Lewis & Short

ăpĕrĭo, ĕrŭi, ertum, 4, v. a. (fut. aperibo, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 50; Pompon. ap. Non. p. 506, 30) [ab-pario, to get from, take away from, i.e. to uncover, like the opp. operio, from obpario, to get for, to put upon, i. e. to cover; this is the old explanation, and is received by Corssen, Ausspr. I. p. 653; II. p. 410, and by Vanicek, p. 503], to uncover, make or lay bare.

  1. I. Lit.: patinas, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 51: apertae surae, Turp. ap. Non. p. 236, 16: apertis lateribus, Sisenn. ib. p. 236, 26: capite aperto esse, Varr. ib. p. 236, 25; p. 236, 28: ut corporis partes quaedam aperiantur, Cic. Off. 1, 35, 129: caput aperuit, id. Phil. 2, 31; Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 236, 20: capita, Plin. 28, 6, 17, § 60: aperto pectore, Ov. M. 2, 339; and poet. transf. to the person: apertae pectora matres, id. ib. 13, 688: ramum, Verg. A. 6, 406 al.
    Trop., to make visible, to show, reveal, Liv. 22, 6: dispulsā nebulā diem aperuit, id. 26, 17 (cf. just before: densa nebula campos circa intexit): dies faciem victoriae, Tac. Agr. 38: lux aperuit bellum ducemque belli, Liv. 3, 15: novam aciem dies aperuit, Tac. H. 4, 29: his unda dehiscens Terram aperit, opens to view, Verg. A. 1, 107.
    From the intermediate idea of making visible,
  2. II. Metaph.
  1. A.
    1. 1. To unclose, open: aperto ex ostio Alti Acheruntis, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37: aperite aliquis ostium, Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 26; so id. Heaut. 2, 3, 35: forem aperi, id. Ad. 2, 1, 13: fores, id. Eun. 2, 2, 52; Ov. M. 10, 457; Suet. Aug. 82: januas carceris, Vulg. Act. 5, 19: fenestram, ib. Gen. 8, 6: liquidas vias, to open the liquid way, Lucr. 1, 373; so Verg. A. 11, 884: sucum venis fundere apertis, to pour out moisture from its open veins, Lucr. 5, 812: saccum, Vulg. Gen. 42, 27: os, ib. ib. 22, 28: labia, ib. Job, 11, 5: oculos, ib. Act. 9, 8: accepi fasciculum, in quo erat epistula Piliae: abstuli, aperui, legi, Cic. Att. 5, 11 fin.; so id. ib. 1, 13; 6, 3: aperire librum, Vulg. Apoc. 5, 5; 20, 12: testamentum, Plin. 7, 52, 53, § 177 (cf.: testamentum resignare, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 9); Suet. Caes. 83; id. Aug. 17: sigillum aperire, to break, Vulg. Apoc. 6, 3 al.: ferro iter aperiundum est, Sall. C. 58, 7: locum … asylum, to make it an asylum, Liv. 1, 8: subterraneos specus, Tac. G. 16: navigantibus maria, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 122: arbor florem aperit, id. 12, 11, 23, § 40 et saep.: aperire parietem, to open a wall, in order to put a door or window in it, Dig. 8, 2, 40: alicui oculos aperire, to give sight to (after the Heb.), Vulg. Joan. 9, 10; 9, 14 al.; so, aures aperire, to restore hearing to, ib. Marc. 7, 35.
      1. 2. Trop.: nec ita claudenda est res familiaris, ut eam benignitas aperire non possit, Cic. Off. 2, 15, 54: amicitiae fores. id. Fam. 13, 10: multus apertus cursus ad laudem, id. Phil. 14, 6 fin.: tibi virtus tua reditum ad tuos aperuit, id. Fam. 6, 11: philosophiae fontes, id. Tusc. 1, 3, 6; id. Mil. 31, 85 et saep.: alicujus oculos aperire, to open one’s eyes, make him discern (after the Heb.), Vulg. Gen. 3, 5; 3, 7; ib. Act. 26, 18; so, alicujus cor aperire, ib. ib. 16, 14: ventus incendio viam aperuit, Liv. 6, 2: occasionem ad invadendum, id. 4, 53; so id. 9, 27: si hanc fenestram aperueritis (i.e. if you enter upon the way of complaint), nihil aliud agi sinetis, Suet. Tib. 28 (cf. Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 72: Quantam fenestram ad nequitiem patefeceris!): quia aperuisset gentibus ostium fidei, Vulg. Act. 14, 27; ib. Col. 4, 3.
        So of the new year, to open it, i.e. begin: annum, Verg. G. 1, 217: contigit ergo privatis aperire annum (since the consul entered upon his office the first of January), Plin. Pan. 58, 4 Gierig and Schaef.
