noun · neuterthird declension
sīdus1
sīdus n (genitive sīderis)
Classical[ˈsiː.dʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈsiː.dus]
№ 359 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- group of stars, constellation, asterism
Intereā Delphīn clārum super aequora sīdus tollitur
Meanwhile the Dolphin, a bright constellation, is being risen over the surface of the sea8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 1.457–458 - a star
- poeticthe night sky
- figurativelya season (of the year)
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
stēlla vel multae stēllae ūnā; nautae sīdera spectant.sīdus -eris n — in Mille Verba, Caelum et Tempestātēs
stēllasīdus -eris (n) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 22 and IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 14, 23
stēlla, ignis caelīsīdus -eris (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 1, 10
star, constellation
sīdus -eris (n) — in De Bello Gallico III
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Stella · Astrum · Sidus
Stella (dimin. of ἀστήρ) means any one of the innumerable individual stars, like ἀστήρ; astrum (ἄστρον), any one of the greater bright heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and principal stars, with their peculiar names, like ἄστρον; sidus (εἶδος), a complication of stars, a constellation, and, by affinity of the notion with number and magnitude, a great star, like τέρας, τείρεα. Astrum and stella denote the stars more in a mere physical relation, as bright heavenly bodies; sidus, more in an astronomical and astrological relation, as portentous and influencing human affairs. Sen. Helv. 9. Dum ortus siderum, occasus intervallaque, et causas investigare velocius meandi vel tardius spectare tot per noctem stellas micantes liceat. (iv. 409.)
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | sīdus | sīdera |
| genitive | sīderis | sīderum |
| dative | sīderī | sīderibus |
| accusative | sīdus | sīdera |
| ablative | sīdere | sīderibus |
| vocative | sīdus | sīdera |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- nox sideribus illustris
- a star-light night.
- sidera certis locis infixa
- the fixed stars.
- spectator siderum, rerum caelestium or astrologus
- an astronomer.
sīdus, ĕris, n. cf. Sanscr. svid, to sweat, melt; Gr. σίδηρος (molten) iron; Lat. sudo.
I. Stars united in a figure, a group of stars, a constellation (and hence mostly plur.;
only so ap. Cic., Cæs., and Quint.): sunt stellae quidem singulares, ut erraticae quinque et ceterae, quae non admixtae aliis solae feruntur: sidera vero, quae in aliquod signum stellarum plurium compositione formantur, ut Aries, Taurus, Andromeda, Perseus, vel Corona et quaecumque variarum genera formarum in caelum recepta creduntur. Sic et apud Graecos aster et astron diversa significant et aster stella una est, astron signum stellis coactum, quod nos sidus vocamus, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 14 med. (a). Plur.:
illi sempiterni ignes, quae sidera et stellas vocatis, Cic. Rep. 6, 15, 15: signis sideribusque caelestibus, id. N. D. 1, 13, 35: circuitus solis et lunae reliquorumque siderum, id. ib. 2, 62, 155; cf.: solem lunamque praecipua siderum, Quint. 2, 16, 6; and: in sole sidera ipsa desinunt cerni, id. 8, 5, 29: siderum regina bicornis Luna, Hor. C. S. 35: Arcturi sidera, Verg. G. 1, 204: solis, i. e. sol, Ov. M. 14, 172: sidera, quae vocantur errantia, Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89; so, errantia, Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 32: siderum motus, Cic. Rep. 3, 2, 3; id. Lael. 23, 88: sidera viderit innumerabilia, id. Tusc. 5, 24, 69; id. Fin. 2, 31, 102; id. N. D. 2, 15, 39 et saep.; * Caes. B. G. 6, 14 fin.; Quint. 1, 4, 4; 2, 17, 38; 12, 11, 10 al.; Lucr. 1, 231; 1, 788; 1, 1065: candida, id. 5, 1210: alta, Verg. A. 3, 619: surgentia, id. ib. 6, 850: radiantia, Ov. M. 7, 325: turbata, Stat. Th. 12, 406 al.: lucida, Hor. C. 1, 3, 2; 3, 1, 32; id. Epod. 3, 15; 5, 45; 17, 5.—(b). Sing., a heavenly body, a star; and collect., a group of stars, a constellation:
