Calcar, calcâris, pen, prod. n. g. Plaut.A spurre.Calcar currenti addere. Horat. To stirre vp him, that is forwarde of himselfe.Adhibere calcaria equo.Cic.To spurre.Admouere calcar.Cic.To spurre.Adferre calcaribus equum. Sil. Concitare calcaribus equum. Liuius. To fetch vp with the spurres.Calcaribus egere & Frænis egere contraria.Cic.Immensum calcar habet gloria.Ouid.Glorie is a great spurre.Subdere calcaria equo.Ouid.To set the spurres to, &c. Calcaria in gallinis. Colum. A cockes spurre.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
calcar, āris, n. [for carcar; cf. Sanscr. kar, wound; and Lat. calx]. I.Lit., a spur as worn on the heel: calcaria dicta, quia in calce hominis ligantur, ad stimulandos equos, Isid. Orig. 20, 16, 6 (class. in prose and poetry; esp. freq. trop.): calcari quadrupedem agitare, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 118: incendere equum calcaribus, to spur one's horse, Hirt. B. G. 8, 48; so, concitare, Liv. 2, 6, 8; Curt. 7, 4, 18: stimulare, Val. Max. 3, 2, 9: subdere equo calcaria, Liv. 2, 20, 2; Curt. 3, 13, 8; 7, 2, 4: calcaribus subditis, Liv. 4, 19, 4; 4, 33, 7; Curt. 4, 16, 6: equi fodere calcaribus armos, Verg. A. 6, 881: calcaribus auferre equum, Sil. 10, 280.—B.Trop., spur, stimulus, incitement: calcaribus ictus amoris, Lucr. 5, 1074: dicebat Isocrates se calcaribus in Ephoro, contra autem in Theopompo frenis uti solere, Cic. de Or. 3, 9, 36: alter frenis eget, alter calcaribus, id. Att. 6, 1, 12; cf. id. Brut. 56, 204; Quint. 2, 8, 11; 10, 1, 74: anticipate atque addite calcar, Varr. ap. Non. p. 70, 13; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 217: immensum gloria calcar habet, Ov. P 4, 2, 36.—So also of the driving winds: ventus calcar admovere, Varr. ap. Non. p. 451, 29.—Prov.: addere calcaria sponte currenti,
to spur a willing horse
, Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 1.—II.Transf., the spur on the leg of the cock, Col. 8, 2, 8.