uterus

ŭtĕrus, i, m. (collat. form ŭter, Caecil. ap. Non. 188, 15; neutr. collat. form ŭtĕ-rum, i, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 10, acc. to Non. 229, 33; Turp. and Afran. ib.) [Sanscr. uttara, later; Gr. husteros; cf. Gr. hustera, womb; Sanscr. udaram, belly; Engl. udder], the womb, matrix (syn. volva).

I.

Lit.:

utero exorti dolores,

Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 40:

perii, mea nutrix, uterum dolet!

id. Aul. 4, 7, 10; id. Truc. 1, 2, 96: quae te beluam ex utero, non hominem fudit, Cic. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 139; Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 97; Hirt. ap. Quint. 8, 3, 54; Prop. 4, 1, 100; Hor. C. 3, 22, 2; Ov. M. 9, 280; 9, 315; 10, 495; id. F. 2, 452; Tac. A. 1, 59; Plin. 9, 6, 5, § 13.—

II.

Transf.

A.

Of the cavities of the earth, from which the first creatures are represented to have come forth, Lucr. 5, 806; cf. Lact. 2, 11 init. —

B.

The fruit of the womb, a fetus, child, young:

feminae uterum gerentes,

i. e. pregnant, Cels. 2, 10; Tac. A. 1, 59.—Of animals, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 14; Plin. 8, 40, 62, § 151.—

C.

In gen., the belly, paunch: me puero uterus erat solarium: ubi iste monebat esse, etc., Plaut. Fragm. ap. Gell. 3, 3, 5; Verg. A. 7, 499; [p. 1946] Cels. 4, 1; Juv. 10, 309; Luc. 6, 115; 9, 773.—

Of swans,

Plin. 10, 47, 66, § 131.—

2.

Of inanimate things;

of the Trojan horse,

Verg. A. 2, 52:

dolii,

Col. 12, 4, 5:

lato utero (navium),

Tac. A. 2, 6.