noun · neutersecond declension
ōvum1
ōvum n (genitive ōvī)
Classical[ˈoː.wũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈɔː.vum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- egg (approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, housing the embryo within a membrane or shell during its development)
- egg (edible egg of a domestic fowl; the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food)
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
quod avēs pariunt; ex ōvō pullus nāscitur.ōvum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Cibus et Convīvium
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | ōvum | ōva |
| genitive | ōvī | ōvōrum |
| dative | ōvō | ōvīs |
| accusative | ōvum | ōva |
| ablative | ōvō | ōvīs |
| vocative | ōvum | ōva |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- ab ovo usque ad mala (proverb.)
- from beginning to end.
ōvum, i, n. ὠόν, i. e. ΩϝΟΝ.
I. Lit., an egg:
ovum parere, to lay, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 57; Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 8: edere, Col. 8, 3, 4: ponere, Ov. M. 8, 258: efferre, Verg. G. 1, 379: eniti, Col. 8, 11, 8 sq.: facere, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 17: pullos ex ovis excuderunt, to hatch, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 130 B. and K. (al. excluserunt): incubare ova, to sit on, brood on, hatch, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 8; 12; for which: incubare ovis, Col. 8, 11, 14: suppovere ova, id. 8, 6, 1: an pulli rostellis ova percuderint ... nam saepe propter crassitudinem putaminum erumpere non queunt, Col. 8, 5, 14: quatenus in pullos animalis vertier ova cernimus alituum, Lucr. 2, 927.—Also of the spawn of fish, etc.: etsi pisces, ova cum genuerunt relinquunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 129: testudines autem et crocodilos dicunt ... obruere ova, id. ib. 2, 52, 129: saepius et tectis penetralibus extulit ova ... formica, Verg. G. 1, 380; Plin. 10, 52, 74, § 145: ovi putamen, an eggshell, Col. 8, 5, 14: cortex ovi, Ser. Samm. 28, 531.—The Romans usually began their meals with eggs and ended them with fruit; hence, integram famem ad ovum affero, until the egg, i. e. the beginning of the meal, Cic. Fam. 9, 20, 1; and: ab ovo Usque ad mala citaret, Io Bacche! i. e. from the beginning to the end, Hor. S. 1, 3, 6.—Acc. to the myth, Leda became pregnant by Jupiter, who visited her in the shape of a swan; she laid two eggs, one by Jupiter, and the other by Tyndarus; from the former of which were born Pollux and Helen, and from the latter Castor and Clytaemnestra; hence, nec gemino bellum Trojanum orditur ab ovo, Hor. A. P. 147: Castor gaudet equis, ovo prognatus eodem Pugnis, from the same egg, i. e. of the same parentage, id. S. 2, 1, 26.—In the circus seven wooden eggs were set up, one of which was removed at the completion of each circuit; hence, non modo ovum illud sublatum est, quod, etc., Varr. R. R. 1, 2: ova ad notas curriculis numerandis, Liv. 41, 27, 6.—II. Transf.
A. An egg-shell (as a measure), an egg-shellful, Plin. 22, 25, 67, § 137.—
B. An egg-shape, oval shape, oval, Calp. Ecl. 7, 34.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
ōvum ī, n
3 AV-, an egg: ovum parere, to lay: ponere, O.: pullos ex ovis excuderunt, hatched: pisces ova cum genuerunt, spawn: integram famem ad ovum adfero, i. e. the beginning of the meal (when eggs were served): ab ova Usque ad mala, i. e. from the beginning to the end, H.: Nec gemino bellum Troianum orditur ab ovo (alluding to the mythical story of the eggs of Leda), H.: ovo prognatus eodem, i. e. of the same mother, H.: ova ad notas curriculis numerandus (wooden eggs used in the circus as counters, one being removed after each circuit made), L.
Origins
Inherited from Proto-Italic *ōw(j)om, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ᾠόν (ōión).
Borrowings
- Englishovum
- Spanishovo
- Idoovofrom Esperanto ovo
- Interlinguaovo
- Norwegian Bokmålovo
Balkan Romance
- Romanianou
- Aromanianou
- Megleno-Romanianuou
Insular Romance
- Sardinianou, ovu
Elsewhere
- Vulgar Latin*ŏvum
In English words that came into English from ōvum
- ovumōvum
- ovaryovarium
- oviparousōviparus
- oviductōviductus
- ovoviviparousōvum
- ovoidōvum
- ovuleōvum
- ovateōvātus
- oviparityōviparus
- ovistōvum
- ovoloōvum
- ovariousōvum
- mesovariumovarium