(adjective) : cānus, a, um, Sanscr. Kas-, to shine; cf. cascus
* White, hoary (mostly poet.).
* Lit.: fluctus,Lucr. 2, 767; Cic. Arat. 71; hence aqua,foamy, frothy,Ov. H. 2, 16: nix,white,Lucr. 3, 21; Hor. S. 2, 5, 41: gelu,Verg. G. 3, 442: montes,id. ib. 1, 43: pruina,hoar-frost,Hor. C. 1, 4, 4: grandine canus Athos,Ov. Ib. 200: salicta,id. M. 5, 590: segetes,id. ib. 10, 655: aristae,id. ib. 6, 456: lupus,id. ib. 6, 527; 7, 550: favilla,id. ib. 8, 524: color equi,Pall. Mart. 14, 4: arborum villi,Plin. 12, 23, 50, § 108: situs,id. 12, 25, 55, § 125.
* Esp. freq. of the gray hair of the aged: cano capite atque albā barbā,Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 15; id. As. 5, 2, 84; Cat. 68, 124; Tib. 1, 1, 72; Ov. F. 5, 57: capilli,Hor. C. 2, 11, 15; Ov. M. 1, 266; 2, 30; 4, 474; Phaedr. 2, 2, 10: crinis,Cat. 64, 350; Ov. M. 13, 427: barba,Mart. 4, 36 al.—Hence, subst. in plur.: cāni, ōrum, m. (sc. capilli), gray hairs: non cani, non rugae repente auctoritatem arripere possunt,Cic. Sen. 18, 62; Ov. M. 3, 275; in Aug. and post-Aug. poets (esp. freq. in Ovid) with adjj.: falsi,Ov. M. 6, 26: honorati,id. ib. 8, 9: positi,id. ib. 14, 655: rari,id. ib. 8, 567: sui,id. ib. 10, 391: miseri,Pers. 5, 65: venerandi. Sen. Herc. Fur. 1249.—Hence
* Transf., of age and of aged persons. old, aged: senectus,hoary,Cat. 108, 1: anilitas,id. 61, 162: amator,Tib. 1, 8, 29: cana veritas, venerable, Varr. ap. Non. p. 243, 1: Fides,Verg. A. 1, 292: Vesta,id. ib. 5, 744.

s. TLL