bāca | bacca (noun F) : (less correctly ), , acc. to Benfey, for bacsa, kindred with Sanscr. bhaksh, edere, vorare; cf. also bhaxa, food; but v. Vaniček, Etym. Wörterb. 2, p. 561
* A small round fruit, a berry.
* Lit.
* In gen. (cf.: acinus, glans): virgas murteas cum bacis servare,Cato, R. R. 101; Ov. M. 11, 234: lauri,Verg. G. 1, 306: tinus,Ov. M. 10, 98: ebuli,Verg. E. 10, 27: cupressi,Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 115: platani,id. 15, 7, 7, § 29: hyssopi,id. 26, 12, 76, § 124 al.
* Transf.
* Esp., absol., in the poets of the olive, Hor. C. 2, 6, 16: quot Sicyon bacas, quot parit Hybla favos,Ov. P. 4, 15, 10.—As sacred to Minerva: ponitur hic bicolor sincerae baca Minervae,Ov. M. 8, 664; 13, 653.—And of the fruit of the wild olive-tree, Ov. M. 14, 525; cf. Verg. G. 2, 183.
* In gen., any fruit of a tree, * Lucr. 5, 1363: arbores seret diligens agricola, quarum aspiciet bacam ipse numquam,Cic. Tusc. 1, 14, 31: fruges terrae, bacaeque arborum,id. Div. 1, 51, 116; so id. Sen. 2, 5: rami bacarum ubertate incurvescere, id. poët. ap. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (Trag. Rel. inc. inc. v. 135 Rib.); cf. id. de Or. 3, 38, 154: semen inclusum est in intimā parte earum bacarum, quae ex quāque stirpe funduntur,id. N. D. 2, 51, 127: fruges atque bacae,id. Leg. 1, 8, 25: felices,Sil. 15, 535.
* That which is like a berry in shape.
* A pearl: marita, quae Onusta bacis ambulet,Hor. Epod. 8, 14: aceto Diluit insignem bacam,id. S. 2, 3, 241; so Ov. M. 10, 116; 10, 265; Verg. Cul. 67; Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 592; id. Nupt. Hon. et Mar. 167; id. Laud. Stil. 2, 88; id. VI. Cons. Hon. 528.
* The dung of sheep or goats, Pall. Jan. 14, 3.
* A link of a chain in the shape of a berry, Prud. στεφ. 1, 46; so id. Psych. prooem. 33.

s. TLL