9, 13:

sudoris,

Verg. A. 5, 200:

lacrimarum,

Ov. M. 9, 655:

ignium,

Plin. 2, 106, 110, § 236:

rivis currentia vina,

Verg. G. 1, 132.—

II.

Trop., a stream (very rare;

v. rivulus, II.): liquidus fortunae rivus,

Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 9: facundiae rivus, Lact. Opif. Dei, 20 fin.