muscārĭus, a, um, adj. [musca], of or belonging to flies, fly- (post-Aug.).
I Adj. : aranei muscarii tela, i. e. fly-hunting , Plin. 29, 6, 38, § 131: clavus, a broad-headed nail , Vitr. 7, 3, 11.—Hence,
II Subst.: muscā-rĭum , ii, n., a fly-flap, fly-brush , used also as a clothes-brush, made of peacocks’ tails, Mart. 14, 67 in lemm.; or hairy ox-tails, id. 14, 71 in lemm.; or horse-tails, Veg. Vet. 4, 1.—
B Transf.
1 The hairy or fibrous part of plants, the umbel : semine in muscariis dependente, Plin. 12, 26, 57, § 127.—
2 A closet or safe , in which writings were kept to protect them from the flies, Inscr. Rom. Viagg. a Pompeii, p. 168.