ōra, ae, f. [kindred with Sanscr. avāra, ripa citerior fluminis], the extremity of a thing; the border, brim, edge, margin, end, boundary.
I Lit.
A In gen. (class.; syn.: limbus, fimbria, instita, margo): omnes avidi spectant ad carceris oras, at the barriers , Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 88 Vahl.): oras pocula circum, Lucr. 4, 12: (clipei), Verg. A. 10, 243: vestimentorum, Fest. p. 182 Müll.; Vulg. Exod. 26, 10; id. Hag. 2, 13: gemmae, Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 180: vulneris, Cels. 5, 26, 23: aether, extrema ora et determinatio mundi, Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 101. cf.: regio nes, quarum nulla esset ora, nulla extremitas, id. Fin. 2, 31, 102.—
B In partic., the coast , sea-coast (syn.: litus, ripa): Graeciae, Cic. Fam. 12, 5, 1: Asiae, Nep. Alc. 5, 6: maritima, Caes. B. G. 3, 8: Jordanis, Vulg. 1 Macc. 9, 43; but transf.: ora maritima, the inhabitants of the coast , people of the maritime districts , Cic. Imp. Pomp. 23, 67. So, jam Misenensem classem et pulcherrimam Campaniam oram descivisse, Tac. H. 3, 60.—
C Transf.
1 A region , clime , country : quacumque in orā ac parte terrarum, Cic. N. D. 2, 66, 164: gelida, Hor. C. 1, 26, 4: conexa arbustorum ratio est, quas in oras debeant spectare, Plin. 17, 2, 2, 19 (al. horas): Trojae qui primus ab oris Italiam ... venit, Verg. A. 1, 1; cf. id. ib. 3, 97; 10, 706.—
2 Poet.: luminis orae, the world , the earth , life , light : tu produxisti nos intra luminis oras, Enn. ap. Cic. Rep. 1, 41, 64 (Ann. v. 118 Vahl.); cf.: sum (i. e. eum) quae dederit in luminis oras, id. Fragm. ap. Fest. s. v. sum, p. 298 Müll. (Ann. v. 165 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 22: inde enascitur atque oras in luminis exit, id. 1, 170; 1, 179; cf. id. 5, 224; 781: quem Rhea sacerdos Furtivum partu sub luminis edidit oras, Verg. A. 7, 660: sponte suā quae se tollunt in luminis oras, id. G. 2, 47: Acherontis orae, the lower regions : animas Acheruntis in oras Ducere, Lucr. 6, 763.—
3 A zone : globum terrae duabus oris distantibus habitabilem, Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 68.—
4 A rope or cable by which a ship or boat is fastened to the shore; opp. ancoralia, the anchor-cables : cum alii resolutis oris in ancoras evecti tenentur, alii, ne quid teneat, ancoralia incidunt, Liv. 22, 19, 10 Weissenb. ad loc.: ne hostes cum suis simul inrumperent, trahunt scalas orasque et ancoras praecidunt, id. 28, 36, 11; cf.: sublatae sunt ancorae, solvimus oram, profecti sumus, Quint. 4, 2, 41; Ep. ad Tryph. 3.—
II Trop. (very rare, and only poet.): quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? qs. to unroll the edges of the picture of this war , Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.): imitated by Virgil: aspirate canenti ... Et mecum ingentis oras evolvite belli, Verg. A. 9, 528; cf. Serv. ad loc.: in luminis oras eruere, to bring to light , Lucr. 5, 1455.