Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Sinus

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. 

SIN'US (κόλπος). Literally, any surface bent into a semicircular or hollow form, whence the following expressive senses: —

1. A semicircular fold in a loose outside garment, produced by catching up one of its sides and throwing the end over the opposite shoulder, in the manner described s. ANABOLIUM; thus contradistinguished from gremium, a lap formed by holding up the lower portion of the dress, and from ruga, a small irregular crease, arising from the constraint of a girdle (cingulum). The ordinary sinus was formed immediately across the breast, so as to make but a short belly, thence termed sinus brevis (Quint. xi. 3. 137.), as in the left-hand figure of the annexed wood-cut (Sinus/1.1), from a statue at Venice; whence the word is frequently used to designate that part of the human person. (Phaedr. v. 5. 16. Terent. Heaut. iii. 3. 2. Tac. Hist. iii. 10.) But it might be lengthened out to a much lower sweep by dropping the right hand and arm, and drawing the end down with it from the shoulder, as Caesar is represented to have done when about to fall beneath the strokes of his assassins,  — simul sinistra manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit (Suet. Caes. 82.); it was then termed sinux laxus (Hor. Sat. ii. 3. 172.), because it made a long and loose belly, in the manner represented by the part marked 2. on the right-hand figure, from a statue of the Villa Pamfili. In the late fashion of adjusting the toga, a double sinus was formed, a short one drawn from under the right arm to the top of the left shoulder (Quint. xi. 3. 102.), as shown by the right-hand figure, at the part marked 4, and the loose one lower down, marked 2. Both sexes were accustomed to adjust their outer drapery in this style, and the hollow thus created served as a convenient receptacle for carrying about their persons any object which they wished to keep concealed, such as a letter, purse, &c. Cic. Verr. ii. 5. 57. Ov. Am. i. 10. 18.

2. The purse of a fishing and hunting net. Plaut. Truc. i. 1. 15. Grat. Cyneg. 29.

3. The bosom of a sail when filled by the wind. Virg. Ov. Tibull.

4. A bay or gulf on a coast, formed by the retiring of the land into a semicircular recess. Cic. Virg. Plin.

5. The curved or hollow part of the sharp edge in a vine-dresser's bill-hook (Columell. iv. 25. 1.), which resembles in form a bay of the sea, as exhibited by the annexed example (Sinus/5.1) from an ancient MS. of Columella.

6. A large full-bodied vessel for wine or milk. See SINUM.

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  Sinus/1.1
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  Sinus/5.1