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tĕnĕo, tĕnŭi, tentum, 2 (perf. subj. tetinerim, Pac. ap. Non. 178, 15: tetinerit, Att. ib. 178, 12: tetinisse, Pac. ib. 178, 11; fut. perf. tetinero, acc. to Fest. p. 252 Müll. Another collat. form of the perf. tenivi, acc. to Charis. p. 220 P.; Diom. pp. 363 and 369 ib.), v. a. and n. [root ten-, tan-; Gr. τάνυμαι, τείνω; Sanscr. tanomi, to stretch, spread; this root appears in many derived meanings; cf. Lat.: tendo, tenuis, tener, tenor, tenus].
- I. Act., to hold, keep, have in the hand, in the mouth, etc.
- A. Lit.
- 1. In gen.: Eu. Porrige bracchium, prehende: jam tenes? Cha. Teneo. Eu. Tene, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 42; cf. argentum, id. Pers. 3, 3, 9: cum pyxidem teneret in manu, Cic. Cael. 26, 63; for which: aliquid manu, Quint. 10, 7, 31; Ov. M. 11, 560; id. A. A. 1, 320; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 34: aliquid dextrā, Ov. F. 1, 99: digitis, id. ib. 2, 102; id. M. 9, 86; 9, 522: lacertis, id. ib. 2, 100 al.: radicem ore, Cic. Div. 2, 68, 141: cibum ore, Phaedr. 1, 4, 6; for which: decoctum diu in ore, Plin. 25, 13, 105, § 166: aliquem in sinu, Ov. H. 3, 114; for which: aliquem sinu, id. ib. 13, 157: flabellulum, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 50: facem, Verg. A. 6, 224: telum, Liv. 2, 19.
Prov.: manu tenere aliquid, to seize, grasp, or comprehend a thing which is palpable or evident: aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias: leges, quātenus manu tenere possunt; philosophi, quātenus ratione et intellegentiā, Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; cf.: cum res non conjecturā, sed oculis ac manibus teneretur, id. Clu. 7, 20.
- 2. In partic.
- a. With the accessory idea of possession, to hold, i. e. to be master of, have in one’s power, possess, etc. (syn.: possideo, habeo): multa hereditatibus, multa emptionibus, multa dotibus tenebantur sine injuriā, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 81: quae tenuit dives Achaemenes, Hor. C. 2, 12, 21: Evander qui multis ante tempestatibus tenuerat loca, Liv. 1, 5: provinciam a praedonibus liberam, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 32: colles praesidiis, Caes. B. C. 3, 43: Formiarum moenia et Lirim, Hor. C. 3, 17, 8: tenente Caesare terras, id. ib. 3, 14, 15: rem publicam, Cic. Mur. 39, 83; id. Sest. 19, 44: summam imperii, Caes. B. G. 3, 22: equitum centurias, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3: alterum cornu, to command, Nep. Pelop. 4, 3: provincias aliaque omnia, Sall. C. 39, 2: scenam, to have sole possession of. rule over, Suet. Tit. 7.
Of the possession of the object of affection: te tenet, Tib. 1, 6, 35; 2, 6, 52; Verg. E. 1, 32; Ov. H. 2, 103 Ruhnk.; 15, 88; id. Am. 3, 7, 3; Phaedr. 2, 2, 4.
In colloq. lang., teneo te, I have you once more, of again seeing the beloved person: teneone te, Antiphila, maxime animo exoptata meo? Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 27 Ruhnk.; Sen. Ben. 7, 4; Ov. H. 18, 183; cf.: et comitem Aenean juxta natumque tenebat Ingrediens, Verg. A. 8, 308.
Also like our I have you (fast, bound, etc.): teneo te, inquam, nam ista Academiae est propria sententia, Cic. Ac. 2, 48, 148; id. Quint. 20, 63.
Absol.: qui tenent (sc. rem publicam), who are in possession of the State, of public affairs: qui tenent, qui potiuntur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3; 2, 18, 1.
