canus

cānus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. Kas-, to shine; cf. cascus], white, hoary (mostly poet. ).

I.

Lit.:

fluctus,

Lucr. 2, 767; Cic. Arat. 71;

hence aqua,

foamy, frothy, Ov. H. 2, 16:

nix,

white, Lucr. 3, 21; Hor. S. 2, 5, 41:

gelu,

Verg. G. 3, 442:

montes,

id. ib. 1, 43:

pruina,

hoar-frost, Hor. C. 1, 4, 4:

grandine canus Athos,

Ov. Ib. 200:

salicta,

id. M. 5, 590:

segetes,

id. ib. 10, 655:

aristae,

id. ib. 6, 456:

lupus,

id. ib. 6, 527;

7, 550: favilla,

id. ib. 8, 524:

color equi,

Pall. Mart. 14, 4:

arborum villi,

Plin. 12, 23, 50, § 108:

situs,

id. 12, 25, 55, § 125.—

B.

Esp. freq. of the gray hair of the aged:

cano capite atque albā barbā,

Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 15; id. As. 5, 2, 84; Cat. 68, 124; Tib. 1, 1, 72; Ov. F. 5, 57:

capilli,

Hor. C. 2, 11, 15; Ov. M. 1, 266; 2, 30; 4, 474; Phaedr. 2, 2, 10:

crinis,

Cat. 64, 350; Ov. M. 13, 427:

barba,

Mart. 4, 36 al. —Hence, subst. in plur.: cāni, ōrum, m. (sc. capilli), gray hairs:

non cani, non rugae repente auctoritatem arripere possunt,

Cic. Sen. 18, 62; Ov. M. 3, 275; in Aug. and post-Aug. poets (esp. freq. in Ovid) with adjj.:

falsi,

Ov. M. 6, 26:

honorati,

id. ib. 8, 9:

positi,

id. ib. 14, 655:

rari,

id. ib. 8, 567:

sui,

id. ib. 10, 391:

miseri,

Pers. 5, 65: venerandi. Sen. Herc. Fur. 1249.—Hence,

II.

Transf., of age and of aged persons. old, aged:

senectus,

hoary, Cat. 108, 1:

anilitas,

id. 61, 162:

amator,

Tib. 1, 8, 29: cana veritas, venerable, Varr. ap. Non. p. 243, 1:

Fides,

Verg. A. 1, 292:

Vesta,

id. ib. 5, 744.