Ἀνοψία

relish-shortage

Translated by Jennifer Benedict4 Jul 2000Vetting: high7 revisions

5 words

[Meaning a] scarcity of relishes.

Greek original · Adler’s text

Ἀνοψία· σπάνις τῶν ὄψων.

Betacode

*)anoyi/a: spa/nis tw=n o)/ywn.

Same entry in Photius and elsewhere.
An opson (cf. omicron 1086, omicron 1087) is whatever adds flavour to a meal of plain bread or other carbohydrate staple (cheese, fish, herbs, olives, etc.), so their absence makes for dull eating.
The present headword is quite rare; attestations are largely in comedy.