Lewis & Short

1. altus, a, um, participle from alo., lit., grown or become great, great (altus ab alendo dictus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 7 Müll.; cf. the Germ. gross with the Engl. grow), a polar word meaning both high and deep.

  1. A. Seen from below upwards, high.
  1. I. Lit.: IN ALTOD MARID PVCNANDOD, etc., Columna Duilii; so, maria alta, Liv. Andron. ap. Macr. S. 6, 5, 10; id. ib. ap. Prisc. p. 725 P.: aequor, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 23 Müll.: parietes, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44: sub ramis arboris altae, Lucr. 2, 30: acervus, id. 3, 198 al.: columellam tribus cubitis ne altiorem, Cic. Leg. 2, 26, 66: altior illis Ipsa dea est colloque tenus supereminet omnes, taller, Ov. M. 3, 181: altis de montibus, Verg. E. 1, 83: umbras Altorum nemorum, Ov. M. 1, 591 al.
    With the acc. of measure: clausi lateribus pedem altis, a foot high, Sall. H. Fragm. 4, 39 Gerl.; cf. Lind. C. Gr. I. p. 215.
    With gen.: triglyphi alti unius et dimidiati moduli, lati in fronte unius moduli, Vitr. 4, 3: majorem turrim altam cubitorum CXX., id. 10, 5: alta novem pedum, Col. 8, 14, 1: singula latera pedum lata tricenum, alta quinquagenum, Plin. 36, 13, 19, § 4.
  2. II. Trop., high, lofty, elevated, great, magnanimous, high-minded, noble, august, etc.: altissimus dignitatis gradus, Cic. Phil. 1, 6, 14; so id. Clu. 55; id. Dom. 37.
    Of mind or thought: te natura excelsum quendam videlicet et altum et humana despicientem genuit, Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 11: homo sapiens et altā mente praeditus, highminded, id. Mil. 8: qui altiore animo sunt, id. Fin. 5, 20, 57 al.
    So of gods, or persons elevated in birth, rank, etc.; also of things personified: rex aetheris altus Juppiter, Verg. A. 12, 140: Apollo, id. ib. 10, 875: Caesar, Hor. C. 3, 4, 37: Aeneas, i. e. deā natus, id. S. 2, 5, 62: Roma, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 33: Carthago, Prop. 2, 1, 23 al.
    Of the voice, high, shrill, loud, clear: Conclamate iterum altiore voce, Cat. 42, 18: haec fatus altā voce, Sen. Troad. 196: altissimus sonus, Quint. 11, 3, 23 (cf.: vox magna, Ov. Tr. 4, 9, 24; Juv. 4, 32).
    Subst.: altum, i, n., a height: sic est hic ordo (senatorius) quasi propositus atque editus in altum, on high, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 41, § 98: aedificia in altum edita, Tac. H. 3, 71: quidquid in altum Fortuna tulit, ruitura levat, Sen. Agam. 100.
    Esp.
          1. (α) (Sc. caelum.) The height of heaven, high heaven, the heavens: ex alto volavit avis, Enn. Ann. 1, 108: haec ait, et Maiā genitum demisit ab alto, Verg. A. 1, 297.
            Still more freq.,
          2. (β) (Sc. mare.) The high sea, the deep, the sea: rapit ex alto navīs velivolas, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 224: ubi sumus provecti in altum, capiunt praedones navem illam, ubi vectus fui, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 39; so id. Men. 1, 2, 2; id. Rud. prol. 66; 2, 3, 64: terris jactatus et alto, Verg. A. 1, 3: in altum Vela dabant, id. ib. 1, 34: collectae ex alto nubes, id. G. 1, 324: urget ab alto Notus, id. ib. 1, 443 al.: alto mersā classe, Sil. 6, 665: ab illā parte urbis navibus aditus ex alto est, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 32: in alto jactari, id. Inv. 2, 31, 95: naves nisi in alto constitui non poterant, Caes. B. G. 4, 24: naves in altum provectae, id. ib. 4, 28: scapha in altum navigat, Sall. Fragm.
            So in the plur.: alta petens, Verg. A. 7, 362.
