Lewis & Short

sollers (sōlers), tis (abl. regularly sollerti; sollerte, Ov. P. 4, 14, 35), adj. [sollus, i. e. totus-ars, and therefore qs. all art; hence, in gen.], skilled, skilful, clever, dexterous, adroit, expert (class.; syn.; sagax, subtilis, expertus).

  1. I. Of persons: quae liberum Scire aequom est adulescentem, solertem dabo, to make ready, accomplished, Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 25: vigilans ac sollers, sicca, sana, sobria sum, Afran. ap. Non. 21, 33: in omni vel officio vel sermone sollers, Cic. Rep. 2, 21, 37: pictor sollers in arte, Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 142: sollertem tu me facis, Ov. H. 20, 26: ancilla, id. Am. 1, 8, 87: vir, id. Ib. 279: Ulixes, id. P. 4, 14, 35: agricola, Nep. Cat. 3, 1.
    Comp.: sollertior et ingeniosior, Cic. Rosc. Com. 11, 31.
    Sup.: Sulla, rudis antea et ignarus belli, sollertissimus omnium factus est, Sall. J. 96, 1: hostis, Suet. Caes. 35.
    Poet., with inf.: coloribus Sollers nunc hominem ponere nunc deum, Hor. C. 4, 8, 8; Ov. Am. 2, 7, 17; Sil. 1, 79; 8, 260.
    With gen.: Musa lyrae sollers, Hor. A. P. 407: sollers cunctandi Fabius, Sil. 7, 126.
    With ad and acc.: cum esset deus ad excogitandum providentissimus, ad faciendum sollertissimus, Lact. 2, 8, 3.
  2. II. Transf., of things, ingenious, sagacious, intelligent, inventive: opera providae sollertisque naturae, Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 128: animus, Liv. 7, 14; cf.: sollerti corde Prometheus, Cat. 64, 295: sollerti astu, Ov. M. 4, 776: sollers subtilisque descriptio partium, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121: frugum et pecudum custodia sollers, Verg. G. 4, 327: genus acuminis in reprehendendis verbis versutum et sollers, Cic. Brut. 67, 236: ingenium, Ov. F. 3, 840: hominum natura, id. Am. 3, 8, 45: manus, Tib. 1, 8, 29.
    Comp.: nihil sollertius, Cic. Sen. 15, 54: sollertius est multo genus virile, Lucr. 5, 1356.
    Sup.: fundus sollertissimus, qs. most creative, i. e. most productive, fruitful, Cato, R. R. 8 fin.
    Hence, adv.: sollerter (sōlert-), skilfully, dexterously, shrewdly, sagaciously, ingeniously: aliquid consequi, Cic. Leg. 1, 8, 26: patefacere futura, Tac. A. 6, 21: explorans, Spart. Hadr. 10.
    Comp.: simulata sollertius, Cic. N. D. 2, 35, 88: exprimere incessus, vultum, etc., Ov. M. 11, 635: colere hortos, id. ib. 14, 624: imperare, Treb. Poll. Gall. 13.
    Sup.: aliquid sollertissime perspicere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 44, § 98: tempora persequi, Vop. Car. 4.