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.

2. flexus, ūs, m. [flecto], a bending, turning, winding (class.; in sing. and plur.).

  1. I. Lit.: aures duros et quasi corneolos habent introitus, multisque cum flexibus, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144; cf. Quint. 6, 13, 9: ut qui cursu parum valent, flexu eludunt, id. 9, 2, 78: cum venissem ad pontem, in quo flexus est ad iter Arpinas, Cic. Att. 16, 13, a, 1; cf.: in aliquo flexu viae, Liv. 22, 12, 7: implicatae flexibus vallium viae, id. 32, 4, 4: Rhenus modico flexu in occidentem versus, Tac. G. 1: flexu Armeniam petivit, id. A. 12, 12: alio flexu reduci ad viam, Quint. 2, 17, 29: (quo pacto sol) Brumales adeat flexus, Lucr. 5, 616: brumales, id. 5, 640: metae, the turn round the goal, Pers. 3, 63: labyrinthei, the mazes, Cat. 64, 114: capilli dociles et centum flexibus apti, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 13: in litore flexus Mecybernaeus, the bay or gulf, Mela, 2, 3 init.; cf. id. 3, 1.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., a turning, transition into another state, political change: id enim est caput civilis prudentiae, videre itinera flexusque rerum publicarum, Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46: in hoc flexu quasi aetatis fama adolescentis paululum haesit ad metas (the figure taken from the turning of the racers on reaching the goal), id. Cael. 31, 75; cf.: si infinitus forensium rerum labor decursu honorum et jam aetatis flexu constitisset, i. e. senectus, id. de Or. 1, 1, 1: flexu auctumni (= post medium tempus auctumni, trop. from turning the meta in the Circus), Tac. H. 5, 23; v. Orell. ad h. 1.
    2. B. In partic. (post-Aug.).
      1. 1. An artful turning, winding, shifting: inde recta fere est actio, hinc mille flexus et artes desiderantur, Quint. 5, 13, 2: qui haec recta tantum, et in nullos flexus recedentia tractaverit, id. 10, 5, 12.
      2. 2. Of the voice, inflection, modulation, variation: citharoedi simul et sono vocis et plurimis flexibus serviunt, Quint. 1, 12, 3: quid quoque flexu dicendum, id. 1, 8, 1: qui flexus deceat miserationem, id. 1, 11, 12; 1, 8, 3.
      3. 3. In gram., inflection, variation, derivation (in Varro flexura, v. h. v.): quid vero? quae tota positionis ejusdem in diversos flexus eunt? cum Alba faciat Albanos et Albenses; volo, volui et volavi, Quint. 1, 6, 15.