            Trop.: quam magis te in altum capessis, tam aestus te in portum refert, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 6: imbecillitas … in altum provehitur imprudens, Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42: te quasi quidam aestus ingenii tui in altum abstraxit, id. de Or. 3, 36, 145.
    1. B. Seen from above downwards, deep, profound.
  1. I. Lit. (hence sometimes opp. summus): Acherusia templa alta Orci, salvete, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, 2, 81; Cic. Tusc. 1, 21, 48: quom ex alto puteo sursum ad summum escenderis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 14: altissimae radices, Cic. Phil. 4, 5: altae stirpes, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: altissima flumina, Caes. B. C. 3, 77: altior aqua, id. ib. 1, 25: alta theatri Fundamenta, Verg. A. 1, 427: gurgite in alto, in the deep whirlpool, id. E. 6, 76: altum vulnus, id. A. 10, 857; Petr. 136; Sen. Troad. 48: altum totā metitur cuspide pectus, Sil. 4, 292; so id. 6, 580 al.: unde altior esset Casus, Juv. 10, 106.
    With the abl. of measure: faciemus (scrobes) tribus pedibus altas, Pall. Jan. 10, 3.
  2. II. Trop. (more freq. in and after the Aug. per.), deep, profound: somno quibus est opus alto, Hor. S. 2, 1, 8; so Liv. 7, 35: sopor, Verg. A. 8, 27: quies, id. ib. 6, 522: silentium, id. ib. 10, 63; Quint. 10, 3, 22: altissima tranquillitas, Plin. Ep. 2, 1: altissima eruditio, id. ib. 4, 30: altiores artes, Quint. 8, 3, 2.
    Subst.: altum, i, n., the depth, i. e. what is deep or far removed: ex alto dissimulare, Ov. Am. 2, 4, 16: non ex alto venire nequitiam, sed summo, quod aiunt, animo inhaerere, Sen. Ira, 1, 16 med. al.
    Hence, ex alto repetere, or petere, in discourse, to bring from far; as P. a., farfetched: quae de nostris officiis scripserim, quoniam ex alto repetita sunt, Cic. Fam. 3, 5: quid causas petis ex alto? Verg. A. 8, 395 (cf.: alte repetere in the same sense, Cic. Sest. 13; id. Rep. 4, 4, and v. al. infra).
    1. C. Poet., in reference to a distant (past) time: cur vetera tam ex alto appetissis discidia, Agamemno? Att. ap. Non. 237, 22 (altum: vetus, antiquum, Non.); cf. Verg. G. 4, 285.
      With the access. idea of venerable (cf. antiquus), ancient, old: genus alto a sanguine Teucri, Verg. A. 6, 500: Thebanā de matre nothum Sarpedonis alti, id. ib. 9, 697; genus Clauso referebat ab alto, Ov. F. 4, 305: altā gente satus, Val. Fl. 3, 202: altis inclitum titulis genus, Sen. Herc. Fur. 338.
      Adv.: altē, and very rarely altum, high, deep (v. supra, altus, P. a. init.).
    1. A. High, on high, high up, from on high, from above (v. altus, P. a., A.).
  1. I. Lit.: alte ex tuto prospectum aucupo, Att. Trag. Rel. p. 188 Rib.: colomen alte geminis aptum cornibus, id. ib. p. 221: alte jubatos angues, Naev. ib. p. 9: jubar erigere alte, Lucr. 4, 404: roseā sol alte lampade lucens, id. 5, 610: in vineā ficos subradito alte, ne eas vitis scandat, Cato, R. R. 50: cruentum alte extollens pugionem, Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 28: non animadvertis cetarios escendere in malum alte, ut perspiciant pisces? Varr. ap. Non. 49, 15: (aër) tollit se ac rectis ita faucibus eicit alte, Lucr. 6, 689: dextram Entellus alte extulit, Verg. A. 5, 443: alte suras vincire cothurno, high up, id. ib. 1, 337: puer alte cinctus, Hor. S. 2, 8, 10, and Sen. Ep. 92: unda alte subjectat arenam, Verg. G. 3, 240: Nihil tam alte natura constituit, quo virtus non possit eniti, Curt. 7, 11, 10: alte maesti in terram cecidimus, from on high, Varr. ap. Non. 79, 16: eo calcem cribro succretam indito alte digitos duo, to the height of two fingers, Cato, R. R. 18, 7; so Col. R. R. 5, 6, 6.
