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.

mĭnŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a. and n. [Sanscr. mi, lessen, change; Gr. μινύω, μινύθω; cf.: μείων = minor; Germ. minder, vermindern]. Act., to make smaller, to lessen, diminish; lit. and trop.

  1. A. Lit. (rare and mostly poet.): ramaliaque arida tecto Detulit, et minuit, broke in pieces, Ov. M. 8, 645: ligna, to chop into small pieces, id. F. 2, 647: portarum objectus, to dash in pieces, Stat. Th. 10, 526: dentes in limine, id. ib. 10, 47: sanguinem, to let blood, Veg. Vet. 1, 16, 2; in the same signif., simply minuere, id. ib. 1, 22, 1.
  2. B. Trop., to lessen, diminish, lower, reduce, weaken, abate, restrict (very freq. and class.): imperium matris, Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6: sumptus civitatum, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 2: (rem familiarem), Hor. S. 2, 3, 177: gradum, Quint. 2, 3, 7: gloriam alicujus, Cic. Fl. 12, 28: molestias vitae, id. Fin. 1, 16, 51: cupiditates, id. ib.: invidiam, id. Agr. 1, 5, 14: opem, Caes. B. G. 5, 33: auctoritatem, id. B. C. 3, 43: minuuntur corporis artus, grow less, diminish in size, Ov. M. 7, 317: minuuntur corpora siccis, Plin. 11, 54, 118, § 283: consul alter proelio uno et vulnere suo minutus, discouraged, Liv. 21, 52, 2 (al. deminutus): suspicionem profectionis, Cic. Att. 10, 16, 4: controversias, to settle, put an end to, Caes. B. G. 5, 26: minuenda est haec opinio, to be refuted, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 72: magistratum, censuram, to restrict the power of, to limit, Liv. 4, 24: majestatem populi Romani per vim, to violate, offend against, Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 21: matris imperium, Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6: religionem, Nep. Ages. 4, 8: nec tu ea causa minueris Haec quae facis, ne is mutet suam sententiam, Ter. And. 2, 3, 19: consilium, to alter, change, id. Hec. 4, 3, 10: condemnationem, to commute, Gai. Inst. 3, 224; 4, 57.
  • II. Neutr., to diminish, grow less: minuente aestu, at the ebbing of the tide, Caes. B. G. 3, 12, 1: minuente lunā, waning, Pall. 3, 24; Sedul. 1, 243; cf.: crescentis minuentisque sideris species, Plin. 37, 10, 67, § 181.
    Hence, mĭnūtus, a, um, P. a. (diminished; hence), little, small, minute (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: pueri minuti (opp. majores), Varr. ap. Non. 141, 18: id omnes magni minutique, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 45.
      Of things: litterae, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 68: minuta ac brevia folia, Plin. 12, 24, 53, § 111: ossa, Lucr. 1, 835: opuscula, Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: itinera, Suet. Aug. 82: aere minuto qualiacumque somnia vendere, Juv. 6, 546: facies minutae, miniature portraits, id. 14, 291.
      Comp.: minutior ac mage pollens, Lucr. 4, 318.
      Sup.: minutissimis ictibus excarnificatus, Suet. Vit. 17: res, little things, trifles, Cic. Clu. 64, 180: res minutissimae et contemptibiles, Aug. Conf. 10, 35, 4: aves, Col. 8, 5, 10.
    2. B. Trop., petty, paltry, insignificant.
      1. 1. Of persons: alii minuti et angusti, Cic. Fin. 1, 18, 61: philosophi, id. Div. 1, 30, 62: imperatores, id. Brut. 73, 256: plebes, Phaedr. 4, 6, 13.
      2. 2. Of things: canto carmina versibus minutis, Poët. ap. Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 4: genus orationis, Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 159: minuti est animi voluptas ultio, Juv. 13, 189.
        Hence, subst.: mĭnūtum, i, n., the smallest piece of money, a mite, farthing: novissimum reddere, Vulg. Luc. 12, 59; cf.: aes minutum, id. ib. 21, 2.
        Plur.
          1. (α) The little (opp. longa), Calp. Ecl. 5, 7.
          2. (β) Minutes, points, very small parts, Amm. 20, 3, 2; Gram. Vet. p. 374, 11.
          3. (γ) Comp.: illa minutiora, those less important matters, Aur. Vict. Epit. 48, 18.
            Hence, adv., in two forms.
      1. 1. mĭnūtē, into small or fine pieces, finely, minutely (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: sal minute tritus, Col. 6, 17, 7: minutissime commolere, id. 12, 28, 1: historia minutissime scripta, in an extremely small hand, Sen. Ep. 95, 2.
    2. B. Trop.
          1. (α) In a petty or paltry manner: res minutius tractare, Cic. Fin. 4, 3, 7.
          2. (β) Minutely, closely, accurately: minutius et scrupulosius scrutantur omnia, Quint. 5, 14, 28.
      1. 2. mĭnūtim, into small pieces, finely, minutely (ante-class. and post-Aug.): concidere, Cato, R. R. 123: scoria minutim fracta, Plin. 34, 18, 51, § 171; Gell. 17, 8, 2.
    3. B. With short steps, trippingly: equus ambulans, Veg. Vet. 1, 56, 39: deambulare, id. ib. 2, 53, 3.

    mĭnūtus, a, um, Part. and P. a., v. minuo fin.