ălumnus, a, um, adj. [qs. contr. of alomenos, from alo].
I That is nourished , brought up; for the most part subst.
A ălumnus , i, m., a nursling , a pupil , foster-son.
1 Lit. (most freq. in the poets.): desiderio alumnūm ( = alumnorum), Pac. ap. Non. 243, 6 (Trag. Rel. p. 116 Rib.): erus atque alumnus tuus sum, Plaut. Merc. 4, 5, 7: quid voveat dulci nutricula majus alumno? Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 8; Verg. A. 11, 33: Tityon, terrae omniparentis alumnum, id. ib. 6, 595; so Ov. M. 4, 524; cf. with 421: legionum alumnus, i. e. brought up in the camp , Tac. A. 1, 44; cf. id. 1, 41: Vatinius sutrinae tabernae alumnus, id. ib. 15, 34: suum flevit alumnum, Val. Fl. 8, 94: alumni hominum peccatorum, * Vulg. Num. 32, 14.—Of the inhabitants of a country (cf. altrix): Italia alumnum suum summo supplicio fixum videret, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66; of cattle: Faune, abeas parvis Aequus alumnis, Hor. C. 3, 18, 3; so id. ib. 3, 23, 7.—
2 Trop.: ego itaque pacis, ut ita dicam, alumnus, Cic. Phil. 7, 3: alumnus fortunae, a child of fortune , Plin. 7, 7, 5, § 43.—Hence, of pupils: Platonis alumnus, pupil , disciple , Cic. Fin. 4, 26: alumnus disciplinae meae, id. Fam. 9, 14.—
B ălumna , ae, f., a foster-daughter , a pupil : nostra haec alumna, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 96: Italia omnium terrarum alumna eadem et parens (i. e. quae ab aliis terris alitur), Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 39: aliquam filiam et alumnam praedicare, Suet. Claud. 39: trepidam hortatur alumnam, Val. Fl. 5, 358.—Of frogs: aquai dulcis alumnae, Poët. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 9, 15.—Trop.: cana veritas Atticae philosophiae alumna, truth , the foster-child of Attic philosophy , Varr. ap. Non. 243, 2: jam bene constitutae civitatis quasi alumna quaedam, eloquentia, the foster-child of an already well-ordered state , * Cic. Brut. 12, 45: cliens et alumna Urbis Ostia (as a colony of the same), Flor. 3, 21.—
C The neutr. : numen alumnum, Ov. M. 4, 421.—
II In late Lat., act. , nourishing; or subst., nourisher , one who brings up or educates : cygnus alumna stagna petierat, Mart. Cap. 1, p. 11.—Hence Isidorus: et qui alit et alitur, alumnus dici potest, Orig. 10, 1.