Bible Lexicons

ᾠόν, τό,

old poet. forms ὤεον, ὤιον, v. sub fin.: —

egg, τίκτει ᾠὰ ἐν γῇ καὶ ἐκλέπει [ὁ κροκόδειλος] Hdt. 2.68; ᾠὰ χήνεια Eriph. 7; of all birds, Arist. HA 559a15; but mostly of hens' eggs, Ar. Lys. 856, Fr. 185, etc.; [ᾠοῦ] τὸ λευκόν, τὸ ὠχρόν, Arist. HA 559a18; τὸ πυρρόν, τὸ χρυσοῦν, Hp. Mul. 2.171, Ath. 9.376d; ᾠὰ ἡμιπαγέα half-boiled eggs, Hp. Acut. (Sp.) 53; ἑφθά, ὠμά, Thphr. Vert. 2; ᾠὸν ῥοφεῖν Nicom.Com. 3; καταπίνειν Antiph. 140.5; ᾠὰ κολάπτειν Anaxil. 18.4 (anap.); ᾠὰ γόνιμα fertile eggs, opp. ὑπηνέμια, ἄγονα, Arist. GA 730a6, 20; also ᾠὰ πλήρη Id. Mete. 359a14; ᾠὸν τέλειον, opp. ἀτελές, Id. GA 718b23, 24; ᾠὸν ἀνεμιαῖον, ζεφύριον, wind- egg, Arar. 6, Arist. HA 560a6; σμύρνης ᾠ. lump, Hdt. 2.73; ὁ Χρόνος ἐγέννησεν ᾠόν Orph. Fr. 54, al., cf. Epimenid. 5: metaph., ᾠὸν ἅπας γέγονεν he has become bald as an egg, AP 11.398 (Nicias).

2. of the eggs or spawn of fish, Hdt. 2.93; τὰ ᾠὰ ἀφιᾶσι Arist. HA 567b22, cf. 525a7; of serpents, ib. 558a26; of tortoises, ib. 558a4.

3. of plants, seed, Id. GA 731a6; cf. ᾠοτοκέω 2.

4. cupping-glass, τὰ ἰατρικὰ ᾠὰ ὑέλινα ὄντακαὶ σύστομα Hero Spir. 1 Prooem.: egg-shaped cup, Dinon 14. The word has the foll. forms: Att. ᾠόν (- ), confirmed by Inscrr. ὠιῶν IG 11(2).224 A 11,12 (Delos, iii B. C.), Papyri (ὠιὰ χήνεα PCair.Zen. 130.26 (iii B. C.)), and later Mss.; Aeol. ὤιον, gen. ὠίω ( ), Sapph. 56, 112; ὤεον lbyc.16, Semon. 11, Call. Epigr. 6.10, Nic. Th. 192, Arat. 956; ὤβεον is Argive acc. to Hsch. (i.e. ὤϝεον) ; ᾠόν oxyt. acc. to Theognost. Can. 130; ὤεον proparox., ib.121. The form ὠόν, which Lat. ovum would lead us to expect, is found only in late texts (LXX De. 22.6, Luke 11:12, etc.) and is due to loss of the ι in ii B. C.; cogn. with Lat. ovum, OHG ei, ONorse egg (prim. Germanic ai[*]i[*]a -), whence Engl. egg.