Lewis & Short

2. lēvis (erroneously laevis), e, adj. [Gr. λεῖος, λευρός], smooth, smoothed, not rough, opp. asper (class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: corpuscula quaedam levia, alia aspera, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 24, 66: in locis (spectatur): leves an asperi, id. Part. Or. 10, 36: Deus levem eum (mundum) fecit et undique aequabilem, id. Univ. 6: pocula, smooth, shining, Verg. A. 5, 91: pharetrae, id. ib. 5, 558: brassica, Cato, R. R. 15, 7: levissima corpora, Lucr. 4, 659: coma pectine levis, Ov. M. 12, 409: nascunturque leves per digitos umerosque plumae, Hor. C. 2, 20, 11: levior assiduo detritis aequore conchis, Ov. M. 13, 792: inimicus pumice levis, rubbed (cf. pumicatus), Juv. 9, 95.
      Poet.: levi cum sanguine Nisus labitur infelix, slippery, Verg. A. 5, 328: levis Juventas ( = imberbis), smooth, without hair, beardless, Hor. C. 2, 11, 6; so, ora, Tib. 1, 9 (8), 31: crura, Juv. 8, 115: sponsus, id. 3, 111: caput, id. 10, 199; 2, 12; hence, also, poet. for youthful, delicate, beautiful: pectus, Verg. A. 11, 40: frons, id. E. 6, 51: umeri, id. A. 7, 815: colla, Ov. M. 10, 698.
      Also, finely dressed, spruce, effeminate: vir, Ov. A. A. 3, 437; Pers. 1, 82: argentum, smooth, not engraved or chased, Juv. 14, 62.
      In neutr. absol.: externi ne quid valeat per leve morari, smoothness, Hor. S. 2, 7, 87; so, per leve, Pers. 1, 64: per levia, Aus. Idyll. 16, 4.
    2. B. Transf., rubbed smooth, ground down, softened, soft (rare), Scrib. Comp. 228; Cels. 2, 8.
  2. II. Trop., of speech, smooth, flowing (rare but class.): oratio (opp. aspera), Cic. Or. 5 fin.; so, levis verborum concursus (opp. asper), id. de Or. 3, 43, 171: levis et aspera (vox), Quint. 11, 3, 15: levis et quadrata compositio, id. 2, 5, 9: levia ac nitida, id. 5, 12, 18: (aures) fragosis offenduntur et levibus mulcentur, id. 9, 4, 116.
    Adv. does not occur.