Lewis & Short

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brĕvĭtas, ātis, f. [brevis], shortness.

  1. I. Lit., in space (cf. brevis, I.) (rare): brevitas angusti freti, the narrowness of the strait, Gell. 10, 27, 6: hominibus Gallis prae magnitudine corporum suorum brevitas nostra contemptui est, smallness of stature, Caes. B. G. 2, 30; cf.: haec habilis brevitate suā est, Ov. Am. 2, 4, 35: spatii, Caes. B. C. 1, 82, 3: crurum, Plin. 8, 34, 52, § 123: chamaeplatani coactae brevitatis, Plin. 12, 2, 6, § 13: guttarum, Vitr. 7, 8, 2.
    More freq.,
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. In time, shortness, brevity: ita diei brevitas conviviis, noctis longitudo in stupris continebatur, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 10, § 26: temporis, id. Att. 1, 10, 1: imperii, Tac. H. 1, 47: horae, Sil. 3, 141: vitae, Cic. Tusc. 1, 38, 91; Sen. Brev. Vit. tit. et saep.
        Absol.: confer nostram longissimam aetatem cum aeternitate; in eādem propemodum brevitate quā illae bestiolae reperiemur, Cic. Tusc. 1, 39, 94.
        But most freq.,
      2. 2. Of discourse, brevity, conciseness: si brevitas appellanda est, cum verbum nullum redundat, brevis est L. Crassi oratio; sin tum est brevitas, cum tantum verborum est, quantum necesse est, etc., Cic. de Or. 2, 80, 326 sq.; id. Brut. 13, 50; 17, 66; id. Inv. 1, 20, 28 sq.; id. Verr. 2, 1, 40, § 103; id. Leg. 3, 18, 40: cujus tanta in dicendo brevitas fuit, id. Har. Resp. 19, 41: et a me brevitas postulatur, qui mihimet ipsi amicissima est, id. Quint. 10, 34: nos brevitatem in hoc ponimus, non ut minus, sed ne plus dicatur quam oporteat, Quint. 4, 2, 43: illa Sallustiana brevitas, id. 4, 2, 45; 10, 1, 32: brevitas quoque aut copia non genere materiae sed modo constant, id. 3, 8, 67; 10, 1, 46; 10, 5, 8; 6, 3, 45; 12, 10, 48: ea, quotiens causa poscit, ubertas, ea, quotiens permittit, brevitas, Tac. Or. 23: contionem imperatoriā brevitate pronuntiat, id. H. 1, 18: est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, * Hor. S. 1, 10, 9; Phaedr. 2, prol. 12; 3, 10, 60: brevitatis causā, gratiā, for the sake of brevity or conciseness, Cic. Off. 2, 12, 43; cf. Quint. 4, 2, 67: gratiā, Plin. 18, 25, 57, § 214.
      3. 3. Of shortness of syllables: fluit numerus tum incitatius brevitate pedum, tum proceritate tardius, Cic. Or. 63, 212: brevitas celeritas syllabarum, id. ib. 57, 191: contractio et brevitas dignitatem non habet, id. ib. 57, 193.
        In plur.: omnium longitudinum et brevitatum in sonis … judicium, etc., Cic. Or. 51, 173.
  2. II. For exiguitas, parvitas (cf. brevis, II. C.), littleness, smallness: cujusvis in brevitate corporis, Lucr. 2, 483: vineae, Paul. Aug. 2: doni, Claud. Epigr. 20, 11.