Lewis & Short

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2. nīsus, ūs, m. [nitor], a pressing or resting upon or against, a pressure; a striving, exertion, labor, effort (mostly poet.; nixus in good prose, v. h. v.): pedetentim et sedato nisu, a tread, step, Pac. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 48: pinnarum nisus inanis, a flight, Lucr. 6, 834; so, insolitos docuere nisus, Hor. C. 4, 4, 8: hic dea se primum rapido pulcherrima nisu Sistit, Verg. A. 11, 852: stat gravis Entellus nisuque immotus eodem, etc., in the same posture, id. ib. 5, 437: hunc stirps Oceani maturis nisibus Aethra Edidit, pains, throes, labor of parturition (v. 2. nixus), Ov. F. 5, 171.
In prose: tamquam nisus evomentis adjuvaret, retchings, Tac. A. 12, 67: uti prospectus nisusque per saxa facilius foret, Sall. J. 94, 1 Dietsch: quae dubia nisu videbantur, id. ib. 94, 2 Dietsch: non pervenit nisu sed impetu, Quint. 8, 4, 9; 1, 12, 10.

1. nītor, nīsus and nixus (inf. nitier, Lucr. 1, 1059; old form of the part. perf.: gnitus et gnixus a genibus prisci dixerunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 96 Müll.), 3, v. dep. n. [from gnitor; root gnic- or gnig-; cf.: nico, conivere], to bear or rest upon something.

  1. I. Lit.
          1. (α) With abl.: ambae te obsecramus genibus nixae, we implore thee upon our knees, i. e. kneeling, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 33: stirpibus suis niti, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 37: herbescens viriditas, quae nixa fibris stirpium sensim adulescit, id. Sen. 15, 51: hastili nixus, id. Rab. Perd. 7, 21: mulierculā nixus, id. Verr. 2, 5, 33, § 86: juvenis, qui nititur hastā, Verg. A. 6, 760: paribus nitens Cyllenius alis Constitit, id. ib. 4, 252: nixus baculo, Ov. P. 1, 8, 52.
          2. (β) With in and acc.: nixus in hastam, Verg. A. 12, 398.
          3. (γ) With de: de quā pariens arbore nixa dea est, Ov. H. 21, 100.
          4. (δ) With gen. of place: humi nitens, Verg. A. 2, 380.
            (ε) Absol.: Sisiphu’ versat Saxum sudans nitendo, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 5, 10: niti modo ac statim concidere, to strive to rise, Sall. J. 101, 11.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To make one’s way with an effort, to press forward, advance; and, with respect to the goal, to mount, climb, fly, etc. (mostly poet.): quaedam serpentes ortae extra aquam simul ac primum niti possunt, aquam persequuntur, Cic. N. D. 2, 48, 124: nituntur gradibus, Verg. A. 2, 442: in altas rupes, Luc. 4, 37: ad sidera, Verg. G. 2, 427: in aëra, Ov. P. 2, 7, 27: in adversum, id. M. 2, 72: sursum nitier, Lucr. 1, 1059.
        Of violent bodily motion: niti corporibus et ea huc illuc, quasi vitabundi aut jacientes tela agitare, to struggle, Sall. J. 60, 4.
      2. 2. To strain in giving birth, to bring forth, Plin. 9, 35, 54, § 107 (al. eniti): nitor, I am in labor, Ov. M. 9, 302; Pseud.-Ov. Her. 21, 100.
      3. 3. To strain for a stool, Suet. Vesp. 20.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To strive, to exert one’s self, make an effort, labor, endeavor: moderatio modo virium adsit et tantum, quantum potest, quisque nitatur, Cic. Sen. 10, 33; Nep. Att. 15, 2: nisurus contra regem, Caes. B. C. 2, 37; Sall. C. 38, 2: pro aliquo, Liv. 35, 10; cf.: pro libertate summā ope niti, Sall. J. 31, 17: nitebantur, ne gravius in eum consuleretur, Sall. J. 13, 8; cf.: unus Miltiades maxime nitebatur, ut, etc., Nep. Milt. 4, 2.
      Inf.: summā vi Cirtam irrumpere nititur, Sall. J. 25, 9: patriam recuperare niti, Nep. Pelop. 2: ingenio nitor non periisse meo, Ov. P. 3, 5, 34; id. M. 8, 694.
      Absol., of soldiers hard pressed in battle: tamen virtute et patientia nitebantur atque omnia vulnera sustinebant, Caes. B. C. 1, 45.
      1. 2. To strive after a thing: ad immortalitatem gloriae niti, Cic. Sen. 23, 82: ad summa, Quint. prooem. § 20: in vetitum, Ov. Am. 3, 4, 17.
      2. 3. To try to prove, contend in argument, argue, with acc. and inf.: nitamur igitur nihil posse percipi, Cic. Ac. 2, 21, 68.
    2. B. To rest, rely, depend upon a thing.
          1. (α) With in and abl.: nixus in nomine inani, Lucr. 5, 909: conjectura in quā nititur divinatio, Cic. Div. 2, 26, 55: ea, in quibus causa nititur, id. Cael. 10, 25: cujus in vitā nitebatur salus civitatis, id. Mil. 7, 19.
          2. (β) With abl.: spe niti, Cic. Att. 3, 9, 2: consilio atque auctoritate alicujus, id. Off. 1, 34, 122; id. Fam. 1, 5, a, 2: si quis hoc uno nititur quod sit ignobilis, id. Clu. 40, 112.
          3. (γ) With ubi: quo confugies? ubi nitere? Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 64, § 155.
            Hence, P. a., as subst., Nixus, i, m., only plur., Nixi, ōrum, m., three guardian deities of women in labor, the statues of whom, representing them in a kneeling posture, stood on the Capitol before the chapel of Minerva, Paul. ex Fest. p. 174 Müll.: magno Lucinam Nixosque patres clamore vocabam, Ov. M. 9, 294.