χελιδών

A. v.l. χελιδόν, as in Anacreont. 9.2 cod.):—swallow, Od. 21.411, 22.240, Hes. Op. 568, Hdt. 2.22, Democr. 14, etc.: πέδοικος χ. A. Fr. 53, cf. Ar. Av. 714 (anap): prov., μία χ. ἔαρ οὐ ποιεῖ Cratin. 33 (cf. Arist. EN 1098a18); δεῖσθαι δ’ ἔοικεν οὐκ ὀλίγων χ. Ar. Av. 1417, cf. 1681; χ. λευκή, of a rare event, Thphr. Sign. 39; the twittering of the swallow was prov. used of barbarous tongues by the Greeks, εἴπερ ἐστὶ μὴ χελιδόνος δίκην ἀγνῶτα φωνὴν βάρβαρον κεκτημένη A. Ag. 1050: hence ὁ χ., = ὁ βάρβαρος, Ion l.c.; Θρῃκία χ. ἐπὶ βάρβαρον ἑζομένη πέταλον Ar. Ra. 681 (lyr.); χελιδόνων μουσεῖα bowers that ring with poetasters' twitterings, ib.93 (parodied from ἀηδόνων μουσεῖα in E., v. Fr. 88).

2. metaph. of letters, τῶν σῶν χ. αἱ ἡμέτεραι πλείους Lib. Ep. 46.2.

II. flying-fish, Dactylopterus volitans, hirondelle de mer, Ephipp. 12.5 (anap.), Speus. ap. Ath. 7.324f; χ. θαλάττιαι Arist. HA 535b27.

III. frog in the hollow of a horse's foot (expld. by Hsch. τὸ κοῖλον τῆς ὁπλῆς), so called from its being forked like the swallow's tail, X. Eq. 1.3, 4.5, 6.2, Poll. 1.188.

2. the like part of a dog's foot, Suid.

3. = λειχήν 4, Cael.Aur. TP 1.138 (pl.); a growth on the knee in horses, Sch.Nic. Th. 945.

4. hollow above the bend of the elbow, Hsch.

5. pudenda muliebria (with play on Ar. Lys. 770 (hex.)), Suid., cf. Juv. 6.365(6).

6. a kind of ship, Suid.

7. a Peloponnesian silver coin, Id. (Χελιδφών as pr.n., IG 92(1).86 (Corinthian, found at Thermon); cf. Assyr. hinundu, Lat. hirundo.)