Hiâtus, huius hiatus, pen. prod. m. ge. Cic.A gaping or opening of the mouth.Conspecto leone hiatu minaci, arborem fuga petit. Plin. Extremus expirantis hiatus. Quint. Immani fauces diducit hiatu. Silius. Hiatus ex concursu vocalium.Cic.A gaping or vnpleasant open sowne by meeting of vowels in composition. Hiatus terræ.Cic.A gaping or opening of the earth.Deuorari subito telluris hiatu. Ou. With a sodaine opening of the earth to be swallowed.Patuli hiatus sontis, Ouid.Prosundus hiatus, Plin.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
hĭātus, ūs, m. [id.], an opening, aperture, cleft (class. in sing. and plur.; cf. rima, rictus). I.Lit.: animalia cibum partim oris hiatu et dentibus ipsis capessunt, partim unguium tenacitate arripiunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 122: oris, Suet. Claud. 27; Verg. A. 11, 680.—Without oris: ne immodicus hiatus rictum distendat, Quint. 1, 11, 9: extremus exspirantis, id. 6, 2, 31: Nemeaeus magnus hiatus Ille leonis, Lucr. 5, 24; cf.: quinquaginta atris immanis hiatibus Hydra, i. e.
open mouths
, Verg. A. 6, 576; Ov. M. 7, 557; 11, 61; Val. Fl. 1, 34: personae pallentis hiatus, Juv. 3, 175: magno sublimis pardus hiatu, id. 11, 123; Plin. 28, 4, 7, 38; cf. of Boreas: imbres, sicco quos asper hiatu Persolidat Boreas,
with a dry throat
,
dry breath
, Stat. Th. 1, 352: repentini terrarum hiatus, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14: hauriri urbes terrae hiatibus, Plin. 36, 15, 24, 119; cf.: qui (Gyges) descendit in illum hiatum, Cic. Off. 3, 9, 38: neu distracta (Natura) suum late dispandat hiatum, Lucr. 6, 599: quantum caeli patet altus hiatus, id. 4, 418; cf. id. 5, 375: fit et caeli ipsius hiatus, quod vocant chasma, Plin. 2, 26, 26, 96: corticis bipedalis hiatus, id. 16, 12, 23, 57: hiatus patuli fontis, i. e.
basin
, Ov. M. 3, 162: specus est tenebroso caecus hiatu,
aperture
, id. ib. 7, 409: veteris rimae cum texit hiatum, Juv. 3, 195.—Poet.: quid dignum tanto feret hic promissor hiatu? i. e.
of such pompous language
,
high-flown style
, Hor. A. P. 138; cf. Juv. 6, 636.—II.Trop.A. In gen., an eager desire, longing (so used by Tac.): libidine sanguinis et hiatu praemiorum, Tac. H. 4, 42.—B. In partic., in gram., a hiatus: habet enim ille tamquam hiatus concursu vocalium molle quiddam et quod indicet non ingratam negligentiam, Cic. Or. 23, 77; Quint. 9, 4, 33: (Catullus) amans hiatus illius Homerici suavitatem, ebriosa dixit propter insequentis a litterae (verbi acinae) concentum, Gell. 7, 20, 6.