Lewis & Short

ăpo (or ăpio, Isid. Orig. 19, 30), ĕre, v. a. [cf.: ἅπτω, apiscor, apex].

  1. I.
    1. A. To fasten, attach, join, bind, tie to (syn.: ligo, adligo, jungo, conjungo, recto): comprehendere antiqui vinculo apere dicebant, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll.; cf. apex; used only in part. perf. pass. aptus (the P. a. v. infra): uteri terrae radicibus apti, fastened to the earth, Lucr. 5, 808 (Lachm., terram and apti = adepti): bracchia validis ex apta lacertis, united with the strong shoulders, id. 4, 829: gladium e lacunari setā equinā aptum demitti jussit, Cic. Tusc. 5, 21, 62: linguam vinclis de pectore imo aptis moveri, Gell. 1, 15.
    2. B. Trop.: ex aliquā re (like pendere ex aliquā re), depending upon, arising from (so only in Cic.): rerum causae aliae ex aliis aptae et necessitate nexae, Cic. Tusc. 5, 25, 70: honestum, ex quo aptum est officium, id. Off. 1, 18, 60; id. Fin. 2, 14, 47: ex quā re (sc. virtute) una vita omnis apta sit, id. Ac. 2, 10, 31: causa ex aeternis causis apta, id. Fat. 15, 34: cui viro ex se apta sunt omnia, etc., id. Tusc. 5, 12, 36 (as transl. of Plat. Menex. p. 302: Ὅτῳ γὰρ ἀνδρὶ εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀνήρτηται πάντα, etc.); cf. id. Fam. 5, 13.
      Once also with pendere: non ex verbis aptum pendere jus, Cic. Caecin. 18.
      Also without ex: vitā modicā et aptā virtute perfrui, Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 56: rudentibus apta fortuna, id. Tusc. 5, 14, 40.
  2. II.
    1. A. Joined, bound, or tied together, connected: aptum conexum et colligatum significat, Non. p. 234, 32 (so most freq. in Lucr.): conjugio corporis atque animae consistimus uniter apti, Lucr. 3, 846; 5, 555; 5, 558: genus … validis aptum per viscera nervis, bound together by the strong band of the sinews, id. 5, 928: quae memorare queam inter se singlariter apta, id. 6, 1067 al.: facilius est apta dissolvere quam dissipata conectere, Cic. Or. 71, 235: quā ex conjunctione caelum ita aptum est, ut, etc., id. Tim. 5: qui tam certos caeli motus, tamque omnia inter se conexa et apta viderit, id. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Gell. 6, 2.
    2. B. Trop.: omnia inter se apta et conexa, Cic. Fin. 4, 19, 53: apta inter se et cohaerentia, id. N. D 3, 1, 4: efficiatur aptum illud, quod fuerit antea diffiuens ac solutum, id. Or. 70, 233.
      Poet., with abl., endowed, furnished, or ornamented with something: fides alma, apta pinnis, furnished with wings, winged, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 3, 29, 105: stellis fulgentibus apta caeli domus, the abode of heaven studded with glittering stars, Lucr. 6, 357 (cf. id. 5, 1205: stellis micantibus aethera fixum); imitated by Verg.: caelum stellis fulgentibus aptum, Verg. A. 11, 202, and: axis stellis ardentibus aptus, id. ib. 4, 482: veste signis ingentibus aptā, Lucr. 5, 1428: magis apta figura, id. 2, 814: lucus opacus teneris fruticibus aptus, Varr. ap. Non. p. 235, 9: Tyrio prodeat apta sinu, Tib. 1, 9, 70.
      Hence,
  3. III. aptus, a, um, P. a., pr., fitted to something; hence, suited, suitable, proper, apposite, fit, appropriate, adapted, conformable to (cf. accommodatus and appositus, 2.).
    1. A. In gen.: aptus is, qui convenienter alicui junctus est, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. apex, p. 18 Müll. (so most freq. after the Cic. per.); constr. with ad or dat.; of persons always with dat.
          1. (α) With ad: ossa habent commissuras ad stabilitatem aptas, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 139: in pulmonibus inest raritas quaedam ad hauriendum spiritum aptissima, id. ib. 2, 55, 136: locus ad insidias aptior, id. Mil. 20: calcei habiles et apti ad pedem, id. de Or. 1, 54, 231: castra ad bellum ducendum aptissima, Caes. B. C. 2, 37; so Vulg. 1 Par. 7, 40; ib. 2 Par. 26, 13: aptum ad proelium, ib. 1 Reg. 14, 52: fornices in muro erant apti ad excurrendum, Liv. 36, 23, 3 al.
