Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. crispus, a, um, adj. [kindred with crinis, crista; cf. cresco].

  1. I. Originally of the hair, curled, crisped, crimped: cincinni, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 32; cf. coma, Sil. 16, 120; and: leo crispioribus jubis, Plin. 8, 16, 18, § 46.
    Of persons, having curled hair, curlyheaded, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 115; id. Rud. 1, 2, 37; Ter. Hec. 3, 4, 26.
    1. * B. Trop., of discourse, artistic, elaborate: crispum agmen orationis, Gell. 1, 4, 4; cf. crispulus, II.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Curled, uneven, waving, wrinkled: parietes abiete crispā, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19. 44: brassica, Cato, R. R. 157, 2: crispae frondis apium, Col. 11, 3, 33: acer montanum crispius, Plin. 16, 15, 26, § 67: (marmor) Augusteum undatim crispum, id. 36, 7, 11, § 55: lactuca crispissimi folii, Col. 11, 3, 26 et saep.
    2. B. In tremulous motion, quivering, tremulous: linguae bisulcae jactu crispo fulgere, Pac. ap. Non. p. 506, 17; Verg. Copa, 2: pecten (i. e. plectrum), Juv. 6, 382: aër subtili nebulā, Pall. Aug. 8, 1.

2. Crispus, i, m., a Roman surname; so esp. of the well-known Roman historian C. Sallustius.