fī̆bra, ae, f. [acc. to Doed. Syn. 3, p. 22, kindr. with filum (cf. the Eng. string in both senses)], a fibre, filament, in a plant, in a part of an animal's body, etc. (cf. nervus).
I Lit.: viriditas herbescens, nixa fibris stirpium, sensim adolescit, Cic. de Sen. 15, 51: omnes radicum fibras evellere, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: recurvae radicis, Ov. M. 14, 633: alliorum, Verg. M. 88: tubera undique terra circumdata nullisque fibris nixa aut saltem capillamentis, Plin. 19, 2, 11, § 33; Col. 11, 2, 9; 11, 3, 21: pulmo in duas fibras ungulae bubulae modo dividitur. .jecur in quatuor fibras dividitur, i. e. parts , divisions , Cels. 4, 11: perlucentes numerare in pectore fibras, Ov. M. 6, 391: quid fissum in extis, quid fibra valeat, accipio, Cic. Div. 1, 10, 16; cf.: pericula praemonent, non fibris modo extisque, sed alia quadam significatione, Plin. 8, 28, 42, § 102: altera fibra (jecoris), id. 11, 37, 76, § 196; 32, 6, 21, § 60: fibrae cincinnorum madentes, Cic. Fragm. ap. Serv. Verg. G. 1, 120 et saep.—
II Transf., entrails in gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tura focis, vinumque dedit fibrasque bidentis, Ov. F. 4, 935; cf.: caesorumque boum fibris de more crematis, id. M. 13, 637: Promethea, i. e. the liver devoured by the vulture , Val. Fl. 7, 355; cf. Verg. A. 6, 600: conscia deorum (as giving prognostics; v. above I.), Tib. 1, 8, 3; cf.: sibi commissos fibra locuta deos, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 104: fibraeque repente Conticuere, Sil. 1, 138: neque mihi cornea fibra est, i. e. I am not so callous , insensible , Pers. 1, 47.—
2 Trop., like our word bowels , of the interior of the earth: persequimur omnes ejus (terrae) fibras, Plin. 33 praef. § 1.