λύκος

λύκος [ῠ], ὁ, A. wolf, Il. 16.156, 352; πολιός grisly, 10.334; κρατερώνυχες Od. 10.218; ὀρέστεροι ib.212; ὠμοφάγοι Il. 16.156; κοιλογάστορες A. Th. 1041; the small Egyptian wolves mentioned by Hdt. 2.67 were perh. jackals: various kinds distd. by Opp. C. 3.293 sqq.: prov. λύκον ἰδεῖν to see a wolf, i. e. to be struck dumb, as was vulgarly believed of any one at whom a wolf got the first look (Pl. R. 336d), Theoc. 14.22; λύκου πτερά, of things that are not, ‘pigeonʼs milk’, Suid.; ὡς λ. χανών, of vain expectation, Eub. 15.11, cf. Ar. Fr. 337, Euphro 1.31; λ. κεχηνώς Ar. Lys. 629; πρίν κεν λ. οἶν ὑμεναιοῖ, of an impossibility, Id. Pax 1076, 1112, cf. Il. 22.263; ὡς λύκοι ἄρνʼ ἀγαπῶσιν, of treacherous or unnatural love, Poet. ap. Pl. Phdr. 241d; λύκου βίον ζῆν, i. e. live by rapine, Prov. ap. Plb. 16.24.4; ἐκ λύκου στόματος, of getting a thing praeter spem, Zen. 3.48; τῶν ὤτων ἔχειν τὸν λύκον ‘catch a Tartar’, Apollod.Car. 18, cf. Plb. 30.20.8; λ. ἀετὸν φεύγει, of the inescapable, Diogenian. 6.19; λ. περὶ φρέαρ χορεύει, of those engaged in vain pursuits, ib.21. II. a kind of daw, Arist. HA 617b17; cf. λύκιος. III. a fish, = καλλιώνυμος, Hices. ap. Ath. 7.282d, Gp. 18.14.1. IV. a kind of spider, Arist. HA 623a2, Nic. Th. 734, Plin. HN 30.52. V. anything shaped like a hook: 1. a jagged bit for hard-mouthed horses, Lat. lupus, Plu. 2.641f; cf. λυκοσπάς. 2. hook or knocker on a door, Hsch. 3. flesh-hook, Poll. 10.98. VI. nickname of παιδερασταί, AP 12.250 (Strat.), cf. Pl. Phdr. 241d. VII. the flower of the iris, Philin. ap. Ath. 15.682a. VIII. a kind of noose, Gal. UP 7.14, Heraclas ap.Orib. 48.7, Hippiatr. 74. IX. a pastille used in dysentery, Aët. 9.49 (Latin version). X. = ὀροβάγχη, v.l. in marg. of Dsc. 2.142. XI. an engine of war for defending gates, Procop. Goth. 1.21. (Cf. Skt. vṝkas, Lith. vilkas, Slav. vlǔkǔ, Goth. wulfs.)