I. Lit., Plin. 16, 10, 19, 44; 16, 11, 21, 52; 37, 3, 11, 43; 35, 6, 25, 41: ceu flamma per taedas equitavit, Hor. C. 4, 4, 43. —

II. Transf.

A. Resinous fir or pine wood, pitch-pine: cupas taedā ac pice refertas incendunt, Caes. B. C. 2, 11; 3, 101: pyrā erectā taedis atque ilice sectā, Verg. A. 4, 505: schedias taedā comburere, Vitr. 7, 10.—

2. A pitchpine torch, a torch: circumstant cum ardentibus taedis, Enn. ap. Cic. Ac. 2, 28, 89 (Trag. v. 51 Vahl.); cf.: taedae ardentes Furiarum, Cic. Pis. 20, 46; id. Rosc. Am. 24, 67: Ceres dicitur inflammasse taedas eis ignibus, etc., id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, 106; cf. Ov. F. 4, 494: accensis currere taedis, Prop. 2, 32, 9: taedas Hymenaeus Amorque Praecutiunt, Ov. M. 4, 758; so of a nuptial torch, id. H. 4, 121; Verg. A. 4, 18 al.; hence, poet., a wedding, marriage, id. ib. 4, 339; 7, 388; 9, 76; Ov. M. 9, 721; 9, 768; 4, 326; 14, 677; 15, 826: copulari taedis, Sen. Herc. Fur. 493: jungere taedas, Stat. S. 3, 4, 53: teque mihi taeda pudica dedit, Ov. H. 6, 134: sacra conubia fallere taedae, Mart. 6, 2, 1; and for love, in gen., Prop. 1, 8, 21: taedaeque ad funera versae, torches reversed, in sign of mourning, Sil. 2, 184; 13, 547.—As an instrument of torture: verbera, carnifices, robur, pix, lamina, taedae, Lucr. 3, 1017; Juv. 1, 155. —

3. A pine board, a sawn plank: dolato confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus Quattuor, aut septem, si sit latissima taeda, Juv. 12, 59. —

B. A small piece of pork or fat, used for religious purposes, Arn. 7, 230.