vĕnēnum (noun N) : orig., like φάρμακον, any thing, esp. any liquid substance, that powerfully affects or changes the condition of the body
* A potion, juice, drug (cf. virus).
* In gen.: qui venenum dicit, adicere debet, utrum malum an bonum; nam et medicamenta venena sunt: quia eo nomine omne continetur, quod adhibitum naturam ejus, cui adhibitum esset, mutat. Cum id quod nos venenum appellamus, Graeci φάρμακον dicunt, apud illos quoque tam medicamenta, quam quae nocent hoc nomine continentur, etc., Dig. 50, 16, 236; cf. ib. 48, 8, 3.—Obsolete, however, in this general signif.: qui venenum malum fecit fecerit, an old legal formula in Cic. Clu. 54, 148: avaritia pecuniae studium habet: ea quasi venenis malis imbuta corpus animum que virilem effeminat,Sall. C. 11, 3.
* In partic.
* In a bad sense, like φάρμακον (freq. and class.).
* A potion that destroys life, poison, venom (cf. toxicum).
* In a good sense.
* Lit., a magical potion, charm: item ut Medea Peliam concoxit senem: Quem medicamento et suis venenis dicitur Fecisse rursus ex sene adulescentulum,Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 81: dira Medeae,Hor. Epod. 5, 62: Colcha,id. C. 2, 13, 8: Colchica,id. Epod. 17, 35; Cic. Or. 37, 129; Hor. C. 1, 27, 22; id. Epod. 5, 22; 5, 87; id. S. 1, 8, 19; 2, 1, 48; Ov. M. 7, 209; 14, 55; 14, 403: qui quodam quasi veneno perficiat, ut veros heredes moveat,Cic. Off. 3, 19, 76: id quod amatorium appellatur, venenum est,Dig. 48, 8, 3.
* Trop., charm, seduction: aetas et corpus tenerum et morigeratio, Haec sunt venena formosarum mulierum, Afran. ap. Non. 2, 7: intactos isto satius tentare veneno (i. e. amore),Prop. 2, 12 (3, 3), 19: blandum,Sil. 7, 453; 11, 309: occultum inspires ignem fallasque veneno (i. e. amoris),Verg. A. 1, 688.
* A coloring material, a color, dye, paint (poet.): alba nec Assyrio fucatur lana veneno,Verg. G. 2, 465; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 207; Ov. R. Am. 351.— *
* A drug used in embalming, Luc. 8, 691.