vŏlŭcer, ū̆cris, ū̆cre (gen. plur. volucrium, Cic. ap. Charis. p. 119 P.; masc. volucris, Tib. 4, 1, 209; Sil. 10, 471; fem. volucer fama, Petr. poët. 123, 210; cf. acer; on the quantity of the u in volucris, v. Quint. 1, 5, 28), adj. [cf. 2. volo], flying, winged (class.; syn.: ales, volatilis).
- I. Lit.
- 1. Adj.: bestiae, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; id. Lael. 21, 81: angues, id. N. D. 1, 36, 101: dracones, Ov. M. 7, 218: Cupido, id. ib. 9, 482: natus, i. e. Cupid, id. ib. 5, 364: deus, i. e. Mercury, Stat. Th. 2, 55; cf. pes (Mercurii), Ov. F. 5, 88; and: o nuntium volucrem! Cic. Quint. 25, 80.
- 2. Subst.: vŏlū̆cris, is, f. (sc. avis, once masc., sc. ales: teneros volucres, Cic. poët. Div. 2, 30, 64), a bird, a flying creature, Lucr. 1, 12; 2, 145; 2, 344; Cic. de Or. 2, 6, 23; id. Ac. 2, 25, 81: marinae, Prop. 3, 7 (4, 6), 11; Ov. A. A. 3, 35; id. H. 10, 123: Junonis, i. e. the peacock, id. M. 15, 385; cf. Junonia, id. Med. Fac. 33; of the cock: volucres cecinere diem, Coripp. 1, 199; cf. Sil. 14, 22; the eagle, Luc. 6, 129: obscenae, Verg. A. 3, 241: Tityi volucres, vultures, Prop. 2, 20 (3, 13), 31; Hor. S. 1, 8, 6; of the sirens, Stat. S. 5, 3, 87; Quint. 10, 3, 24; 12, 11, 13; Suet. Aug. 13: pictae, Verg. A. 4, 525; Ov. M. 1, 308: volucris parvula, the fly, Phaedr. 5, 3, 3.
- B. Transf., of any thing that moves rapidly, flying, winged, fleet, swift, rapid (mostly poet.; syn. velox): lumen, Lucr. 6, 173; cf.: ritu flammarum, id. 1, 1102: fumi, Verg. G. 2, 217: aurae, id. A. 11, 795; Ov. M. 13, 807: nebulae, id. ib. 1, 602: procellae, id. Am. 2, 11, 33: sagitta, Verg. A. 5, 242; Ov. M. 9, 102; called also ferrum, id. Tr. 3, 10, 64: harundo, Verg. A. 5, 544: equi, Ov. M. 2, 153; 2, 234; 4, 245: currus, Hor. C. 1, 34, 8: volucri freta classe pererrat, Ov. M. 7, 460: jam volucrem sequor Te per gramina Martii Campi, speeding, running, Hor. C. 4, 1, 38 et saep.
- II. Trop.
- A. In gen., fleet, swift, rapid: nihil est tam volucre quam maledictum, Cic. Planc. 23, 57: aliud genus (dicendi) est … verbis volucre atque incitatum, id. Brut. 95, 325: volucri spe et cogitatione rapiuntur a domo longius, id. Rep. 2, 4, 7: somnus, Verg. A. 2, 794: fatum, Hor. C. 2, 17, 24.
- B. In partic., passing quickly by, fleeting, transient, transitory: o volucrem fortunam, Cic. Sull. 32, 91: dies, Hor. C. 3, 28, 6; 4, 13, 16: fama, Ov. H. 17, 207; Petr. 123: gaudium, Tac. Or. 9.
Adv.: vŏlŭcrĭter, swiftly, rapidly (post-class.): congregati, Amm. 17, 1, 12: perurgebat nocentes innocentesque, id. 29, 1, 18.