- b. With the accessory idea of firmness, persistence, to hold fast, occupy; to watch, guard, defend; to maintain, retain a thing: legio locum non tenuit atque in proximum collem se recepit, Caes. B. C. 1, 44: montes teneri, id. B. G. 3, 2: haec noctu firmis praesidiis tenebantur, id. ib. 7, 69: Capitolia celsa tenebat, Verg. A. 8, 653: quo teneam Protea nodo? Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 90: te neque intra Claustra tenebo, id. C. 3, 11, 44; cf.: in manicis et Compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo, id. Ep. 1, 16, 77: laqueis (se) sensit teneri … fugam frustra tentabat; at illam Lenta tenet radix exsultantemque coërcet, Ov. M. 11, 74 sq.; 1, 535: Athenae tuae sempiternam in arce oleam tenere potuerunt, Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2: agri qui diu aquam tenent, Pall. Apr. 2, 4: classem ibi tenebat, Liv. 31, 46, 8: secundissimo vento cursum tenere, to hold or keep one’s course, Cic. N. D. 3, 34, 83; cf.: vento intermisso cursum non tenuit, Caes. B. G. 5, 8; 4, 28; so, cursum, Cic. Planc. 21, 52; id. Rep. 1, 2, 3 fin.; Quint. 4, 3, 13: quo iter, Verg. A. 1, 370; Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 10: (lunam) fingunt cursus viam sub sole tenere, Lucr. 5, 714: tenuit tamen vestigia Bucar, Liv. 29, 32, 6.
- c. With the accessory idea of reaching the object aimed at, to reach, attain a place: montes effuso cursu Sabini petebant et pauci tenuere, Liv. 1, 37, 4: regionem, id. 30, 25, 11: Tenum, id. 36, 21, 1: terram, id. 37, 16, 4; 37, 11, 5; 37, 13, 4; 26, 29, 4: Hesperiam, Ov. F. 1, 498: portus, id. H. 18, 198; Tac. Agr. 38 fin.: cum quibus (navibus) Cythnum insulam tenuit, id. H. 2, 9.
- d. With the accessory idea of movement impeded, to hold fast, hold back, hinder, restrain, detain, check, control, stay, etc.: naves, quae vento tenebantur, Caes. B. G. 4, 22: quid hic agatur, scire poteris ex eo, qui litteras attulit, quem diutius tenui, quia, etc., Cic. Att. 11, 3, 1: si id te non tenet, advola, id. Fam. 16, 19: septimum jam diem Corcyrae tenebamur, id. ib. 16, 7 init.: Marcellum ab gerundis rebus valetudo adversa Nolae tenuit, Liv. 24, 20, 7: non tenebo te pluribus, Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3; cf. absol.: ne diutius teneam, id. Verr. 2, 1, 13, § 34: solutum (corpus) tenere, Cels. praef. med.; cf. ventrem, id. 4, 19 med.: tene linguam, Ov. F. 2, 602: pecus omne tenendum, Verg. G. 2, 371: vix a te videor posse tenere manus, Ov. Am. 1, 4, 10; so, manus, id. M. 13, 203; cf.: manum stomachumque teneto, Hor. S. 2, 7, 44: saeva tene cum Berecyntio Cornu tympana, id. C. 1, 18, 13: et Phoebi tenuere viam, i. e. impeded, closed up, Luc. 5, 136: quo me decet usque teneri? Verg. A. 5, 384: lacrimas, Caes. B. G. 1, 39; so, lacrimas in morte miserā non tenebamus, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 67, § 172: dictator exercitum in stativis tenebat, Liv. 6, 14, 1.
- (β) Esp.: se tenere, to keep back, remain, stay: Sabinus castris sese tenebat, Caes. B. G. 3, 17; 1, 40; Liv. 2, 45, 2: nullā clade acceptā castris se pavidus tenebat, id. 3, 26, 3: Hasdrubal procul ab hoste intervallo tenebat se, id. 23, 26, 2: se domi a conventu remotum tenere, Nep. Dion, 9, 1: ego tamen teneo ab accusando vix me hercule: sed tamen teneo, restrain myself, refrain, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 2, 2: nec se tenuit, quin, etc., id. Ac. 2, 4, 12; cf. mid.: teneri non potui, quin tibi apertius illud idem his litteris declararem, id. Att. 15, 14, 2; Just. 6, 7, 10; cf.: se intra silentium tenuit, Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8: multum me intra silentium tenui, id. ib. 7, 6, 6.
- B. Trop.
