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.

tĕnācĭter, adv., v. tenax fin.

tĕnax, ācis, adj. [teneo], holding fast, griping, tenacious.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum, Verg. A. 12, 404; 8, 453; cf.: dente tenaci Ancora fundabat naves, id. ib. 6, 3: vinclum, id. G. 4, 412; Ov. M. 11, 252: complexus, id. ib. 4, 377: lappa, id. P. 2, 1, 14: hedera arborem implicat, Cat. 61, 34: loca limosa tenacia gravi caeno, Tac. A. 1, 63: amplexus, App. M. 9, p. 219, 17: maltha, quae est res omnium tenacissima, Plin. 36, 24, 58, § 181.
      With gen.: herba asperitate etiam vestium tenaci, Plin. 27, 5, 15, § 32.
      Comp.: cutis tenacior capilli, Plin. 22, 22, 39, § 82.
        1. b. Subst.: tĕnāces, ĭum, m., things that hold fast. i. e. bands, stalks, or pedicles of fruit, etc., Pall. Febr. 18, 1; 25, 9; id. Mart. 10, 4 and 9; id. Sept. 17.
    2. B. In partic., holding fast to wealth, power, etc., griping, sparing, niggardly, stingy, tenacious (class.; syn. parcus): filius familias patre parco ac tenaci, Cic. Cael. 15, 36: He. Tenaxne pater ejus est? Phi. Immo edepol pertinax, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 39: parcus, truculentus, tenax, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 12: eosdem restrictos et tenaces fuisse, Cic. Planc. 22, 54: non tenax in largitate, Spart. Car. 5.
      With gen.: genus Quaesiti tenax, Ov. M. 7, 657.
      Comp.: milites tenaciores eorum (armorum) in proelio, Suet. Caes. 67.
    3. C. Transf., of things, that holds or sticks fast: jacere in tenaci gramine, that clings together, i. e. matted, Hor. Epod. 2, 24.
      Sup.: glaebis tenacissimum solum, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10: cerae, sticky, viscid, Verg. G. 4, 161: turpe referre pedem nec passu stare tenaci, Ov. P. 2, 6, 21.
      Comp.: pondere tenacior navis, Liv. 28, 30, 11: panicula glutino tenacior, Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Holding fast, retentive, firm, steadfast, persistent, tenacious (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose); usually joined with gen.: memoria tenacissima, Quint. 1, 1, 19: naturā tenacissimi sumus eorum, quae rudibus annis percepimus, id. 1, 1, 5: pertinacem ultra modum esse tenacem propositi, id. 11, 1, 90; so, propositi, Hor. C. 3, 3, 1; Ov. M. 10, 405: tenacem esse sui juris debet, Col. 1, 7, 2: disciplinae tenacissimus, Plin. Ep. 10, 85 (17): justitiae, Juv. 8, 25: ficti pravique (Fama), Verg. A. 4, 188: veri, Pers. 5, 48: amicitiarum, Vell. 2, 29, 3: exempli sui, id. 2, 84, 3 Ruhnk.: animi, Manil. 4, 165: longa tenaxque fides, Ov. Am. 2, 6, 14.
    2. B. In a bad sense, stubborn, obstinate: equus contra sua vincla tenax, Ov. Am. 3, 4, 13; so, equus, Liv. 39, 25, 13; and in a lusus verbb.: si esses equos, esses indomabilis … nimis tenax es, Plaut. Cas. 4, 3, 13: cum video, quam sint mea fata tenacia, frangor, Ov. P. 1, 2, 63: ira Caesaris, id. ib. 1, 9, 28: morbi, Suet. Claud. 2.
      Adv.: tĕnācĭter, closely, firmly, strongly, tightly, tenaciously.
        1. a. Lit.: pressisse tenaciter ungues, Ov. H. 9, 21: vincire, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6.
          Comp.: apprehendere, Val. Max. 7, 5, 2; Macr. S. 7, 3: habitare, Aug. Ep. 6.
        2. b. Trop., persistently, firmly: urgere, Ov. H. 3, 43.
          Comp., Sol. 52, § 44; Amm. 25, 4, 4.
          Sup., App. M. 5, p. 167, 22.