Significatio vocis canis | Babel Free

Definitiones

1. a river in Arabia, mentioned by Pliny
   declension-3, masculine, singular
2. a dog, a hound (animal)
   declension-3, feminine, masculine
3. a ‘dog’ constellation or ‘dog’ star: either Canis Major, its brightest star Sirius; or Canis Minor, its brightest star Procyon
   declension-3, feminine, masculine
4. a dog, a hound, a bounder, a blackguard, a cad, a heel (foul person)
   declension-3, feminine, masculine
5. a dog, a creature (human parasite or follower who depends on someone with great power and resources and bends to their will)
   declension-3, feminine, masculine
6. a tiger, a dragon, a savage (a fierce or enraged person)
   declension-3, feminine, masculine
7. the lowest, worst throw at the dice, an ace
   declension-3, feminine, masculine

Aequivalentia

Exempla

“Petronius Cave canem.”

Beware of the dog.

“‘est Canis, Īcarium dīcunt, quō sīdere mōtō tosta sitit tellūs, praecipiturque seges’ ‘‘There is a Dog – they say [of?] Icarius – a star (or constellation), [and] where it has moved, the earth thirsts, [it] having been scorched, and the crop is seized beforehand.’’”

(Maera (hound) found the body of Icarius (Athenian) and became the constellation Canis Minor with the bright ‘‘dog’’ star Procyon; it, along with Canis Major, the other celestial dog with its brighter ‘‘dog’’ star Sirius, were believed to cause late summer heat and drought.)

“Talis enim iactatis, ut quisque canem aut senionem miserat, in singulos talos singulos denarios in medium conferebat, quos tollebat uniuersos, qui Venerem iecerat”

When the tali (oblong dice) would be thrown, those who had gotten an ace or a six had to place a denarius in the middle of the table for each die thrown, the one that would achieve in getting a Venus (the best throw) won it all.

Gradus CEFR