        So also of a school, to establish, set up, begin, or open it: Dionysius tyrannus Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse, Cic. Fam. 9, 18; so Suet. Gram. 16; id. Rhet. 4.
        Poet.: fuste aperire caput, i.e. to cleave, split the head, Juv. 9, 98.
    2. B. Aperire locum (populum, gentes, etc.), to lay open a place, people, etc., i.e. to open an entrance to, render accessible (cf. patefacio); most freq. in the histt., esp. in Tacitus: qui aperuerint armis orbem terrarum, Liv. 42, 52; 42, 4: Syriam, Tac. A. 2, 70: omnes terras fortibus viris natura aperuit, id. H. 4, 64: novas gentes, id. Agr. 22: gentes ac reges, id. G. 1: Britanniam tamdiu clausam aperit, Mel. 3, 6, 4; Luc. 1, 465 Cort.: Eoas, id. 4, 352: pelagus, Val. Fl. 1, 169.
    3. C. Transf. to mental objects, to disclose something unknown, to unveil, reveal, make known, unfold, to prove, demonstrate; or gen. to explain, recount, etc.: occulta quaedam et quasi involuta aperiri, Cic. Fin. 1, 9, 30: explicanda est saepe verbis mens nostra de quāque re atque involutae rei notitia definiendo aperienda est, id. Or. 33, 116: alicui scripturas aperire, Vulg. Luc. 24, 32: tua probra aperibo omnia, Plaut. Truc. 4, 2, 50: ne exspectetis argumentum fabulae; hi partem aperient, Ter. Ad. prol. 23: non quo aperiret sententiam suam, sed etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 18, 84: eo praesente conjurationem aperit, Sall. C. 40, 6: naturam et mores, id. ib. 53 fin.; so id. ib. 45, 1; 47, 1; id. J. 33, 4: lux fugam hostium aperuit, Liv. 27, 2: aperiri error poterat, id. 26, 10: casus aperire futuros, to disclose the future, Ov. M. 15, 559: futura aperit, Tac. H. 2, 4.
      So also, se aperire or aperiri, to reveal one’s true disposition, character: tum coacti necessario se aperiunt, show themselves in their true light, Ter. And. 4, 1, 8: studio aperimur in ipso, Ov. A. A. 3, 371: exspectandum, dum se ipsa res aperiret, Nep. Paus. 3, 7; Quint. prooem. § 3.
      Sometimes constr. with acc. and inf., a rel.-clause, or de: cum jam directae in se prorae hostes appropinquare aperuissent, Liv. 44, 28: domino navis, quis sit, aperit, Nep. Them. 8, 6; so id. Eum. 13, 3: de clementiā, Auct. ad Her. 2, 31.
      In a gen. sense (freq. in epistt.) in Cic. Att. 5, 1, 2: de Oppio factum est, ut volui, et maxime, quod DCCC. aperuisti, you promised, i.e. that it should be paid to him (= ostendisti te daturum, Manut.); cf. the more definite expression: de Oppio bene curāsti, quod ei DCCC. exposuisti, id. ib. 5, 4, 3.
      Hence, ăpertus, a, um, P. a.; pr., opened; hence, open, free.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. Without covering, open, uncovered (opp. tectus): naves apertae, without deck, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 40; Liv. 31, 22 fin.; cf. id. 32, 21, 14: centum tectae naves et quinquaginta leviores apertae, et saep.; v. navis.
        Also, without covering or defence, unprotected, exposed: locus, Caes. B. C. 3, 84.
        Poet., of the sky, clear, cloudless: caelo invectus aperto, Verg. A. 1, 155: aether, id. ib. 1, 587: aperta serena prospicere, id. G. 1, 393.
      2. 2. Unclosed, open, not shut (opp. clausus): Janua cum per se transpectum praebet apertum, since this affords an open view through it, Lucr. 4, 272: oculi, id. 4, 339: oculorum lumine aperto, id. 4, 1139 et saep.: nihil tam clausum, neque tam reconditum, quod non istius cupiditati apertissimum promptissimumque esset, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 20: caelum patens atque apertum, id. Div. 1, 1 (diff. from 1.); so Ov. M. 6, 693: vidit caelos apertos, Vulg. Marc. 1, 10: apertus et propatulus locus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49: iter, Liv. 31, 2: apertior aditus ad moenia, id. 9, 28: campi, id. 38, 3: per apertum limitem (viae), Tac. H. 3, 21; Ov. M. 1, 285: fenestrae, Vulg. Dan. 6, 10: ostia, ib. ib. 13, 39: aequor, Ov. M. 4, 527; so id. ib. 8, 165; 11, 555 et saep.
