Lewis & Short

1. astus, a, um, adj., v. astutus.

2. astus, ūs, m. [Curtius suggests the Sanscr. aksh = to reach, hit, and ὀξύς, swift; and Vanicek, ascia and ἀξίνη, with the idea of sharpness; others ἀσκέω, to practise], adroitness, dexterity; hence, in malam partem, craft, cunning (as a single act, while astutia designates cunning as a habit; until the post-Aug. period found only in the abl., astu, as an adv.; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 5 Müll., and Prisc. p. 1012 P.): Satin astu et fallendo callet? Att. Trag. Rel. p. 197 Rib.: Nisi ut astu ingenium linguā laudem et dictis lactem lenibus, id. ib. p. 189: nam doli non doli sunt, nisi astu colas, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 30: Sed ut astu sum adgressus ad eas! id. Poen. 5, 4, 53; id. Trin. 4, 2, 123; id. Ep. 4, 1, 19; id. Poen. prol. 111: astu providere, Ter. And. 1, 3, 3: astu rem tractare, id. Eun. 5, 4, 2: Consilio versare dolos ingressus et astu, Incipit haec, Verg. A. 11, 704: ille astu subit, id. ib. 10, 522: aliquem astu adgredi, Tac. A. 2, 64: astus belli, Sil. 16, 32: libertae, Tac. A. 14, 2: oratio, quae astu caret, pondero modo et inpulsu proeliatur, Quint. 9, 1, 20.
In plur.: astus hostium in perniciem ipsis vertebat, Tac. A. 2, 20: praeveniens inimicorum astus, id. ib. 6, 44; 12, 45; Petr. 97: Ulixes nectit pectore astus callidos, Sen. Troad. 527: nunc advoca astus, anime, nunc fraudes, dolos, id. ib. 618: ad insidiarum astus, Gell. 11, 18, 17.

astūtus, a, um, adj. [a lengthened form of the ante-class. astus, like versutus from versus, cinctutus from cinctus; and astus itself has the form of a P. a., q. v. init.], shrewd, sagacious, expert; or (more freq., cf. astutia) in mal. part., sly, cunning, artful, designing, etc.

  1. * I. Ante-class. form astus, a, um: asta lingua, Att. ap. Non. p. 1, 54.
  2. II. Class. form astūtus: malus, callidus, astutus admodum, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 112: Causam dicere adversus astutos, audacīs viros, valentes virgatores, id. As. 3, 2, 19: non tam astutus, neque ita perspicax, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 1: verum ego numquam adeo astutus fui, Quin etc., id. Ad. 2, 2, 13: ratio, Cic. Verr. 1, 11 fin.: nihil astutum, id. Or. 19, 64: hoc celandi genus est hominis non aperti, non simplicis, non ingenui; versuti potius, obscuri, astuti, fallacis, id. Off. 3, 13, 57: astuti Getae, Prop. 5, 5, 44: Parthorum astutae tela remissa fugae, id. 4, 8, 54: ut est astuta et ingeniosa sollertia, Plin. 36, 26, 66, § 192, where Jan omits astuta et: gens non astuta, nec callida, Tac. G. 22 et saep.: pro bene sano Ac non incauto fictum astutumque vocamus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 62: homo sagax et astutus, Mart. 12, 88, 4: Est vir astutus multorum eruditor, Vulg. Eccli. 37, 21: vulpes, Hor. S. 2, 3, 186: consilium, Gell. 5, 10 al.
    As subst. (eccl. Lat.): Astutus omnia agit cum consilio, Vulg. Prov. 13, 16; ib. Eccli. 18, 28.
    Comp.: fallacia astutior, Plaut. Cas. 5, 1, 7: si qui me astutiorem fingit (followed by callidius), Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 6: qui custodit increpationes, astutior fiet, Vulg. Prov. 15, 5.
    * Sup.: astutissimus adversarius, Aug. Serm. 17: astutissima calliditas, id. Civ. Dei, 21, 6.
    Adv.: astūtē, craftily, cunningly: astute comminisci aliquid, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 96: docte atque astute captare, id. Most. 5, 1, 21: consulte, docte atque astute cavere, id. Rud. 4, 7, 14: Astute, shrewdly done, Ter. And. 1, 2, 12: astute labefactare aliquem, id. Eun. 3, 3, 3: satis astute adgredi aliquem, id. Phorm. 5, 8, 75: astute reticere aliquid, Cic. ad Q. Fr. 1, 2, 1: astute nihil agere, Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 3.
    Comp.: astutius ponere aliquid, Varr. L. L. 9, 1 Müll.
    Sup.: astutissime componere aliquid, Gell. 18, 4: astutissime excogitare, Lact. 1, 22: astutissime fingi, Aug. Civ. Dei, 19, 5.