vena

vēna, ae, f. [perh. root veh-, to carry, etc.; prop. a pipe, channel; Gr. ochetos], a blood-vessel, vein.

I.

Lit.

1.

In gen.:

venae et arteriae a corde tractae et profectae in corpus omne ducuntur,

Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139:

venam incidere,

id. Pis. 34, 83; Cels. 2, 10:

bracchiorum venas interscindere,

Tac. A. 15, 35:

abrumpere,

id. ib. 15, 59:

abscindere,

id. ib. 15, 69:

exsolvere,

id. ib. 16, 17;

16, 19: pertundere,

Juv. 6, 46:

secare, Suet. Vit. Luc.: ferire,

Verg. G. 3, 460:

solvere,

Col. 6, 14, 3.—

2.

In partic., an artery:

si cui venae sic moventur, is habet febrem,

Cic. Fat. 8, 15; Cels. 3, 6:

tentare,

to feel the pulse, Suet. Tib. 72 fin.;

for which, tangere,

Pers. 3, 107; Sid. Ep. 22: si protinus venae conciderunt, i. e. the pulse has sunk or fallen, Cels. 3, 5; cf.:

venis fugientibus,

Ov. P. 3, 1, 69.—

B.

Transf., of things that resemble veins.

1.

A water-course, Hirt. B. G. 8, 43;

Auct. B. Alex. 8, 1: fecundae vena aquae,

Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 16; Mart. 10, 30, 10.—

2.

A vein of metals, Cic. N. D. 2, 60, 151; Juv. 9, 31.—

3.

The urinary passage, Cels. 4, 1.—

4.

A vein or streak of wood, Plin. 16, 38, 73, § 184; 13, 15, 30, § 97. —Of stone, Plin. 37, 6, 24, § 91; Stat. S. 1, 3, 36.—

5.

A row of trees in a garden, Plin. 17, 11, 15, § 76.—

6.

= membrum virile, Mart. 4, 66, 12; 6, 49, 2; 11, 16, 5; Pers. 6, 72.—

II.

Trop.

A.

The strength:

vino fulcire venas cadentes,

Sen. Ep. 95, 22; id. Ben. 3, 9, 22; cf. Hor. S. 2, 3, 153.—

B.

The interior, the innate or natural quality or nature of a thing:

periculum residebit et erit inclusum penitus in venis et visceribus rei publicae,

Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 31:

(orator) teneat oportet venas cujusque generis, aetatis, ordinis,

the innermost feelings, the spring, pulse, id. de Or. 1, 52, 223: si ulla vena paternae disciplinae in nobis viveret, Sev. ap. Spart. Pesc. 3.—

C.

For a person's natural bent, genius, disposition, vein (the fig. taken from veins of metal):

ego nec studium sine divite venā, Nec rude quid possit video ingenium,

Hor. A. P. 409:

tenuis et angusta ingenii,

Quint. 6, 2, 3:

benigna ingenii,

Hor. C. 2, 18, 10:

publica (vatis),

Juv. 7, 53.