          2. (β) With dat.: non omnia rebus sunt omnibus apta, Lucr. 6, 961: aliis alias animantibus aptas Res, id. 6, 773: initia apta et accommodata naturae, Cic. Fin. 4, 17, 46: quod verum, simplex sincerumque sit, id esse naturae hominis aptissimum, id. Off. 1, 4, 13: haec genera dicendi aptiora sunt adulescentibus, id. Brut. 95, 223; so id. ib. 62, 326; id. Tusc. 1, 36, 87; id. Or. 22, 1 al.: quod aetati tuae esset aptissimum, id. Off. 1, 2, 4; so Nep. Att. 16, 1: apta dies sacrificio, Liv. 1, 45: venti aptiores Romanae quam suae classi, id. 25, 37 al.: notavi portus puppibus aptos, Ov. M. 3, 596; 4, 160: armis apta magis tellus, Prop. 4, 22, 19: aptum equis Argos, Hor. C. 1, 7, 9: apta vinculo conjugali, Vulg. Ruth, 1, 12; ib. Luc. 9, 62: aptus amicis, Hor. S. 2, 5, 43 et saep.
            Other constrr.:
          3. (γ) With in (cf. Rudd. II. p. 96, n. 60): in quod (genus pugnae) minime apti sunt, Liv. 38, 21: formas deus aptus in omnes, apt for, easily changed into, Ov. M. 14, 765: in ceteros apta usus, Vulg. Deut. 20, 20: vasa apta in interitum, ib. Rom. 9, 22.
          4. (δ) With qui (cf. Zumpt, § 568): nulla videbatur aptior persona, quae de illā aetate loqueretur, Cic. Am. 1, 4: est mihi, quae lanas molliat, apta manus, Ov. H. 3, 70.
            (ε) Poet., with inf: (Circe) apta cantu veteres mutare figuras, Tib. 4, 1, 63: aetas mollis et apta regi, Ov. A. A. 1, 10.
            Esp. freq., (ζ) Absol., Sall. H. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 235, 16: amor, Prop. 4, 22, 42: saltus, Ov. M. 2, 498: ars, Tib. 1, 7, 60: apta oscula, Tib. 1, 4, 54; Ov. H. 15, 132: lar aptus, an extensive, satisfying possession, Hor. C. 1, 12, 43.
            So in prose: aptus exercitus, an army good in fight, ready for battle, Liv. 10, 25: tempus aptum, the right time, id. 35, 19; so Vulg. Eccli. 20, 6 al.
    2. B. Esp., in rhet., of the fitness, appropriateness of discourse: quid aptum sit, hoc est quid maxime decens in oratione, Cic. de Or. 3, 55, 210; so apta oratio, which has the appropriate rhet. fulness and periodic rounding: numerosa et apta oratio, id. Or. 50, 168; cf. id. ib. 50, 70; so id. Brut. 17, 68: Thucydides verbis aptus et pressus, exact and brief in expression, id. de Or. 2, 13, 56.
      Hence, aptē, adv., closely, fitly, suitably, nicely, rightly.
  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Absol.: atque ita apte cohaeret (mundi corpus), ut etc., Cic. Tim. 5: altera est nexa cum superiore et inde apteque pendens, id. ap. Non. p. 235, 18: capiti apte reponere, Liv. 1, 34, 8.
    2. B. With ad: apte convenire ad pedem, Cic. Fin. 3, 14, 46.
      Sup.,
    3. C. With inter: ut inter se quam aptissime cohaereant extrema (verba) cum primis etc., Cic. Or. 44, 149.
  2. II. Trop., fitly, suitably, properly, duly, rightly.
    1. A. Absol.: facile judicabimus, quid eorum apte fiat, Cic. Off. 1, 41, 146: quod est oratoris proprium, apte, distincte, ornate dicere, id. ib. 1, 1, 2: apte et quiete ferre, id. ib. 4, 17, 38: non equite apte locato, Liv. 4, 37, 8: Qui doceant, apte quid tibi possit emi, Ov. Am. 1, 8, 88: nec aliter imperium apte regi potest, Curt. 8, 8, 13: floribus compositis apte et utiliter, Plin. 11, 16, 16, § 46.
      Comp.: qualia aptius suis referentur locis, Plin. 2, 62, 62, § 153: Aptius haec puero, quam tibi, dona dabis, Mart. 13, 26.
    2. B. With dat.: si quid exierit numeris aptius, Quint. 10, 12, 26.
      Sup.: seruntur Parilibus tamen aptissime, Plin. 19, 3, 24, § 69.
    3. C. With ad: (ut) ad rerum dignitatem apte et quasi decore (loquamur), Cic. de Or. 1, 32, 144: spolia ducis hostium caesi suspensa fabricato ad id apte ferculo gerens, Liv. 1, 10, 5.