E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Horn-gate.
One of the two gates of “Dreams;” the other is of ivory. Visions which issue from the former come true. This whim depends upon two Greek puns; the Greek for horn is keras, and the verb krano or karanoo means “to bring to an issue,” “to fulfil; so again elephas is ivory, and the verb elephairo means “to cheat,” “to deceive.” The verb kraino, however, is derived from kra, “the head,” and means “to bring to a head;” and the verb elephairo is akin to elchus, “small.”
1
Anchi’ses dismisses Æne’as through the ivory gate, on quitting the infernal regions, to indicate the unreality of his vision.
chus, “small.”
tus umbris;
