sŭper-cĭlĭum, ii, n. [super and root kal-; Gr. καλύπτω; Lat. celāre, to hide, cover; cf. Gr. κύλον, ἐπικύλιον, eyelid; cf. also, Ang.-Sax. hlid; Engl. lid; Germ. Augenlid]: cilium est folliculus, quo oculus tegitur, unde fit supercilium, Fest. p. 43 Müll.; Plin. 11, 37, 57, § 157.
I Lit., the eye-brow (good prose; more freq. in the plur.).
α Plur. : ex superciliorum aut remissione aut contractione facile judicabimus, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146: supercilia abrasa, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: superiora superciliis obducta sudorem a capite defluentem depellunt, id. N. D. 2, 57, 143: nec sedeo duris torva superciliis, Ov. H. 16 (17), 16: constricta, Quint. 1, 11, 10: torta, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 12: conjuncta, Suet. Aug. 79: usque ad malarum scripturam currentia, Petr. 126; Plin. 11, 37, 51, § 138: balenae, id. 9, 62, 88, § 186; Quint. 11, 3, 78; 11, 3, 79; 11, 3, 160: mulieres potissimum supercilia sua attribuerunt ei deae (Junoni Lucinae), Varr. L. L. 5, § 69 Müll.; cf. Fest. p. 305 ib.—
β Sing. : altero ad frontem sublato, altero ad mentum depresso supercilio, Cic. Pis. 6, 14: triste, Lucr. 6, 1184: altero erecto, altero composito supercilio, Quint. 11, 3, 74: quo supercilio spicit, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 100: hirsutum, Verg. E. 8, 34; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 94; Ov. A. A. 3, 201; Juv. 2, 93 al.: supercilium salit (as a favorable omen), Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 105.—
B Transf., the prominent part of a thing, the brow , ridge , summit (not ante-Aug.): clivosi tramitis, Verg. G. 1, 108: tumuli, Liv. 34, 29, 11: infimo stare supercilio, at the bottom of the projection , id. 27, 18, 10; cf. Stat. Th. 6, 63: supercilium quoddam excelsum nacti, Auct. B. Afr. 58, 1; Plin. 6, 5, 5, § 17.—In archit., a projecting moulding over the scotia of a column or cornice , Vitr. 3, 3 med.; a threshold , id. 4, 6, 5.—Of the coast of the sea: supercilia ejus sinistra, Amm. 22, 8, 8; the shore of a river: Nili, id. 14, 8, 5: Rheni, id. 14, 10, 6: fluminis, id. 17, 9, 1: amnis, Ap. Met. 5, 25, 10.—
II Trop.
A The nod , the will : cuncta supercilio movens, Hor. C. 3, 1, 8; Claud. Ep. ad Ser. 2, 58.—
B Pride , haughtiness , arrogance , sternness , superciliousness (class.; mostly sing.): supercilium ac regius spiritus, Cic. Agr. 2, 34, 93; id. Sest. 8, 19; id. Red. in Sen. 7, 14; Sen. Ben. 2, 4, 1; Juv. 6, 169; 5, 62: triste Catonis, Mart. 11, 2, 1: pone supercilium, id. 1, 5, 2: supercilii matrona severi, Ov. Tr. 2, 309; cf.: contegere libidines fronte et supercilio, non pudore et temperantiā, Cic. Prov. Cons. 4, 8.