bāca (less correctly bacca), ae, f. [acc. to Benfey, for bacsa, kindred with Sanscr. bhaksh, edere, vorare; cf. also bhaxa, food; but v. Vaniček, Etym. Wörterb. 2, p. 561], a small round fruit, a berry.
I Lit.
A In gen. (cf.: acinus, glans): virgas murteas cum bacis servare, Cato R. R. 101; Ov. M. 11, 234: lauri, Verg. G. 1, 306: tinus, Ov. M. 10, 98: ebuli, Verg. E. 10, 27: cupressi, Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 115: platani, id. 15, 7, 7, § 29: hyssopi, id. 26, 12, 76, § 124 al.—
B Esp. freq. the olive : agricola cum florem oleae videt, bacam quoque se visurum putat, Cic. Div. 2, 6, 16; Hor. S. 2, 4, 69; id. Ep. 1, 16, 2; Ov. M. 6, 81; 8, 295; cf. Mart. 13, 101.—
C Esp., absol. , in the poets of the olive, Hor. C. 2, 6, 16: quot Sicyon bacas, quot parit Hybla favos, Ov. P. 4, 15, 10.—As sacred to Minerva: ponitur hic bicolor sincerae baca Minervae, Ov. M. 8, 664; 13, 653.—And of the fruit of the wild olive-tree, Ov. M. 14, 525; cf. Verg. G. 2, 183.—
II Transf.
A In gen., any fruit of a tree , * Lucr. 5, 1363: arbores seret diligens agricola, quarum aspiciet bacam ipse numquam, Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 31: fruges terrae, bacaeque arborum, id. Div. 1, 51, 116; so id. Sen. 2, 5: rami bacarum ubertate incurvescere, id. poët. ap. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (Trag. Rel. inc. inc. v. 135 Rib.); cf. id. de Or. 3, 38, 154: semen inclusum est in intimā parte earum bacarum, quae ex quāque stirpe funduntur, id. N. D. 2, 51, 127: fruges atque bacae, id. Leg. 1, 8, 25: felices, Sil. 15, 535.—
B That which is like a berry in shape.
1 A pearl : marita, quae Onusta bacis ambulet, Hor. Epod. 8, 14: aceto Diluit insignem bacam, id. S. 2, 3, 241; so Ov. M. 10, 116; 10, 265; Verg. Cul. 67; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 592; id. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 167; id. Laud. Stil. 2, 88; id. VI. Cons. Hon. 528.—
2 The dung of sheep or goats , Pall. Jan. 14, 3.—
3 A link of a chain in the shape of a berry , Prud. στεφ. 1, 46; so id. Psych. prooem. 33.