- 1. In gen., to hold, contain in the mind, to conceive, comprehend, know (syn.: percipio, intellego): nunc ego teneo, nunc scio, Quid sit hoc negotii, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 39: tenes Quorsum haec tendant quae loquor, id. Ps. 1, 2, 81: tenes, quid dicam? Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 22: teneo, I understand, id. And. 1, 1, 59: teneo quid erret, id. 3, 2, 18; Cic. Rep. 1, 23, 37; cf.: quibus capiatur Caesar, tenes, Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 5: quae a Romanis auguribus ignorantur, a Cilicibus … Lyciis tenentur, Cic. Div. 1, 15, 25: quoniam ea, quae tenebatis ipsi, etiam ex me audire voluistis, id. Rep. 1, 46, 70: alicujus reconditos sensus, id. Sest. 10, 22: quo pacto cuncta tenerem, Hor. S. 2, 4, 8: et teneo melius ista, Mart. 4, 37, 7.
With inf.: nullus frugi esse homo potest, nisi qui et bene facere et male tenet, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 10; Lucr. 3, 647.
- 2. In partic.
- a. To have possession of, have the mastery of, to control any thing: cum rem publicam opes paucorum non virtutes tenere coeperunt, Cic. Rep. 1, 34, 51.
- b. To hold fast, guard, preserve, uphold, keep, insist (syn. servo): sin consuetudinem meam, quam in re publicā semper habui, tenuero, Cic. Phil. 1, 11, 27: ordinem, id. ib. 5, 13, 35: portum, id. Fam. 1, 9, 21: statum, id. Rep. 1, 28, 44: non tenebat ornatum suum civitas, id. ib. 1, 27, 43: si jus suum populi teneant, id. ib. 1, 32, 48: nec diutius umquam tenetur idem rei publicae modus, id. ib. 1, 44, 68: est boni viri, haec duo tenere in amicitiā, etc., id. Lael. 18, 65: morem, id. Off. 3, 10, 44; so id. Fl. 7, 15; Verg. A. 3, 408: foedus, Cic. Balb. 15, 34: tenebat non modo auctoritatem, sed etiam imperium in suos, id. Sen. 11, 37: silentium, Liv. 1, 28, 8.
- c. To hold fast, maintain, support, defend, uphold, insist: illud arcte tenent accurateque defendunt, voluptatem esse summum bonum, hold fast, maintain, Cic. Par. 1, 3, 14; cf.: illud, quod multos annos tenuisset, id. Ac. 2, 22, 71; and: quod idem Peripatetici non tenent, id. Fin. 3, 13, 44: propositum tenere, to maintain, Caes. B. C. 3, 42, 1: suas leges, Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 13: causam apud centumviros, id. Caecin. 24, 67: quo causae teste tenentur, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 43: locum quendam cum aliquo, Cic. Brut. 21, 81.
With ne: plebs tenuit, ne consules in proximum annum crearentur, Liv. 4, 30, 16: ne quid ferretur ad populum, patres tenuere, id. 3, 29, 8; 24, 19, 7.
With ut: tenuere patres, ut Fabius consul crearetur, Liv. 2, 42, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: scripseram tenuisse Varenum ut sibi evocare testes liceret, Plin. Ep. 6, 5, 1.
- d. Of memory: alicujus memoriam cum summā benevolentiā tenere, to recollect, preserve a recollection of, Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 1.
Esp.: memoriā tenere: memoriā tenetis, compluris in Capitolio res de caelo esse percussas, you remember, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19; id. Fam. 1, 9, 12; Caes. B. G. 1, 14; cf.: memoriā teneo, C. Sulpicium Gallum, etc., id. Rep. 1, 14, 21; v. memoria; so without memoria, to bear in mind, remember, recollect: satin’ haec meministi et tenes? Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 1: numeros memini, si verba tenerem, Verg. E. 9, 45: dicta tenere, Hor. A. P. 336; id. S. 2, 4, 8: quem (Cyrum) omnia militum tenuisse creditum est nomina, Quint. 11, 2, 50; 11, 2, 45.
- e. To reach an object striven after, to gain, acquire, obtain, attain (syn. assequor): per cursum rectum regnum tenere, Cic. Agr. 2, 17, 44: Servium Tullium post hunc captivā natum, ingenio virtute regnum tenuisse, Liv. 4, 3, 12: teneri res aliter non potest, Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3: multa tenuisse, Liv. 42, 11, 8: causam, Ov. M. 13, 190.
- f. To hold, hold back, repress, restrain, bind, fetter, etc. (syn.: refreno, retineo): iracundiam teneat, avaritiam coërceat, Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: dolorem, id. Att. 12, 38, 2: cupiditates, id. Verr. 2, 3, 1, § 3: somnum, id. Brut. 80, 278: risum, id. Vatin. 8, 20; Hor. A. P. 5: iram, Curt. 4, 2, 5: ea, quae occurrant, tenere, to hold back, keep to themselves, Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 221.
