Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. brūtus, a, um, adj. [kindr. with βᾰρύς, perh. contr. from barutus, a lengthened form of barus, like actutum, astutus, cinctutus, versutus, from actu, astus, cinctus, versus; cf. also βρῖθύς, heavy, weighty; Fr. and Engl. brute, brutal].

  1. I. Lit., heavy, unwieldy, immovable (rare): brutum antiqui gravem dicebant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 31 Müll.: pondus, falling down with heavy weight, Lucr. 6, 105: tellus, * Hor. C. 1, 34, 9 (cf.: terra iners, id. ib. 3, 4, 45: immota tellus, Sen. Thyest. 1020: terra semper immobilis, Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 102: Unde Horatius. Et bruta tellus): corpora neque tam bruta quam terrea, neque tam levia quam aetheria, App. de Deo Socr. p. 47, 5.
  2. II. Trop., dull, stupid, insensible, unreasonable.
    1. A. Of men: brutum dicitur hebes et obtusumPacuvius Hermiona: et obnoxium esse aut brutum aut elinguem putes, Non. p. 77, 31 sq.: fortunam insanam esse et caecam et brutam perhibent philosophi, Pac. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 23, 36: quod bruti nec satis sardare queunt, Naev. ap. Fest. s. v. sardare, p. 322 Müll. (Bell. Punic. v. 65, p. 18 Vahl.): T. Manlius relegatus a patre ob adulescentiam brutam atque hebetem, Sen. Ben. 3, 37, 4; App. M. 7, p. 191, 30: homo, Lact. 7, 4, 12; Prud. στεφ. 2, 66; cf. 2. Brutus, II. B.
      Esp. in a play on the name, 2. Brutus, v. h. v.
    2. B. Of animals, irrational ( = ἀναίσθητος, Arist. Part. Anim. 3, 4) (so several times in Pliny the elder): animalium hoc maxime brutum (sc. sus), Plin. 8, 51, 77, § 207; 9, 29, 46, § 87; 11, 37, 70, § 183; 11, 39, 92, § 226.
      But only late Lat. as a general designation of animals opp. to men, our brute, irrational, dumb, Greg. Mag. in Job, 10, 13, 23; 17, 30, 46 al.
    3. C. Of inanimate things: bruta fulmina et vana, ut quae nulla veniant ratione naturae, qs. striking blindly, Plin. 2, 43, 43, § 113: scitum Caesaris, thoughtless, inconsiderate, Prud. στεφ. 5, 66.
      * Sup., Jul. Val. Rer. Gest. Alex. Magn. 3, 67.

2. Brūtus, i, m., = Βροῦτος [1. brutus], a Roman cognomen.

  1. I. L. Junius, the relative of Tarquinius Superbus, saved by his feigned stupidity [whence the name], and the deliverer of Rome from regal dominion, Liv. 1, 56, 7 sq.; Ov. F. 2, 717; 2, 837; Verg. A. 6, 818; Cic. Tusc. 1, 37, 89 saep. After him, Brutus was the cognomen of the patrician gens Junia.
  2. II. From the plebeian gens Junia,
    1. A. M. Junius, son of Servilia, a half-sister of Cato Uticensis by M. Brutus (not by Cæsar; v. Ellendt Cic. Brut. p. cxxvii.), an intimate friend of Cicero about the 21st year of his age, and one of the murderers of Julius Cœsar, Suet. Caes. 80 sq.; id. Aug. 10; Vell. 2, 56, 3; 2, 58, 1; Tac. A. 1, 2; Cic. Phil. 1, 3, 8; 1, 4, 9 and 10; 2, 12, 28 sq.; 2, 13, 31; id. Fam. 3, 4, 2; as a philos. and orator active and respected, id. Ac. 1, 3, 12; id. Fin. 1, 3, 8; id. Tusc. 5, 1, 1 sq.; id. Att. 12, 5, 3; 13, 9, 2; Plut. Brut. 4; Cic. Or. 71, 237; Quint. 10, 1, 123; Tac. Or. 17 sq.; 21; cf. Ellendt, above cited; Meyer, Fragm. Orat. 205. To him Cic. dedicated his writings: Orator, Brutus, de Deorum Naturā, de Finibus, and Tusc. Quaestiones.
    2. B. D. Junius, a fellow-conspirator with the preceding, Suet. Caes. 80 sq.; id. Aug. 10; Vell. 2, 56 sq.; Cic. Phil. 3, 1, 4; id. Fam. 10, 11, 2; id. ad Brut. 1, 2, 2; to him are addressed the letters, Cic. Fam. 11, 5 sqq.; 12 sqq. al.
      To these two Cicero’s witticism has reference: quid ergo? Ista culpa Brutorum? Minime illorum quidem, sed aliorum brutorum, qui se cautos ac sapientes putant, Cic. Att. 14, 14, 2; cf. id. Phil. 4, 2, 7; id. Att. 14, 20, 2; Liv. 1, 56, 8; Ov. F. 2, 717.
      1. 2. Derivv.
        1. a. Brūtĭā-nus, a, um, adj., of or pertaining to (M. Junius) Brutus: castra, Vell. 2, 72: Cassianaeque partes, id. 2, 74: bellum civile, Lact. 2, 7 fin.
        2. b. Brūtīnus, a, um, adj., of or pertaining to Brutus (M. Junius): consilia rei publicae liberandae, Cic. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 15.
  3. III. D. Junius Brutus Callaicus, consul with P. Corn. Scipio Nasica Serapio A.U.C. 616, Cic. Brut. 28, 107; id. Leg. 3, 9, 20; id. Balb. 17, 40; Vell. 2, 5.
  4. IV. D. Junius Brutus Julianus, consul with Mamercus Æmilius Lepidus A.U.C. 677, Cic. Brut. 47, 175; id. de Or. 2, 33, 142; id. Att. 12, 22, 2.
  5. V. M. Junius Brutus, the husband of Servilia, and father of the murderer of Cœsar, a distinguished lawyer, Cic. Brut. 62, 222.