        Poet., of a battle: nec aperti copia Martis Ulla fuit, an action in the open field, Ov. M. 13, 208.
        Very freq. ăpertum, subst., that which is open, free; an open, clear space: in aperto, Lucr. 3, 604: per apertum fugientes, Hor. C, 3, 12, 10: impetum ex aperto facerent, Liv. 35, 5: castra in aperto posita, id. 1, 33; so id. 22, 4: volantem in aperto, Plin. 10, 8, 9, § 22: in aperta prodeunt, id. 8, 32, 50, § 117: disjecit naves in aperta Oceani, Tac. A. 2, 23.
    2. B. Trop.
  1. 1.
    1. a. Opp. to that which is concealed, covered, dark, open, clear, plain, evident, manifest, unobstructed: nam nihil aegrius est quam res secernere apertas ab dubiis, nothing is, indeed, more difficult than to separate things that are evident from those that are doubtful, Lucr. 4, 467; so id. 4, 596; 1, 915; 5, 1062: cum illum ex occultis insidiis in apertum latrocinium conjecimus, Cic. Cat. 2, 1: simultates partim obscurae, partim apertae, id. Manil. 24: quid enim potest esse tam apertum tamque perspicuum? id. N. D. 2, 2, 4: quid rem apertam suspectam facimus? Liv. 41, 24: non furtim, sed vi aperta, id. 25, 24: apertus animi motus, Quint. 10, 3, 21: invidia in occulto, adulatio in aperto, Tac. H. 4, 4 et saep.
      So, in rhet., of clear, intelligible discourse: multo apertius ad intellegendum est, si, etc. … apertam enim narrationem tam esse oportet quam, etc., Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 328; cf. id. Inv. 1, 20.
      Hence,
        1. b. Esp. as subst.: in aperto esse,
          1. (α) To be clear, evident, well known, notorious, ἐν τῷ φανερῷ εἶναι: ad cognoscendum omnia illustria magis magisque in aperto, Sall. J. 5, 3.
          2. (β) To be easily practicable, easy, facile (the figure taken from an open field or space): agere memoratu digna pronum magisque in aperto erat, there was a greater inclination and a more open way to, Tac. Agr. 1: hostes aggredi in aperto foret, id. H. 3, 56: vota virtusque in aperto omniaque prona victoribus, id. Agr. 33.
      1. 2. Of character, without dissimulation, open, frank, candid: animus apertus et simplex, Cic. Fam. 1, 9; id. Off. 3, 13, 57: pectus, id. Lael. 26, 97.
        Hence, ironically: ut semper fuit apertissimus, as he has always been very open, frank (for impudent, shameless), Cic. Mur. 35.
        Hence, ăpertē, adv., openly, clearly, plainly.
  1. I. In gen.: tam aperte irridens, Ter. Phorm. 5, 8, 62: ab illo aperte tecte quicquid est datum, libenter accepi, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 4; id. Or. 12, 38; id. Am. 18, 67: cum Fidenae aperte descissent, Liv. 1, 27: aperte quod venale habet ostendit, Hor. S. 1, 2, 83: aperte revelari, Vulg. 1 Reg. 2, 27: non jam secretis colloquiis, sed aperte fremere, Tac. A. 11, 28: aperte adulari, Cic. Am. 26, 99: aperte mentiri, id. Ac. 2, 6, 18: aperte pugnare, id. ap. Aquil. Rom. 10: aperte immundus est, Vulg. Lev. 13, 26.
    Comp.: cum ipsum dolorem hic tulit paulo apertius, Cic. Planc. 34; id. Att. 16, 3, 5; Curt. 6, 1, 11: ab his proconsuli venenum inter epulas datum est apertius quam ut fallerent, Tac. A. 13, 1.
    Sup.: hinc empta apertissime praetura, Cic. Verr. 1, 100: equite Romano per te apertissime interfecto, id. Har. Resp. 30: largiri, id. ib. 56: praedari, id. Verr. 1, 130.
  2. II. Esp. of what is set forth in words or writing, plainly, clearly, freely, without reserve: nempe ergo aperte vis quae restant me loqui? Ter. And. 1, 2, 24; id. Phorm. 4, 3, 49: aperte indicat (lex) posse rationem habere non praesentis, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 5, 3: Non tu istuc mihi dictura aperte es, quicquid est? Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 3: narrare, id. Heaut. 4, 3, 24: scribere, Cic. Fam. 5, 7, 3; Quint. 1, 5, 43.
    Comp.: Planius atque apertius dicam, Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 43: distinguere, Quint. 3, 6, 45.
    Sup.: istius injurias quam apertissime vobis planissimeque explicare, Cic. Verr. 2, 64, 156: aliquid apertissime ostendere, Quint. 5, 12, 11.