cavus

căvus, a, um, adj. [root ku-, kueô, to swell, etc.; cf.: koilos, kenos], hollow, excavated, concave (opp. plenus, full, round; class.).

I.

Prop.:

cava conveniant plenis,

Lucr. 6, 1085:

cicutae,

id. 5, 1383:

tibia,

id. 2, 620:

concha,

Verg. A. 6, 171:

aes,

id. ib. 3, 240:

testudo,

id. G. 4, 464; Hor. Epod. 14, 11:

bucina,

Ov. M. 1, 335 et saep.:

ungula,

Enn. Ann. 419 Vahl.:

fornaces,

Lucr. 7, 202:

montes,

id. 5, 955:

specus,

Enn. Ann. 420 Vahl.:

cavernae,

Verg. A. 2, 53:

trabs,

id. ib. 3, 191 et saep.:

trunci,

Hor. C. 2, 19, 12:

ilex,

id. Epod. 16, 47:

saxa,

id. C. 3, 13, 14 et saep.:

vena,

the hollow vein, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138:

nubes,

Lucr. 6, 127; 6, 176; 6, 272; Verg. A. 1, 516; 5, 810 al.—Hence also of a darkness enveloping one as a cloud:

umbra,

Verg. A. 2, 360:

flumina,

the deepchannelled mountain streams, id. G. 1, 326; 4, 427; cf. Luc. 1, 396: luna, waning (cf. cavo), Plin. 8, 54, 80, § 215.—

B.

Subst.: căvum, i, n. (access. form căvus, i, m. (sc. locus), Varr. R. R. 3, 15, 1; Hor. S. 2, 6, 116; id. Ep. 1, 7, 33; Phaedr. 4, 6, 3; Col. 12, 8), a hollow, cavity, hole, Cato, R. R. 128; Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 49; Lucr. 5, 1382; Liv. 24, 34, 9; Verg. G. 1, 184; Hor. S. 2, 3, 173; Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 192; 11, 51, 112, § 266 et saep.:

cava caeli,

Enn. Trag. 131 Vahl.; cf.:

cava caerula,

id. ib. 332 Vahl.; hence, căvum aedĭum (contr. căvae-dĭum, Phn. Ep. 2, 17, 5), the inner court of Roman houses (cf. Vitr. 6, 3 Schneid.;

O. Müll. Etrusk. 1, p. 255, and Archaeol. § 293, III.),

Varr. L. L. 5, § 161; Vitr. 6, 3; Dict. of Antiq.—

II.

In late Lat., trop.: menses, which have only 30 days (opp. menses pleni, which have 31 days), Censor. 20.—

b.

= inanis, vain, empty:

gloria,

Paul. Nol. Carm. 22, 139:

opes,

id. ib. 21, 912.