saeta

saeta ( sēta ), ae, f. [etym. dub.].

I.

Prop., a thick, stiff hair on an animal; a bristle (class.; usu. in plur.; cf. villus, pilus).

A.

Plur.

1.

Absol., Lucr. 5, 786;

of a boar,

Ov. M. 8, 428; cf. 2, B. infra;

of a porcupine,

Claud. Hystr. 6;

of the fish aper,

Ov. Hal. 59;

of a goat,

Verg. G. 3, 312;

of a cow,

id. A. 7, 790;

of a horse,

Amm. 29, 2, 4; Val. Fl. 6, 71:

ita quasi saetis labra mihi compungit barba,

Plaut. Cas. 5, 2, 48.—

2.

With gen.:

saetae leonis,

Prop. 4, 9, 44.—

B.

Sing.:

saeta equina,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62:

nigrae saetae grex (suum),

Col. 7, 9, 2; cf. Verg. A. 7, 667.—

II.

Meton.

A.

Of stiff, bristly, human hair, Verg. A. 8, 266; id. G. 3, 312; Ov. M. 13, 850; Juv. 2, 11; Mart. 6, 56.—

B.

Of the spiny leaves of coniferous trees, Plin. 16, 10, 18, § 41.—

C.

Of any thing made of coarse hair or bristles, e. g. the bottom or leader of an angling-line, Ov. Hal. 34:

piscem tremulā salientem ducere saetā,

Mart. 1, 56, 9;

so,

id. 10, 30, 16.—

D.

A brush made from bristles:

parieti siccato cera Punica cum oleo liquefacta candens saetis inducatur,

Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 122; cf. Vitr. 7, 9, 3.