testa (noun F) : tosta, from torreo
* A piece of burned clay, a brick, tile, ὄστρακον.
* Lit., Cic. Dom. 23, 61; Cato, R. R. 18, 7; 18, 110; Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 6; Vitr. 2, 8 fin.; 7, 1; 7, 4; Aus. Parent. 11, 9.
* Transf.
* A piece of baked earthen-ware, an earthen pot, pitcher, jug, urn, etc. (cf. testu): si Prometheus ... a vicinis cum testā ambulans carbunculos corrogaret,Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9: testā cum ardente viderent Scintillare oleum,a lamp,Verg. G. 1, 391: quo semel est imbuta recens, servabit odorem Testa diu,Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 70; cf. Tib. 2, 3, 47: accipiat Manes parvula testa meos,Prop. 2, 13, 32 (3, 5, 16): vinum Graeca quod testā conditum levi,Hor. C. 1, 20, 2; 3, 21, 4: mihi fundat avitum Condita testa merum,Ov. A. A. 2, 696; Mart. 12, 48, 8; 12, 63, 2; 13, 7, 1; Plin. 31, 10, 46, § 114.—Used in applause: audiat ille Testarum crepitus cum verbis,Juv. 11, 170 (cf. F. infra).
* A sort of clapping with the flat of the hands (as if with two tiles), in token of applause, invented by Nero, Suet. Ner 20.
* Transf., a piece of bone, Cels. 8, 16; so of fragments of a broken tooth, id. 6, 9 med.; 7, 22.
* Like ὄστρακον, a sherd, potsherd, in the ostracism or judicial voting of the Greeks: testarum suffragiis, quod illi ὀστρακισμὸν vocant, Nep. Cim. 3, 1; cf. also testula.
* The shell of shell-fish or of testaceous animals: genera beluarum ad saxa nativis testis inhaerentium,Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 100: ostreae,Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 60: muricum,id. 32, 7, 27, § 84: cochlearum,id. 30, 8, 21, § 66: testudinis,Varr. L. L. 5, § 79 Müll. —Hence
* Transf.
* A brick-colored spot on the face, Plin. 26, 15, 92, § 163; 48. 12, 50, § 185.
* A shell or covering, in gen.: lubricaque immotas testa premebat aquas,i. e. an icy shell, covering of ice,Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 38: lubrica, Poët. ap. Anthol. Lat. 2, p. 62 Burm.
* The skull: testa hominis, nudum jam cute calvitium,Aus. Epigr. 72; Prud. στεφ. 10, 761; Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1; 2, 1 fin. (hence, Ital. testa and Fr. tēte).