I.a hollow, a cavity.
I. In gen.: “vitiosae ilicis alveo,” Verg. G. 2, 453.—
II. Esp.
A. A hollow, deep vessel, a basket, trough, tray; also, a deep cavity, excavation, Cato, R. R. 11, 5: “in alveo,” id. ib. 11, 81: “fluitans alveus,” Liv. 1, 4; Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 22: “alveus scrobis,” Col. 4, 4, 2 al.—
B. The hold or hull of a ship: “alveos navium,” Sall. J. 18, 5: “alvei navium quassati,” Liv. 23, 34.—Hence (pars pro toto), a small ship, a boat, skiff: “cavatus ex materiā alveus,” Vell. 2, 107: “accipit alveo Aeneam,” Verg. A. 6, 412.—
C. A hollowed gaming-board, Varr. ap. Non. 108, 33: “alveus cum tesseris lusorius,” Plin. 37, 2, 6, § 13; Suet. Claud. 33: “alveo et calculis vacare,” Val. Max. 8, 8, n. 2.—
D. = alvus and alvearium, a beehive (in Pliny, alvus (Jan), q. v. II. C.): “gens universa totius alvei consumitur,” Col. 9, 4, 3; so id. 9, 4, 1; 9, 9, 4; App. M. 4, p. 150, 37.—
E. A bathing-tub: in balneum venit ... ut in alveum descenderet, etc., Auct. ad Her. 4, 10; Cic. Cael. 28.—
F. The channel or bed of a river: “fluminis alveo,” Verg. A. 7, 33; id. G. 1, 203: “fluminis Ritu feruntur, nunc medio alveo Cum pace delabentis etc.,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 34: “nec quisquam citus aeque Tusco denatat alveo,” id. ib. 3, 7, 28 Müll. (not elsewhere): “pleno alveo fluere,” Quint. 2, 1, 4: “alveo navigabile perfodere angustias,” i. e. a canal, Plin. 4, 4, 5, § 10: “per crepidinem alvei,” Vulg. Exod. 2, 5: “reversae sunt aquae in alveum suum,” ib. Jos. 4, 18 al.