Lewis Short
nŏverca | nŏvercae, ārum (noun F.f) : for noverica, qs. νεαρική, the new one
* A step-mother, step-dame.
* Lit., Afran. ap. Non. 393, 26: uxor generi, noverca filii, filiae paelex,Cic. Clu. 70, 199: cum is (Hippolytus) patri suspectus esset de novercā,id. Off. 3, 25, 94: saeviores tragicis novercas,Quint. 2, 10, 5 Spald.: injusta,Verg. E. 3, 33: saeva,id. G. 2, 128: scelerata,Ov. F. 3, 853: lurida terribiles miscent aconita novercae,id. M. 1, 147; Gai. Inst. 1, 63; 3, 14; Juv. 6, 403.—Prov.: apud novercain queri,i. e. in vain,Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 80.
* Trop.: rerum ipsa natura in eo ... non parens sed noverca fuerit, si, etc.,Quint. 12, 1, 2: quorum noverca est Italia,i. e. who are not natives of Italy,Vell. 2, 4, 4; so, viles operae, quorum est mea Roma noverca, Petr. poët. Sat. 122, 166.
* Transf.:
* Ditches which drain off the waler imperfectly and slowly, Agrim. ap. Goes. 119; 142; 143 al.
* A rough piece of land (so called in allusion to the iniquitas novercae), Hyg. Mun. Castr. § 57 Lange.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary