Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Orbis

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

ORBIS. In a general sense, anything of a circular shape; particularly such as are of a flat or hollow circular body, in contradistinction to globus, which expresses a solid round. Thence the word is frequently used, especially amongst the poets, for any object partaking of this constructive form; as, the disk of stone or metal employed as a quoit (Ov. Fast. iii. 588. Stat. Theb. vi. 656. DISCUS; the dish which contains the objects to be weighed in a pair of scales (Tibull. iv. 1. 44. LANX, 3.); the metal plate employed as a looking-glass, when made of a circular shape (Mart. ix. 18. SPECULUM; a circular shield (Pet. Sat. 89. 61. Stat. Theb. iv. 132. CLIPEUS, PARMA); the circle of a finger ring (Ov. Am. ii. 15. 6. ANULUS); the iron tire of a wheel (Virg. Georg. iii. 361. Plin. H. N. viii. 19. ROTA; a fillet of wool (Prop. iv. 6. 6. INFULA); a circular table (Mart. xiv. 138. CILIBANTUM, MONOPODIUM).

2. Orbis olearius (ὅρος Aesch. Fragm. Pollux. vii. 150. x. 130. and τριπτήρ, Nicand. ap. Ath. iv. 11.). A round flat board of strong wood, placed over the heap of bruised olive skins, or of grapes already crushed by treading, when they were subjected to the action of the press beam (prelum), in order that the beam might distribute its pressure evenly over the whole surface. (Cato, R. R. 18.) See the article and illustration s. TORCULAR, 2. where it is indicated by the number 6, and which will give a distinct notion of its use and character.

3. (τροχός.) Geopon. ix. 19.) The grinding or bruising stone in an olive mill (trapetum), formed of a circular mass of volcanic stone, made flat on one side, and cylindrical on the other, in order to coincide with the circular shape of the basin (mortarium), round which it worked. (Cato, R. R. xxii. 1. cxxxvi. 6. and 7.) The character and action of these stones will be better understood by reffering to the article and illustration s TRAPETUM, on which they are marked by the numbers 3. 3.