- g. Of laws, etc., to bind, hold, obligate, be binding on, control, etc.: quamquam leges eum non tenent, Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 11; cf.: interdicto non teneri, id. Caecin. 14, 41: voto quodam et promisso teneri, id. Att. 12, 18, 1: ut plebi scita omnes Quirites tenerent, Liv. 8, 12, 14; cf.: olim patricii dicebant se plebi scitis non teneri, Gai. Inst. 1, 3: cum velut in controverso jure esset, tenerenturne patres plebi scitis, legem tulere, ut quod tributim plebis jussisset, populum teneret, Liv. 3, 55, 3: teneri alienis foederibus, id. 24, 29, 11: poenā teneri, to be subject or liable to, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: testibus in re perspicuā teneri, to be convicted, id. Caecin. 2, 4; cf.: nemo ita in manifesto peccatu tenebatur, ut, etc., id. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 191: caedis teneri, Quint. 5, 14, 11: teneri repetundarum, Tac. A. 11, 7 fin.: furti, Dig. 6, 1, 4: injuriarum, ib. 47, 10, 11: mandati, ib. 17, 1, 10.
Transf.: nisi illi ipsi, qui eas (libidines) frangere deberent, cupiditatis ejusdem tenerentur, Cic. Leg. 3, 13, 31 Mos. and Orell. N. cr.
- h. Of dispositions, desires, etc., to possess, occupy, control: quae te tanta pravitas mentis tenuerit, ut, etc., has had possession of you, Cic. Vatin. 6, 14: summum me eorum (librorum) studium tenet, id. Att. 1, 11, 3: magna me spes tenet, id. Tusc. 1, 41, 97: de triumpho nulla me cupiditas umquam tenuit, id. Att. 7, 2, 6: si consilio pulso libidines iracundiaeve tenerent omnia, id. Rep. 1, 38, 60: nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa libido tenet, Sall. J. 3, 4: neque irā neque gratiā teneri, to be controlled or influenced, Cic. N. D. 1, 17, 45; so, teneri desiderio, id. Sen. 10, 33: studio philosophiae, id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: magno amore, Verg. A. 1, 675: pompā, ludis atque ejusmodi spectaculis teneri, to be enchained, fascinated, Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48; cf.: ut oculi picturā teneantur, aures cantibus, id. Ac. 2, 7, 20: is qui audit, ab oratore jam obsessus est ac tenetur, id. Or. 62, 210.
With ne, Ov. M. 7, 146.
- k. To take in, comprise, comprehend, include: haec magnos formula reges, Excepto sapiente, tenet, Hor. S. 2, 3, 46.
More freq. pass.: teneri aliquā re, to be contained, comprised, grounded, to consist in a thing: ut homines deorum agnatione et gente teneantur, Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 23: id quod (genus officiorum) teneatur hominum societate, id. Off. 1, 45, 160: quae (causae) familiaritate et consuetudine tenentur, id. Fam. 13, 29, 1: dixi jam antea, ipsam rationem arandi spe magis et jucunditate quadam quam fructu atque emolumento teneri, id. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227.
- II. Neutr. (freq. after the Aug. per.; perh. not in Cic.).
- A. Lit.
- 1. To hold a position anywhere, maintain one’s self: quā abscisae rupes erant, statio paucorum armatorum tenebat, Liv. 32, 5, 12: duo extra ordinem milia tenuere, id. 3, 62, 7: tenent Danai, quā deficit ignis, Verg. A. 2, 505.
- 2. For cursum tenere, to hold or take one’s way, to sail, steer in any direction: Aeneam … ab Siciliā classe ad Laurentem agrum tenuisse, Liv. 1, 1, 4: Cassandream petentes, primo ad Mendin tenuere, Liv. 31, 45, 14: ad Mendaeum, id. 21, 49, 2: Diam, Ov. M. 3, 690: Creten, id. ib. 13, 706: Hesperiam, id. F. 1, 498: Ausoniam, id. ib. 4, 290 al.: medio tutissimus ibis … Inter utrumque tene, Ov. M. 2, 140.