clarum Tyndaridae sidus, Hor. C. 4, 8, 31: fervidum, Sirius, id. Epod. 1, 27; nivosum sidus Pleiadum, Stat. S. 1, 1, 95: insana Caprae sidera, Hor. C. 3, 7, 6: Baccho placuisse coronam, Ex Ariadnaeo sidere nosse potes, Ov. F. 5, 346; so of the constellation Arcturus, Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 311 (for which, in the plur.: Arcturi sidera, Verg. G. 1, 204); of Capella, Ov. M. 3, 594; of the Vergiliae, Liv. 21, 35, 6; Curt. 5, 6, 12; of Saturn, Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 32 sq.; Juv. 6, 569; of Venus, Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 36; Luc. 1, 661; of the Moon: sidus lunae, Plin. 2, 9, 6, § 41; of the Sun: calidi sideris aestu, Tib. 2, 1, 47: aetherium, Ov. M. 1, 424; Plin. 7, 60, 60, § 212: solstitiale, Just. 13, 7 fin.; cf.: sidus utrumque, for the rising and setting sun, Petr. poët. 119, 2; and also for the sun and moon, Plin. 2, 13, 10, §§ 56 and 57.—Poet., collect.: nec sidus fefellit, i. e. through ignorance, Verg. A. 7, 215.—II. Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
A. The sky, the heavens, = caelum. (Juppiter) terram, mare, sidera movit, Ov. M. 1, 180: (Hercules) flammis ad sidera missus, Juv.11,63; cf.:
abrupto sidere nimbus It, Verg. A. 12, 451: sidera observare, Curt. 7, 4, 28.—2. Like caelum, to denote a very great height:
Pyramidum sumptus ad sidera ducti, Prop. 3, 2 (4, 1), 17: evertunt actas ad sidera pinus, Verg. A. 11, 136; cf. Juv. 11, 63: ad sidera Erigitur, Verg. A. 9, 239: aves, quas naturalis levitas ageret ad sidera, Curt. 4, 5, 3: domus quae vertice sidera pulsat, Mart. 8, 36, 11; 9, 62, 10; Verg. G. 2, 427; id. A. 3, 243; id. E. 5, 62 al.—b. Trop. (also like caelum), as the summit or height of fame, fortune, success, etc.:
quodsi me lyricis vatibus inseris, Sublimi feriam sidera vertice, Hor. C. 1, 1, 36: vertice sidera tangere, Ov. M. 7, 61; cf.: tuum nomen ... Cantantes sublime ferent ad sidera cygni, Verg. E. 9, 29: usque ad sidera notus, id. ib. 5, 43: contingere sidera plantis, to walk upon the stars (like the gods) (of one exceedingly fortunate), Prop. 1, 8, 43 (1, 8 b, 17); cf.: celerique fugā sub sidera lapsae, Verg. A. 3, 243.—B. For night:
exactis sideribus, Prop. 1, 3, 38: sidera producere ludo, Stat. Th. 8, 219; cf.: sideribus dubiis, at dawn, Juv. 5, 22.—C. A star, as a comparison for any thing bright, brilliant, shining, beautiful, etc. (syn.:
stella, astrum): oculi, geminae, sidera nostra, faces, Prop. 2, 3, 14; so of the eyes, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 44; 3, 3, 9; id. M. 1, 499: sidere pulchrior Ille, Hor. C. 3, 9, 21; cf. id. ib. 1, 12, 47; of form, beauty, Stat. S. 3, 4, 26; Val. Fl. 5, 468.—2. Concr., ornament, pride, glory:
o sidus Fabiae, Maxime, gentis ades, Ov. P. 3, 3, 2; cf. id. ib. 4, 6, 9; Col. poët, 10, 96: puerum egregiae praeclarum sidere formae, Stat. S. 3, 4, 26: Macedoniae columen ac sidus, Curt. 9, 6, 8.—As a term of endearment, my star, Suet. Calig. 13 fin.; Hor. Epod. 17, 41.—D. Season of the year:
quo sidere terram Vertere Conveniat, Verg. G. 1, 1; cf.: hiberno moliris sidere classem? id. A. 4, 309: sidere aequinoctii quo maxime tumescit Oceanus, Tac. A. 1, 70; cf.: brumale sidus, Ov. P. 2, 4, 25: sidere flagrante brumali, Amm. 27, 12, 12.—2. Climate, weather, etc.:
