gutta, ae (archaic gen. sing. guttaii, Lucr. 6, 614), f. etym. dub., a drop of a fluid (cf.: stilla, stiria). Lit.: numerus quem in cadentibus guttis, quod intervallis distinguitur, notare possumus, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 186: guttae imbrium quasi cruentae, id. N. D. 2, 5, 14: gutta cavat lapidem, consumitur annulus usu, Ov. P. 4, 10, 5: si ego in os meum hodie vini guttam indidi, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 30: guttam haud habeo sanguinis (prae metu), id. Most. 2, 2, 76; cf. Verg. A. 3, 28: gutta per attonitas ibat oborta genas, i. e. tears, Ov. P. 2, 3, 90: succina, i. e. amber, Mart. 6, 15, 2; the same, Phaethontis, id. 4, 32, 1: Arabicae, perh. oil of myrrh, App. M. 2, p. 118; cf. Sid. Carm. 5, 43: sanguinis in facie non haeret gutta, i. e. no blush, Juv. 11, 54.

— Transf. Guttae, natural spots, specks on animals, stones, etc.: nigraque caeruleis variari corpora (anguis) guttis, Ov. M. 4, 578; cf. id. ib. 5, 461: (apium) paribus lita corpora guttis, Verg. G. 4, 99: lapis interstinctus aureis guttis, Plin. 36, 8, 13, § 63; 29, 4, 27, § 84.

— In archit., a small ornament under the triglyphs of a Doric column, drops, Vitr. 4, 3.

— Trop., a drop, i. e. a little bit, a little (ante-class. and very rare): gutta dulcedinis, Lucr. 4, 1060: certi consilī, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 4.