floscŭlus, i, m. (collat. form, floscŭ-la, ae, f., Fulg. Serm. 6), dim. [flos], a little flower, floweret (rare but class.).
I Lit.: ficta omnia celeriter tamquam flosculi decidunt, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43.—
B Transf., the part of a fruit where the blossom was , the eye , Col. 12, 45, 5.—
II Trop., the flower , pride , ornament : non enim flosculos ... sed, jam decimum aetatis ingressus annum, certos atque deformatos fructus ostenderat, Quint. 6 praef. § 9; Cat. 24, 1: vitae, i. e. youth , Juv. 9, 127.—
B In partic., of speech.
1 Flower of rhetoric , ornament : omnes undique flosculos carpere atque delibare, Cic. Sest. 56, 119; cf.: juvenibus flosculos omnium partium in ea, quae sunt dicturi, congerentibus, Quint. 10, 5, 23; 2, 5, 22; 12, 10, 73: ut Noctes istae quadam tenus his quoque historiae flosculis leviter injectis aspergerentur, Gell. 17, 2, 1.—
2 A motto , sentence culled from a writing, Sen. Ep. 33, 1.