• alvus,
i,
f. (
m., Att.
ap. Prisc. p. 654 P.; 718
ib., and
Non. 193, 26; Calv., Ael. Cin., and Laber.
ap. Charis. p. 61 P.) [for aluus from alo: venter feminae ab alendo dicta, Paul. ex
Fest. p. 8 Müll. and so Varr.;
acc. to others
kindr. with Sanscr. ulvam = uterus, and this again connected with vulva, volvo;
ἐλύω εἰλύω; Sanscr. val = to turn;
O. H. Germ. wallen = to roll],
the belly,
the paunch,
the bowels. - I. Lit.: purgatio alvi, Cic. N. D. 3, 22: forsitan purgat alvum, Vulg. Jud. 3, 24; 3, 22; cf. Cic. N. D. 2, 50: solvere, Cels. 1, 3: exonerare, Plin. 10, 44, 61, § 126: inanire, id. 20, 3, 8, § 14 et saep.: non descendit alvus, is costive, Cels. 2, 7: cui satis alvus reddit cotidie, id. 2, 12, n. 2: alvus cita, active, id. 1, 6: alvum bonam facere, Cato, R. R. 114: movere, id. ib. 115: citare, Col. 7, 9, 9: adstringere alvum, to make costive, Cels. 1, 3; so also: cohibere, comprimere, supprimere, firmare, sistere, inhibere, etc., to bind, constipate, etc.—In plur.: ad eliciendas alvos, Plin. 19, 5, 26, § 2.—Hence, for excrement: alvus varia, Cels. 2, 6: alvus liquida, nigra, pallida, pinguis, id. ib.; and for flux, diarrhœa: alvus corpus ac vires carpit, Col. 6, 7.—
- II. Transf.
- A. The womb: in alvo gestare, Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 5; twice in Cic.: cum praegnans Dionysium alvo contineret, Cic. Div. 1, 20: spes in alvo commendata, id. Clu. 12; so Hor. C. 4, 6, 20; id. A. P. 340 al.—
- B. The stomach, the digestive organs, Cic. N. D. 2, 54; so id. ib. 2, 50; Ov. M. 6, 651.—
- C. A beehive (very freq.): mediā alvo, quā introeant apes, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 15: alvi melle plenae, Plin. 21, 12, 43, § 73: si plenae alvi fuerint, id. 11, 15, 15, § 40: (apes) alvo se continent, id. 11, 16, 15, § 43; Col. 9, 8, 1; 9, 14, 7; so id. 9, 15, 11.—
- D. Of the basin of the molten sea in the Jewish temple: (boves) alvum maris circuibant, Vulg. 2 Par. 4, 3.