- B. Trop., with the accessory idea of continuance (cf. I. A. 2. b. and B. 2. b. supra), to hold out, hold on, last, endure, continue, maintain itself, prevail, etc. (cf. obtineo): imber per noctem totam tenuit, Liv. 23, 44, 6; cf.: incendium per duas noctes ac diem unum tenuit, id. 24, 47, 15: per aliquot dies ea consultatio tenuit, id. 2, 3, 5; 3, 47, 6: tenet fama, lupam, etc., id. 1, 4, 6: quod nunc quoque tenet nomen, id. 1, 17, 6: fama tenuit, haud plus fuisse modio, id. 23, 12, 2; 21, 46, 10: tenuit consuetudo, quae cottidie magis invalescit, ut, etc., Quint. 2, 1, 1 Spald.; so, consuetudo, ut, etc., id. 8, 5, 2: nomen illud tenet, id. 9, 4, 47 Spald.; cf. Ov. M. 1, 712.
tĕnŭis, e (in the poets also as dissyl. tēnuis, and hence sometimes written ten-vis, Lucr. 1, 875; 2, 232; 3, 232 al.; cf. tenuia and tenuius, trisyl., id. 4, 66; 4, 808; 3, 243, v. Carey, Lat. Prosody, § 47), adj. [root in Sanscr. tanu; ten., Gr. τείνω; prop. stretched out, drawn out; v. teneo; hence], thin, fine, close, etc. (syn.: gracilis, exilis).
- I. Lit.
- 1. Of texture, fine, thin: subtemen, Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 20: vestes, Tib. 2, 3, 53: vestes, Ov. A. A. 3, 707: amictus, id. M. 4, 104: togae, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 32: toga filo tenuissima, Ov. A. A. 3, 445: tunicae, id. F. 2, 319: natura oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142: pellis, Ov. A. A. 3, 77: arietes tenuioris velleris, Col. 7, 2, 5.
- 2. Of substance, thin, rare, fine: tenue caelum (opp. crassum), Cic. Fat. 4, 7; so, tenue purumque caelum, id. Div. 1, 57, 130: aër, rare (with purus), id. N. D. 2, 16, 42; cf.: aethereus locus tenuissimus est, id. ib. 2, 15, 42: capilli, Ov. Am. 1, 14, 5: comae, Tib. 1, 9, 68: rima, Ov. M. 4, 65: vinum, thin, watery, Plin. 14, 9, 11, § 80; 15, 28, 33, § 110; 23, 1, 22, § 39: aqua, clear, Ov. F. 2, 250; cf. sanguis (opp. crassus), Plin. 11, 38, 90, § 221: agmen (militum), Liv. 25, 23, 16: acies, Tac. A. 1, 64; cf. pluviae, Verg. G. 1, 92.
- 3. Of form, slim, thin, lank, slender, fine: penna, Hor. C. 2, 20, 1: cauda (piscis), Ov. M. 4, 726: acus, id. Am. 3, 7, 30: tabellae, Mart. 14, 3, 1: nitedula, thin, lank, meagre, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 29; cf.: canes macie tenues, Nemes. Cyn. 137: Gellius, Cat. 89, 1: Thais, Mart. 11, 101, 1: umbra (defuncti), Tib. 3, 2, 9; cf.: animae (defunctorum), Ov. M. 14, 411; id. F. 2, 565.
- 4. Of sounds, weak, thin: vox, Pompon. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4, 12 (Com. Rel. v. 59 Rib.); Quint. 11, 3, 32.
- B. Transf., in gen., little, slight, trifling, poor, mean, etc.: oppidum tenue sane, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf.: magnae quondam urbis tenue vestigium, Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 32: murus, Cic. Rep. 4, 4, 4: amnis, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53: aqua, shallow, Liv. 1, 4, 6; Ov. F. 2, 250; Quint. 12, 2, 11: rivulus, Cic. Rep. 2, 19, 34: sulcus, Verg. G. 1, 68: foramen, Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 165: intervallum, id. 31, 2, 2, § 4: insignis tenui fronte Lycoris, Hor. C. 1, 33, 5: tenuem victum antefert copioso, Cic. Tusc. 3, 20, 49; so, victus, id. Fin. 2, 28, 90; id. Lael. 23, 86; Hor. S. 2, 2, 53: mensa, id. C. 2, 16, 14: cibus, Phaedr. 4, 13, 7: tenuissimum patrimonium, Auct. Her. 4, 38, 50: opes, Cic. Quint. 1, 2: res (familiaris), Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 20; cf. census, id. ib. 1, 7, 56: honores, Nep. Milt. 6, 2: praeda, Caes. B. G. 6, 35: tenuissimum lumen, Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 50: pumex, i. e. light, Prop. 3 (4), 1, 8.
