• ăpis or
-es,
is,
f. (
nom. sing. apis,
Ov. M. 13, 928;
Petr. Fragm. 32, 7;
Col. 9, 3, 2;
9, 12, 1.—The form apes is given in
Prisc. p. 613 and 703 P., and Prob. 1470
ib. as the prevailing one, to which the
dim. apicula is no objection, since fides also has fidicula.—The
gen. plur. varies between -ium and -um. The form apium is found,
Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 14;
Liv. 4, 33, 4;
27, 23, 3;
38, 46, 5;
Col. 9, 3, 3;
9, 9, 1 al.;
Plin. 8, 42, 64, § 158;
11, 7, 7, § 7;
11, 11, 11, § 27; 11, 16, 16, § 46; 17, 27, 44, § 255
al.;
Just. 13, 7, 10;
Ov. M. 15, 383;
Juv. 13, 68:
the form apum, Liv. 21, 46, 2;
24, 10, 11;
Col. 8, 1, 4;
9, 2, 2;
Pall. Apr. 8, 2;
id. Jun. 7, 1;
Aug. 7. Of the seven examples in Cicero, Ac. 2, 17, 54; 2, 38, 120; Div. 1, 33, 73;
Sen. 15, 54; Off. 1, 44, 157; Har. Resp. 12, 25
bis, the form apium is quite certain or has preponderating
MS. authority) [kindred with old
Germ. Bia, Imbi;
Germ. Biene, Imme; Engl. bee],
a bee:
apis aculeus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52:
sicut apes solent persequi, Vulg. Deut. 1, 44:
examen apium, a swarm of, Cic. Har. Resp. 12, 25:
examen apum, Liv. 24, 10, 11, and
Vulg. Jud. 14, 8:
apes leves, Tib. 2, 1, 49; so
Verg. G. 4, 54:
florilegae, Ov. M. 15, 366:
melliferae, id. ib. 15, 387:
parcae, frugal, Verg. G. 1, 4:
apis sedula, the busy bee, Ov. M. 13, 298 (
cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 21):
apum reges (their sovereign being regarded by the ancients as a male), Col. 9, 10, 1; so
Verg. G. 4, 68 et
saep.:
Attica apis, Ov. Tr. 5, 4, 30:
fingunt favos, Cic. Off. 1, 44, 157:
confingunt favos, Plin. 11, 5, 4, § 11:
condunt examina, Verg. G. 2, 452:
exeunt ad opera, Plin. 11, 6, 5, § 14:
insidunt floribus, Verg. A. 6, 708:
tulit collectos femine flores, Ov. M. 13, 928:
mellificant, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 59:
mella faciunt, id. ib.:
stridunt, Verg. G. 4, 556.— Their habits are described in
Varr. R. R. 3, 16 sqq.;
Verg. G. 4, 1 sqq.;
Col. 9, 2 sqq.;
Plin. 11, 5 sqq.;
Pall. 1, 37 sqq. al.