canticum

cantĭcum, i, n. [cantus].

I.

Lit., a song in the Roman comedy, sung by one person, and accompanied by music and dancing; a monody, solo:

nosti canticum (in Demiurgo Turpilii), meministi Roscium,

Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 1:

agere,

Liv. 7, 2, 9:

desaltare,

Suet. Calig. 54:

histrio in cantico quodam,

id. Ner. 39:

Neroniana,

id. Vit. 11:

Atellanis notissimum canticum exorsis,

id. Galb. 13.—

II.

A song, in gen.:

chorus canticum Insonuit,

Phaedr. 5, 7, 25:

canticum repetere,

id. 5, 7, 31:

omne convivium obscenis canticis strepit,

Quint. 1, 2, 8; 1, 10, 23; cf. id. 1, 8, 2; 1, 12, 14; 9, 2, 35; 11, 3, 13.—

2.

Esp. Canticum Canticorum, the Song of Songs, the Canticles, Vulg.—Hence,

B.

A singing tone in the delivery of an orator, Cic. Or. 18, 57; Plin. Ep. 2, 14, 13; cf. Quint. 1, 8, 2; 11, 3, 13.—

III.

A lampoon, a libellous song, Paul. Sent. 5, 4, 15; cf. App. Mag. 75, p. 322, 8.—

B.

A magic formula, incantation, App. Mag. p. 301, 12.