Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Gomphus

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

GOM'PHUS (γόμφος). Properly a Greek word, which signifies a large wedge-shaped pin (Schol. Aristoph. Eq. 463. Tertull. Apol. 12.) driven between two objects, to increase the firmness or tightness of contiguous members, whence the same term was adopted by the Romans to designate the large, round-headed and wedge-shaped stones, which they used to place at intervals between the ordinary kirb stones bounding the foot-pavements of their roads and streets (Stat. Sylv. iv. 3. 48.), as shown by the annexed engraving (Gomphus/1.1), representing a part of the road and pavement at the entrance to Pompeii. These stones are not only shaped like a wedge, to produce lateral pressure, but are much longer than the other ones, and are formed with projecting heads, so that they also prevent the rest from rising upwards out of the level.

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  Gomphus/1.1