2. intellectus, ūs, m. [intellego], a perceiving, discerning.
- I. Lit., perception, discernment by the senses: saporum, Plin. 11, 37, 65, § 174: acrimoniae, id. 19, 8, 54, § 171: nec est intellectus ullus in odore vel sapore, i. e. the poison cannot be perceived either by the taste or smell, id. 11, 53, 116, § 280: intellectus in cortice protinus peritis, good judges know a tree by its bark, id. 16, 39, 76, § 196.
- II. Trop.
- A. Understanding, comprehension: quīs neque boni intellectus neque mali cura, Tac. A. 6, 36: alicujus rei intellectum amittere, Sen. Ben. 3, 17: capere intellectum disciplinarum, Quint. 1, 1, 15: intellectu consequi aliquid, id. 2, 5, 22: elephantis intellectus sermonis patrii, Plin. 8, 1, 1, § 1: nullum animal minus docile existimatur minorisve intellectus, id. 29, 6, 34, § 106: dissimulare intellectum insidiarum, Tac. A. 13, 38: intellectu carere, to be unintelligible, Quint. 1, 1, 28: rudis Corinthiorum, Vell. 1, 13, 5: intellectum habere, to be understood: hiems et ver et aestas intellectum ac vocabula habent, autumni perinde nomen ac bona ignorantur, Tac. G. 26.
- B. Meaning, sense, signification of a word: verba quaedam diversos intellectus habent, ut cerno, Quint. 7, 9, 2: in obscenum intellectum sermo detortus, id. 8, 3, 44; id. 1, 7, 13.
- C. Knowledge of a language, understanding: Latini sermonis intellectum habere, Gai. Inst. 3, 93.
- D. Understanding, i. e. the faculty of understanding, intellect: per analogiam nostro intellectu et honestum et bonum judicante, Sen. Ep. 120: in errorem intellectum inducere, App. Dogm. Plat. 1, p. 7, 3: intellectu carere, to be without understanding, Dig. 29, 2, 92: aliquem intellectum habere, … nullum intellectum habere, Gai. Inst. 3, 109.