nōdus, i, m. [for gnodus; Sanscr. root gadh-, gandh-, grasp; cf. Gr. Χανδάνω, hold; γνάθος, jaw; Lat. pre-hend-o; Germ. Knoten; Engl. knot], a knot (cf. nexus).
I Lit.: nodus vinculumque, Cic. Univ. 4: necte tribus nodis ternos, Amarylli, colores, Verg. E. 8, 77: Cacum Corripit in nodum complexus, clasping him as in a knot , id. A. 8, 260: nodos manu diducere, Ov. M. 2, 560: nodus Herculis or Herculaneus, a knot difficult to untie, of which Hercules was held to be the inventor , Plin. 28, 6, 17, § 63: unus tibi nodus, sed Herculaneus, restat, Sen. Ep. 87, 38: tamquam nodus Gordius difficillimus, Amm. 14, 11, 1: cingulum (novae nuptae) Herculaneo nodo vinctum vir solvit ominis gratia, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. cingulo, p. 63 Müll.—
B Transf.
1 A girdle (poet.): nodoque sinus collecta fluentes, Verg. A. 1, 320; Mart. 6, 13, 5.— Hence, astronom.: nodus anni, the circle of the equator , Lucr. 5, 688.—
2 A mode of dressing the hair, a knot, club : Rheni nodos, the hair of the Germans gathered into a club , Mart. 5, 37, 8; cf.: insigne gentis obliquare crinem nodoque substringere, Tac. G. 38.—
3 Plur. : nodi, a knotted fishing-net , Manil. 5, 664.—
4 A knot, knob, node on a joint of an animal's body: crura sine nodis, Caes. B. G. 6, 27: cervix articulorum nodis jungitur, Plin. 11, 37, 67, § 177; 11, 37, 88, § 217: dirae nodus hyaenae, a backbone, dorsal vertebra , Luc. 6, 672.— Hence, nodi articulorum, a swelling, tumor on the joints , Plin. 24, 5, 13, § 21; 30, 12, 36, § 110.—
5 A knot, knob, fold , etc.
α In wood or the branches of plants: baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens, Liv. 1, 18, 7; Sen. Ben. 7, 9: stipes gravidus nodis, Verg. A. 7, 507: telum solidum nodis, id. ib. 11, 553: gracilitas harundinis, distincta nodis, Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158; Col. Arb. 3.—Hence, the knotty club of Hercules , Sen. Herc. Oet. 1661.—
β Of a writhing serpent: nixantem nodis seque in sua membra plicantem, Verg. A. 5, 279.—
γ Prov.: nodum in scirpo quaerere, to look for knots in a bulrush (which contains none), i. e. to find difficulties where there are none , Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 330 Müll. (Sat. v. 46 Vahl.): in scirpo nodum quaeris, Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 22; Ter. And. 941.—
6 A knot, hard part of a thing; so of metals, Plin. 34, 13, 37, § 136; of precious stones, id. 37, 10, 55, § 150.—
7 A star in the constellation Pisces, Cic. Arat. 14; Caes. Germ. Arat. 243.—
8 In astron.: nodi, the four points in the heavens where the seasons begin, the nodes , Manil. 3, 618; cf. id. 2, 430.—
II Trop.
A In gen., a band, bond : his igitur singulis versibus quasi nodi apparent continuationis, Cic. Or. 66, 222: velut laxioribus nodis resolvemus, Quint. 9, 4, 127: amabilissimum nodum amicitiae tollere, Cic. Lael. 14, 51.—
B In partic.
1 A bond, obligation (poet.): exsolvere animum nodis religionum, Lucr. 4, 7: imponere nodos, i. e. jusjurandum, Ov. H. 20, 39 Ruhnk.—
2 A knotty point, difficulty, impediment .— Absol. : dum hic nodus expediatur non putet senatus nos oportere decedere, Cic. Att. 5, 21, 3: incideramus in difficilem nodum, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 1.—With gen.: Abantem interimit, pugnae nodumque moramque, Verg. A. 10, 428: cum scopulus et nodus et mora publicae securitatis superesset Antonius, Flor. 4, 9, 1: qui juris nodos et legum aenigmata solvat (an allusion to the Gordian knot), Juv. 8, 50 (hence, Cicuta nodosus; v. nodosus).— Esp.: nodus linguae, the bond or tie of the tongue : nodum linguae rumpere, Gell. 5, 9, 2: nodos linguae solvere, Just. 13, 7, 6.