    Comp.: quae sunt humiliora neque se tollere a terrā altius possunt, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37: tollam altius tectum, id. Har. Resp. 15, 33: altius praecincti, Hor. S. 1, 5, 5: pullus in arvis altius ingreditur, Verg. G. 3, 75: caput altius effert, id. ib. 3, 553: altius atque cadant imbres, id. E. 6, 38 ubi v. Forb.: altius aliquid tenere, Sen. Q. N. 1, 5.
    Sup.: cum altissime volāsset (aquila), Suet. Aug. 94.
  2. II. Trop.: alte natus, Albin. 1, 379 (cf.: altus Aeneas, supra, P. a., A. II.): alte enim cadere non potest, Cic. Or. 28, 98: video te alte spectare, id. Tusc. 1, 34, 82; id. Rep. 6, 23, 25.
    Comp.: altius se efferre, Cic. Rep. 6, 23, 25; 3, 3, 4: altius irae surgunt ductori, Verg. A. 10, 813: altius aliquid agitare, Cels. 1 prooem.: attollitur vox altius, Quint. 11, 3, 65: verbis altius atque altius insurgentibus, id. 8, 4, 27.
    Sup.: Ille dies virtutem Catonis altissime illuminavit, Vell. 2, 35: ingenium altissime adsurgit, Plin. Ep. 8, 4.
    1. B. Deep, deeply (v. altus, P. a. B.).
  1. I. Lit.: ablaqueato ficus non alte, Cato, R. R. 36: ferrum haud alte in corpus descendere, Liv. 1, 41: alte vulnus adactum, Verg. A. 10, 850; Ov. M. 6, 266; Curt. 4, 6, 18; Cels. 5, 26, 30: timidum caput abdidit alte, Verg. G. 3, 422: alte consternunt terram frondes, deeply strew, id. A. 4, 443: ut petivit Suspirium alte! Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 58 (cf.: ingentem gemitum dat pectore ab imo, Verg. A. 1, 485): inter cupam pertundito alte digitos primorīs tres, Cato, R. R. 21, 2: minimum alte pedem, Col. de Arb. 30.
    Comp.: ne radices altius agant, Col. 5, 6, 8: terra altius effossa, Quint. 10, 3, 2: cum sulcus altius esset impressus, Cic. Div. 2, 23, 50: frigidus imber Altius ad vivum persedit, Verg G. 3, 441: tracti altius gemitus, Sen. Ira, 3, 4, 2.
    Sup.: (latronibus gladium) altissime demergo, App. M. 2, 32.
  2. II. Trop., deeply, profoundly, far, from afar: privatus ut altum Dormiret, Juv. 1, 16: alte terminus haerens, Lucr. 1, 77: longo et alte petito prooemio respondere, Cic. Clu. 21, 58: ratio alte petita, Quint. 11, 1, 62: alte et a capite repetis, quod quaerimus, Cic. Leg. 1, 6, 18; id. Rep. 4, 4, 4; id. Sest. 13, 31.
    Comp.: qui altius perspiciebant, had a deeper insight, Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19: quae principia sint, repetendum altius videtur, must be sought out more deeply, id. Off. 1, 16: altius repetitae causae, Quint. 11, 1, 62: de quo si paulo altius ordiri ac repetere memoriam religionis videbor, Cic. Verr. 4, 105: Hisce tibi in rebus latest alteque videndum, Lucr. 6, 647: altius supprimere iram, Curt. 6, 7, 35: altius aliquem percellere, Tac. A. 4, 54: altius metuere, id. ib. 4, 41: altius animis maerere, id. ib. 2, 82: cum verbum aliquod altius transfertur, Cic. Or. 25, 82: Altius omnem Expediam primā repetens ab origine famam, Verg. G. 4, 285; so, Tac. H. 4, 12: altius aliquid persequi, Plin. 2, 23, 31, § 35: hinc altius cura serpit, id. 4, 11, 13, § 87.
    Sup.: qui vir et quantus esset, altissime inspexi, Plin. Ep. 5, 15, 5.