I. Prop., Plin. 18, 9, 20, 88; Varr. R. R. 2, 5, 17; Plin. 20, 13, 51, 139; 22, 25, 67, 137.—Prov.: facis farinam, i. e. waste, scatter, Mart. 8, 16, 5; Vulg. Matt. 13, 33.—

B. Transf., of the dust or powder of other substances resembling meal: folia myrti siccantur in farinam, Plin. 23, 9, 81, 162; cf.: gypsum resolvitur in farinam, id. 36, 24, 59, 183: minium tunditur in farinam, id. 33, 7, 40, 119; so, cornus cervini, id. 28, 11, 49, 178: tofi, id. 17, 20, 34, 147: marmoris, id. 32, 7, 26, 79: caminorum, id. 28, 7, 23, 84.—

II. Trop., to designate the material of which a thing is composed, i. e. its nature, quality (postAug.): cum fueris nostrae farinae, Pers. 5, 115: Cassius quidam Parmensis quadam epistola ut pistoris nepotem sic taxat Augustum: Materna tibi farina ex crudissimo Ariciae pistrino, etc., Suet. Aug. 4.