λευκός

λευκός, ή, όν,

A light, bright, clear (opp. μέλας in all senses),

αἴγλη Od. 6.45

; λευκὸν (v.l. λαμπρόν)

. . ἠέλιος ὥς Il.14.185

;

λ. φάος S.Aj.708

(lyr.), cf. infr. 11.3;

αἰθήρ E.Andr.1228

(anap.); of metallic surfaces,

λέβης Il.23.268

; λ. γαλήνη a glassy calm, Od.10.94; of water, clear, limpid, Il.23.282, Od.5.70, A.Supp.23 (anap.);

λ. νᾶμα E.HF573

; -

ότατος ποταμῶν Call.Jov.19

.

2 metaph., clear, distinct, of the voice, Arist.Top.106a25, S.E.M.6.41: in literary sense, clear,

λ. στίχος AP11.347

(Phil.): prov., λευκὸς Ἑρμῆς, when a rogue was detected, Macar. 5.53. Adv. -κῶς, πάντα φαίνειν, of Hermes, Corn.ND16: [comp] Comp. -ότερον

, διαλεχθῆναι Hld.7.20

.

II of colour, white, freq. in Hom., varying from the pure white of snow ([

ἵπποι] -ότεροι χιόνος Il.10.437

) to the grey of dust (

λευκοὶ ἐγένοντο κονισάλῳ 5.503

);

γάλα λ. 4.434

;

κρῖ 5.196

;

ἄλφιτα 18.560

;

ἡνία λεύκ' ἐλέφαντι 5.583

;

ὀδόντες 10.263

;

ὀστέα 16.347

;

ἱστία 1.480

;

φᾶρος 18.353

, etc.; λ. ἅρμα, = λεύκιππον, E.Ph.172; of the white horses used by tyrants,

λ. ζεῦγος D. 21.158

, cf. λεύκιππος; λ. λίθος marble, OGI219.36 (Sigeum, iii B.C.), etc., cf. λευκόλιθος; λευκῷ<ν>λίθῳ λ. στάθμη a white line on a white stone, prov. of explanations which do not explain, S.Fr.330; ἡ λ. ῥίζα white root (= ἡ τοῦ δρακοντίου, acc. to Gal.19.118), Hp.Morb.2.48, Nat.Mul.32; freq. of white or grey hair,

λ. κάρη Tyrt.10.23

;

θρίξ S.Ant.1092

;

λ. γῆρας Id.Aj.625

(lyr.);

λευκὰ γήρᾳ σώματα E.HF 909

, etc.

b of the human skin, white, fair, sts. as a sign of youth and beauty, χρώς, πήχεε, Il.11.573, Od.23.240; λ. παρειά, παρηΐς, S.Ant.1239, E.Med.923; σάρξ, δέρη, ib.1189 (v.l.), IA875 (troch.); freq. with the notion of bare, κῶλον, πούς, Id.Ba.665, 863 (lyr.), Ion 221 (lyr.); cf. λευκόπους.

c of persons, white-skinned, Pl.R.474e: hence, weakly, womanish, Ar.Th.191, Ec.428, X.HG3.4.19;

λευκῶν ἀνδρῶν οὐδὲν ὄφελος Macar.5.55

; cf. λευκόπρωκτος, λευκόχρως.

d λευκαὶ φρένες in Pi.P.4.109 is expld. by Hsch. μαινόμεναι, frantic, passionate (cf. λευκῶν πραπίδων· κακῶν φρενῶν, Id.).

2 λ. χρυσός, pale gold, i.e. gold alloyed with silver (prob. the same as ἤλεκτρον), opp. ἄπεφθος χρυσός, Hdt.1.50.

3 metaph., bright, fortunate, happy,

λευκὸν ἦμαρ νυκτὸς ἐκ μελαγχίμου A.Pers.301

, cf. Ag.668; a joyful day or holiday, Call.Aet.1.1.2; λ. ἡμέρα a happy day, S.Fr.6, cf. Sch.Call.Iamb.in PSI9.1094.39; variously expld. in Phylarch. 83 J., Plu.Per.27; ἡ λ. ψῆφος the vote of acquittal, Luc.Harm.3, cf. Hsch.

III λεύκη, ἡ, leuko/n, τό, as Subst., v. sub vocc. (Cogn. with Lat. lux, etc.)