ut patrios fontes patriumque sidus ferre consuevisti, Plin. Pan. 15, 3; so, sub nostro sidere, Juv. 12, 103: tot inhospita saxa Sideraque emensae, i.e. regions, Verg. A. 5, 628: grave sidus et imbrem vitare, tempest, storm, Ov. M. 5, 281: triste Minervae (raised by Minerva), Verg. A. 11, 260.—Colloquially, with confectus: intellegitur sidus confectum, i. e. that the weather (occasioned by a constellation) is ended, Plin. 16, 23, 36, § 87; 18, 25, 57, § 207: fertur in abruptum casu, non sidere, puppis, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 424.—E. With allusion to the influence which the ancients believed the constellations to have upon the health or the destiny of men, star, destiny, etc.:
pestifero sidere icti, Liv. 8, 9, 12: sidere afflari, to be blasted or palsied by a constellation, to be planet-struck or sunstruck, ἀστροβολεῖσθαι, Plin. 2, 41, 41, § 108; Petr. 2, 7; cf.: sidere percussa lingua, Mart. 11, 85, 1: subito fias ut sidere mutus, id. 7, 92, 9; v. sideror and sideratio: sidera natalicia, Cic. Div. 2, 43, 91; cf.: o sidere dextro Edite, Stat. S. 3, 4, 63: adveniet fausto cum sidere conjux, Cat. 64, 330: vivere duro sidere, Prop. 1, 6, 36: grave sidus, Ov. Tr. 5, 10, 45 Jahn: per alias civitates ut sidus salutare susciperetur, as arbiter of their destiny, Amm. 21, 10, 2.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
sīdus eris, n
a group of stars, constellation, heavenly body: de sideribus disputare, Cs.: Siderum regina bicornis Luna, H.: Arcturi sidera, V.: sidera solis, orb, O.: surgentia, V.: radiantia, O. —Sing, a heavenly body, star, group of stars, constellation: Clarum Tyndaridae, H.: fervidum, Sirius, H.: pluviale Capellae, O.: occidente sidere Vergiliarum, L.: quid sidus triste minatur Saturni, Iu.: Nec sidus regione viae litusve fefellit, i. e. nor were we misled by (failing to understand) star or shore, V.: sideribus dubiis, at dawn, Iu.: exactis sideribus, night, Pr.—The sky, heaven: (Iuppiter) terram, mare, sidera movit, O.: (Hercules) flammis ad sidera missus, Iu.: sidera observare, Cu.: evertunt actas ad sidera pinos, i. e. on high, V.—Fig., of celebrity or prosperity, the heavens, stars, heights: Sublimi feriam sidera vertice H.: nomen ferent ad sidera cygni, V.—A star, light, beauty, glory: per oculos, sidera nostra, tuos, O.: radiant ut sidus ocelli, O.: sidere pulchrior Ille, H.—An ornament, pride, glory: Fabiae gentis, ades, O.: Macedoniae, Cu.: tu proba Perambulabis astra sidus aureum, H.—A season: quo sidere terram Vertere Conveniat, V.: brumale, O.—Climate, weather: sub nostro sidere, Iu.: tot inhospita saxa Sideraque emensae, i. e. regions, V.: grave, storm, O.—In astrology, a star, planet, destiny: pestifero sidere icti, L.: sidera natalicia: grave, O.
Origins
Tentatively thought to derive from a Proto-Italic *sīþos (“mark, target”), with a putative semantic shift (from hunters' jargon) from "target" > "star". Further origin unclear, with multiple theories proposed: * Some derive this from Proto-Indo-European *sweyd- (“sweat”), whence Latin sūdor, Ancient Greek ἱδρώς (hidrṓs), English sweat. * Rix, connecting the word to Ancient Greek ῑ̓θῠ́ς (īthŭ́s, “straight, just”) and Sanskrit साध् (sādh, “to go straight to a goal”), derives the terms from a Proto-Indo-European *seHdʰ- (“to achieve a goal”), and the Latin from a reduplicative form *si-sHdʰ-u- > *sisdʰu- > *sizdu- > *sīdu-. This is semantically tenuous. * Compare Ancient Greek σίδηρος (sídēros, “iron”). This is semantically unconvincing. * Possibly borrowed from a substrate. * Perhaps from a Proto-Indo-European *sh₂i-dʰh₁-o- (“binding”), from *sh₂ey- (“to bind, tie, fasten”), whence saeculum (“age, race, generation”). De Vaan tentatively prefers this derivation.
Descendants
- Italiansido