θῆλυς, θήλεια, θῆλυ: fem. θήλεα, acc. pl. -εας Il. 5.269 (Hom. has regul. fem. θήλεια Il. 8.7,al., but also θῆλυς as fem., 10.216,al., as in other poets, v. infr.): Ion. fem. θήλεα, θήλεαν, θηλέης, θηλέῃ, pl. θήλεαι, θηλέας, θηλέων, Hdt. and Hp.: gen. θήλυδος S. Fr. 1054; acc. fem. θηλείην dub. l. in Nic. Al. 42, neut. pl. θήλεια Arat. 1068: also θηλύτερος indicating opposition rather than comparison (cf. ἀρρέντερος) ; θηλύτεραι δὲ γυναῖκες Il. 8.520; θηλύτεραι δὲ θεαί Od. 8.324; μάτε ἐρσεναιτέραν μάτε θηλυτέραν Schwyzer 424 (Elis, iv B.C.); in late Prose θηλύτερος, -ύτατος occur as Comp. and Sup. (v. infr. 11): (θη- ’suckle’, cf. θῆσαι): -
I
1. female, θήλεια θεός a goddess, Il. 8.7; Ἥρη θῆλυς ἐοῦσα being female, 19.97, cf. A. Ag. 1231, S. Tr. 1062, E. IT 621; θήλειαι ἵπποι mares, Od. 4.636, etc.; σύες θήλειαι sows, 14.16; ὄϊς θῆλυς a ewe, Il. 10.216; θήλεια μῆλα Arat. 1068; θήλεια ἔλαφος a hind, Pi. O. 3.29; θήλεα κάμηλος Hdt. 3.102; ἡ θ. ἵππος ib. 86; θ. ὄρνις S. Fr. 477; ζῷα θ. Pl. Criti. 110c; ἄπαις θήλεος γόνου without female issue, Hdt. 3.66; θῆλυς σπορά E. Hec. 659; θήλειαι γυναῖκες Id. Or. 1205; θ. κόραι Pl. Lg. 764d: with masc. nouns, ὁ θῆλυς ὀρεύς the she -mule, Arist. HA 577b22; ἄνθρωπος θῆλυς Id. PA 688b31: masc. pl., θήλεις χοροί Critias 1.8D.; but μὴ εἶναι θεοὺς ἄρρενας μηδὲ θηλείας Phld. Piet. 12. ἡ θήλεα, Att. -εια, the female, Hdt. 3.109, X. Mem. 2.1.4; ἀλέκτωρ ὥστε θηλείας πέλας A. Ag. 1671 (troch.). τὸ θ. γένος the female sex, woman -kind, E. Hec. 885; τὸ θ. alone, Id. HF 536, etc.; opp. τὸ ἄρρεν, Pl. R. 454d, Arist. Metaph. 988a5; [ ἡ δεῖνα] τέτοκεν θῆλυ PTeb. 422.18 (iii A.D.),al. of plants and trees, Thphr. HP 3.9.1; θ. κάλαμος Dsc. 1.85; θῆλυς φοῖνιξ Ach.Tat. 1.17; θῆλυ βούτομον Thphr. HP 4.10.4.
2. of or belonging to women, κουράων θῆλυς ἀϋτή Od. 6.122; θήλεα νοῦσος among the Scythians (cf. Ἐνάρεες), Hdt. 1.105; νόμος A. Ch. 821 (lyr.); φύσις Pl. R. 453a; χάρις APl. 4.[*]87 (Leont.); θ. φόνος murder by women, E. Ba. 796.
II metaph., of persons and things,
1 soft, gentle, θῆλυς ἐέρση Od. 5.467, Hes. Sc. 395; θ. νύξ (= ὕπομβρος) S. Fr. 1053. ὕδωρ θ. καὶ μαλακόν Thphr. CP 2.6.3; θηλυτέρα ὀσμή ib. 6.15.4; θηλύτατον πεδίον most fruitful, Call. Fr. 296; θηλύτατον ὕδωρ of the Nile, Id. Sos. vii 5.
2. tender, delicate, Φοίβου θήλειαι.. παρειαί Id. Ap. 37; θῆλυς ἀπὸ χροιῆς delicate of skin, Theoc. 16.49; of temper or character, soft, yielding, weak, θῆλυς ηὕρημαι τάλας S. Tr. 1075; γυνὴ δὲ θῆλυ κἀπὶ δακρύοις ἔφυ E. Med. 928; θήλεια φρήν Ar. Lys. 708, cf. E. Andr. 181; δίαιτα θηλυτέρα ἢ κατ’ ἄνδρα Plu. Mar. 34; θηλύτατος Luc. Im. 13; παλλακὴ -υτάτη Philostr. VS 2.21.2; τὸ θῆλυ τῆς ψυχῆς effeminacy, Men. 599.
3. in mechanics, those parts were called female into which others fitted, as the female vertebra, Poll. 2.180; γίγγλυμος J. AJ 3.6.3.
4. Gramm., feminine, θήλεα [ὀνόματα ] Ar. Nu. 682; θήλεα Arist. Po. 1458a10.
5. Pythag., of even numbers, Plu. 2.264a, 288d.
6. Astrol., of planets, Ptol. Tetr. 19; cf. θηλυκός 3c.
III θήλειαι, αἱ, kind of cheese made in Crete, Seleuc. ap. Ath. 14.650d.