offa, ae, f.
I Lit., a bite , bit , morsel; esp. a little ball or pellet made of flour: antiqui offam vocabant abscisum globi formā, ut manu glomeratam pultem, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. poenitam offam, p. 242 Müll.: offam eripere alicui, Enn. ap. Plin. 18, 8, 19, § 84 ( Enn. p. 181 Vahl.); Varr. R. R. 3, 5: offam obicit, Verg. A. 6, 420: pultis, Cic. Div. 2, 35, 73.—Prov.: inter os et offam, = Engl. between the cup and the lip , Cato ap. Gell. 13, 18 (17), 1; cf.: vetus est proverbium inter os et offam, idem significans quod Graecus ille παροιμιώδης versus: Πολλὰ μεταξὺ πέλει κύλικος και χείλεος ἄκρου, Apollin. ap. Gell. l. l. § 3.—
II Transf., in gen.
A A piece , lump , mass : aufer illam offam porcinam, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 165 Ritschl N. cr. : offa porcina cum caudā in cenis puris offa penita vocatur, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. penem, p. 230 Müll.: gummi in offas convolutum, Plin. 12, 9, 19, § 35.—
B A swelling , Juv. 16, 11.—
C A shapeless mass , untimely birth , abortion , Juv. 2, 33: quantas robusti carminis offas Ingeris? Pers. 5, 5; Plin. 9, 48, 72, § 155.