Lewis & Short

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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).

  1. I. Lit.
      1. 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. 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. 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. 4. Of sounds, weak, thin: vox, Pompon. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4, 12 (Com. Rel. v. 59 Rib.); Quint. 11, 3, 32.
    1. 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.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
      1. 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. 1. Lit.
        1. a. Thinly: alutae tenuiter confectae, Caes. B. G. 3, 13.
        2. b. Indifferently, poorly: Da. Quid rei gerit? Ge. Sic, tenuiter. Da. Non multum habet, Quod det, etc., Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 95.
      2. 2. Trop.
        1. 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.
        2. 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.