τροφός

A. feeder, rearer, Hom. only in Od. and always fem. of a nurse, φίλη τ. Εὐρύκλεια 2.361, al., cf. Hdt. 2.156,6.61, LXX Ge. 35.8, PCair.Zen. 292.157 (iii B. C.), Glotta 16.274 (Egypt), Sor. 1.105, al., Gal. 6.36, etc.; ἡ τ. βασιλέως Sammelb. 4980 (i B. C.); of a mother, S. Aj. 849.—The masc. was usu. τροφεύς (q. v.); but τροφός as masc. occurs in E. HF 45, El. 409, Pl. Plt. 268a, 268c.

2. metaph., of a city, Συράκοσαι, ἀνδρῶν ἵππων τε δαιμόνιαι τροφοί Pi. P. 2.2; Γῇ τε μητρί, φιλτάτῃ τροφῷ A. Th. 16; αἵματ’ ἐκποθένθ’ ὑπὸ χθονὸς τροφοῦ Id. Ch. 66 (lyr.), cf. S. OT 1092 (lyr.), OC 760; μήτηρ ἁπάντων γαῖα καὶ κοινὴ τ. Men. Mon. 617; νὺξ ἄστρων τ. E. El. 54; τὴν γεωργίαν τῶν ἄλλων τεχνῶν μητέρα καὶ τ. X. Oec. 5.17, cf. Pl. Plt. 267d; of Miletus, τ. τοῦ . . Ἀπόλλωνος SIG 906A5 (iv A. D.).

3. in neut., τὸ τροφόν that which nourishes, Pl. Plt. 289a.

4. τροφός,ἡ, name of a plaster, Orib. Fr. 99.

II. Pass., nursling, τροφοί· ἀντὶ τοῦ θρέμματα (Meineke τροφαί), Hsch.