pulvis, ĕris (nom. pulver, App. Herb. 35; Theod. Prisc. 1, 30; 2, 32; cf. Prisc. p. 707 P.), m. (fem., Enn. ap. Non. 217, 11 sq.; Prop. 1, 22, 6; 2, 13, 35 (3, 5, 19); and also, masc., id. 1, 17, 23; 1, 19, 6; 4 (5), 9, 31).
I Lit., dust , powder : jamque fere pulvis ad caelum vasta videtur, Enn. ap. Non. 217, 11 (Ann. v. 286 Vahl.): fulva, id. ap. Non. 217, 13 (Ann. v. 319 ib.): si multus erat in calceis pulvis, Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 47; Lucr. 3, 381: pulveris nebula, id. 5, 254: Romani pulveris vim magnam animadvortunt, Sall. J. 53, 1; Caes. B. C. 2, 26: qui (ventus) nubes pulveris vehit, Liv. 22, 43: prospectum oculorum nubes pulveris abstulerat, Curt. 4, 15, 32; 5, 13, 12; Sil. 2, 174: subitam nigro glomerari pulvere nubem Prospiciunt, Verg. A. 9, 33: pulvis collectus turbine, Hor. S. 1, 4, 31: pulverem Olympicum Collegisse, id. C. 1, 1, 3: crinis pulvere collines, id. ib. 1, 15, 20: pulvere sparsi juvenes, Phaedr. 4, 24, 22: tum caeco pulvere campus Miscetur, Verg. A. 12, 444: pulverem excutere, Ov. A. A. 1, 150: sedare, Phaedr. 2, 5, 18: movere, Quint. 5, 10, 81: excitare, Col. Arb. 12: glaebam in pulverem resolvere, id. 11, 2, 60: eruditus, the dust or sand in which mathematicians drew their figures , Cic. N. D. 2, 18, 48; cf. id. Tusc. 5, 23, 64: formas in pulvere describere, Liv. 25, 31; Pers. 1, 131: amomi, dust , powder , Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 69: carbonis, coal-dust , id. A. A. 3, 628. —Poet.: Etrusca, i. e. soil , Prop. 1, 22, 6; so of potters’ earth , Mart. 14, 1021; 1141; of volcanic ashes : Puteolanus, pozzolana , Stat. S. 4, 3, 53; Sen. Q. N. 3, 20, 3; Plin. 35, 13, 47, § 166.—Of the dust or ashes of the dead: pulvis et umbra sumus, Hor. C. 4, 7, 16 al.; cf.: pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris, Vulg. Gen. 3, 19: hibernus, i. e. a dry winter , Verg. G. 1, 101.—Esp.: pulvis belli, war : formosus pulvere belli, Mart. 8, 65, 3: duces Non indecoro pulvere sordidi, Hor. C. 2, 1, 22: in pulverem Martium tractus, Amm. 16, 1, 5: exercitus pulvere coalitus Martio, id. 21, 12, 22.—In plur.: novendiales, Hor. Epod. 17, 48: cineris pulveres, Pall. 3, 25, 14 (cf. id. 11, 14, 15): pulverum mole degravante, Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 83; cf. Gell. 19, 8, 13: natio ad pulveres Martios erudita, Amm. 23, 6, 83.—Prov.: sulcos in pulvere ducere, to draw furrows in the sand , i. e. to give one's self useless trouble , Juv. 7, 48: pulverem ob oculos aspergere, to throw dust in one's eyes , i. e. to deceive , Gell. 5, 21, 4.—
II Transf.
A A place of contest , arena , lists : domitant in pulvere currus, Verg. A. 7, 163; Mart. 12, 83.—
2 In gen., a scene of action , field (cf. arena): doctrinam ex umbraculis eruditorum in solem atque pulverem produxit, i. e. before the public , Cic. Leg. 3, 6, 14; cf. Hor. C. 1, 8, 4: educenda dictio est in agmen, in pulverem, Cic. de Or. 1, 34, 157: forensis pulvis, Quint. 10, 1, 33: inque suo noster pulvere currat equus, on his own field , within his own territory , Ov. F. 2, 360.—
B Toil , effort , labor (poet.): cui sit condicio dulcis sine pulvere palmae, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 51.