Transf., of poor persons: tenuis (opp. locuples), Cic. Off. 2, 20, 70: servus sit an liber, pecuniosus an tenuis, id. Inv. 1, 25, 35: fortunae constitui tenuiorum videbantur, id. Sest. 48, 103; cf.: locupletissimi cujusque census extenuarant, tenuissimi auxerant, id. Verr. 2, 2, 55, § 138: tenuis et obaeratus, Suet. Caes. 46: Regulus, Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 13.
With gen.: tenuis opum, Sil. 6, 19.
- II. Trop.
- A. Fine, nice, delicate, subtle, exact (syn.: elegans, subtilis): tenuis et acuta distinctio, Cic. Ac. 2, 14, 43; cf.: tenues autem differentias (praecepta) habent, Sen. Ep. 94, 35: (oratores) tenues, acuti, Cic. Or. 5, 20; so, orator, id. ib. 24, 81; Quint. 12, 10, 21: aures, Lucr. 4, 913: cura, Ov. P. 4, 6, 37: Athenae, elegant, Mart. 6, 64, 17: rationes latiore specie, non ad tenue limatae, Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66: textum dicendi, Quint. 10, 1, 64.
Subst.: tĕnŭe, is, n., that which is subtle (opp. comprehensibile), Lact. 7, 4, 12.
- B. Transf. (acc. to I. B.), weak, trifling, insignificant, mean, low: cum tenuissimā valetudine esset, weak, feeble, delicate, Caes. B. G. 5, 40: tenuis atque infirmus animus, id. B. C. 1, 32: ingenium (opp. forte), Quint. 10, 2, 19: tenuis et angusta ingeni vena, id. 6, 2, 3: tenuis exsanguisque sermo, Cic. de Or. 1, 13, 57; Quint. 8, 3, 18: in ininimis tenuissimisque rebus labi, Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 169: tenuissimarum rerum jura, id. Caecin. 12, 34: artificium perquam tenue et leve, id. de Or. 1, 28, 129: grammatica, ars tenuis ac jejuna, Quint. 1, 4, 5: inanis et tenuis spes, Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 43; cf.: spes tenuior, id. Att. 3, 19, 2: suspitio, id. Caecin. 15, 43: causa tenuis et inops, id. Fam. 9, 12, 2: curae, Verg. G. 1, 177: gloria, id. ib. 4, 6: damnum, Tac. A. 12, 39: negotia paulo ad dicendum tenuiora, Quint. 12, 9, 8: nec sua plus debet tenui Verona Catullo, i. e. to the author of trifling, amorous lays, Mart. 10, 103, 5; v. tenuo, II.
- 2. Esp., of rank, standing, etc., low, inferior, common: tenuiores, men of lower rank, the lower orders, Cic. Leg. 3, 10, 24; cf.: tenuis L. Virginius unusque de multis, id. Fin. 2, 20, 66: tenuissimus quisque, id. Verr. 2, 1, 47, § 123: homines, id. Mur. 34, 70; cf.: commoti animi tenuiorum, id. ib. 23, 47: si obscuri erunt aut tenues, id. Part. Or. 34, 117: qui tenuioris ordinis essent, id. Leg. 3, 13, 30: adulescentes tenui loco orti, Liv. 2, 3, 2.
Hence, adv.: tĕnŭĭter.
- 1. Lit.
- a. Thinly: alutae tenuiter confectae, Caes. B. G. 3, 13.
- b. Indifferently, poorly: Da. Quid rei gerit? Ge. Sic, tenuiter. Da. Non multum habet, Quod det, etc., Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 95.
- 2. Trop.
- a. Finely, acutely, exactly, subtilely: tenuiter disserere, Cic. Or. 14, 46: tenuiter multa, multa sublimiter tenere, Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 1: scribere (with argute), id. ib. 6, 21, 4: tenuiter et argute multa disserit, Gell. 6, 2, 6.
Comp.: illae (argumentationes) tenuius et acutius et subtilius tractantur, Cic. Inv. 2, 16, 51.
- b. Lightly, slightly, superficially: mihi nimium tenuiter Siculorum erga te voluntatis argumenta colligere videor, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 65, § 157; Auct. Her. 3, 8, 15; 4, 36, 48.
Sup.: tenuissime aestimare, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 16, § 35.