A.“κάμψω” Il.7.118, S.OC91: aor. 1 “ἔκαμψα” Od.5.453, Pi.P.2.51, etc.:—Pass., fut. “καμφθήσομαι” D.Chr.77.33, Gal.UP2.15: aor. “ἐκάμφθην” A.Pr.513, Th.3.58: pf. inf. “κεκάμφθαι” Hp.Art.67, part. “κεκαμμένος” Arist.Metaph.1016a12, (ἐπι-, συγ-) Hp.Prog.3, X. Eq.7.2. (Cogn. with Lith. ka[mtilde]p-as 'corner', ku[mtilde]p-as 'curved', and prob. Lat. campus):—bend, curve, ὄφρα ἴτυν κάμψῃ that he may bend it into a chariot-rail, Il.4.486 (so metaph., “κ. νέας ἁψῖδας ἐπῶν” Ar.Th.53): freq. in phrase, γόνυ κ. bend the knee so as to sit down and rest, “φημί μιν ἀσπασίως γόνυ κάμψειν” Il.7.118, cf. 19.72; “ὁ δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἄμφω γούνατ᾽ ἔκαμψε Χεῖράς τε στιβαράς” Od.5.453; οὐ κάμπτων γόνυ, i.e. never resting, A.Pr.32; ἄσμενός τἂν . . κάμψειεν γόνυ ib. 398; “ἵζω . . κάμψας γόνυ” E.Hec.1150; so “κ. κῶλα” S.OC19; then κάμπτειν alone, sit down, rest, ib.85, E.Hec.1080(lyr.); also γόνυ κ. bend the knee in worship, LXXIs.45.23, etc.:—Pass., bend oneself, opp. ἐκτείνεσθαι, Pl.Ti.74b; “ὥσπερ ξύλον καμπτόμενον εὐθύνουσιν” Id.Prt. 325d; ἡ κεκαμμένη (sc. γραμμή) a bent line, Arist.Metaph.l.c.
II. turn or guide a horse or chariot round the turning-post (cf. “καμπτήρ” 11), κάμψαι διαύλου θάτερον κῶλον πάλιν to double the post and return along the second half of the δίαυλος, A.Ag.344; “κ. δρόμον” B. 9.26; κάμπτοντος ἵππου as the horse was turning, S.El.744; “κ. περὶ νύσσαν” Theoc.24.120: metaph., κ. βίον to make the last turn in the course of life, S.OC91; “κ. βίου τέλος” E.Hipp.87, El.956; “ὅταν κάμψῃς καὶ τελευτήσῃς βίον” Id.Hel.1666; ἑξηκοστὸν ἥλιον κ. Herod.10.1; διὰ λόγου κάμψαι κακά to end evils by reasoning, E.Supp.748.
2. of seamen, double a headland, “Ἡρακλέας στήλας” Hdt.4.42; τὸ ἀκρωτήριον, τὴν ἄκρην, Id.4.43, 7.122; “ὡς δὲ τὴν ἄκραν κάμπτοντας ἡμᾶς εἶδον” Men. 15, cf. Aeschrio 8.3; Μαλέαν κ. Poet. ap. Str.8.6.20, D.S.13.64, etc.; “κ. περὶ ἄκραν” Ar.Ach.96; κ. κόλπον wind round the bay, Hdt.7.58.
3. abs., πάλιν κ. turn back, E.Ba.1225, Rh.234 (lyr.); ἐγγὺς τῶν ἐμῶν κάμπτεις φρενῶν (κάμπτῃ codd.) thou comest near my meaning, Id.IT 815.
III. in Music, κάμπτων με καὶ στρέφων ὅλην διέφθορεν (sc. Phrynis) with his turns and twists, Pherecr.145.15; “κ. καμπήν” Ar.Nu. 969; “κ. ᾠδάς” Philostr.VA4.39.
IV. metaph., κάμπτειν τινά bow down, humble, Pi.P.2.51; “ὁ Χρόνος μ᾽ ἔκαμψε” Crates Theb.17:—Pass., to be bent or bowed down, “πημοναῖσι” A.Pr.239, 308, cf. 513; κάμπτομαι I submit, Pl.Prt.320b, etc.; “κάμπτεσθαι καὶ ἕλκεσθαι πρὸς φιλοσοφίαν” Id.R.494e; πολλὰ κάμπτονται καὶ συγκλῶνται are warped, Id.Tht. 173b: abs., to be moved to pity, Th.3.58 (in full “κ. εἰς ἔλεον” Lib.Or. 59.85).