I.perf., ātum, 1, v. a.
I. Lit., to lift up, raise (very rare): “contabulationem,” Caes. B. C. 2, 9, 5 and 7: “lumbos in altum,” App. M. 4, p. 143: “arcam,” Vulg. Gen. 7, 17.—Poet.: “elevat hunc pluma,” i. e. turns into a bird, Claud. Eutr. 1, 295: aura preces, i. e. carry away, disperse, = auferat, dissipet, Prop. 1, 8, 12: “fructum,” to gather in, Col. 3, 21, 5: statura elevata, i. e. tall, Capit. Ant. Phil. 13.—More freq.,
II. Trop.
A. To lighten, alleviate: “aegritudinem (with obtundere),” Cic. Tusc. 3, 16, 34; cf. sollicitudines (opp. duplicare), Luccei. in Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 2.—Esp. freq.,
B. (In allusion to the rising of the lighter scale.) To make light of, to lessen, diminish, impair, weaken; to disparage, detract from: “causas suspicionum offensionumque tum evitare, tum elevare, tum ferre,” Cic. Lael. 24; so, “objectum ab adversario,” id. de Or. 2, 56 fin.; cf. id. Inv. 1, 42; Quint. 6, 3, 75 sq.; 11, 3, 176: “perspicuitatem,” Cic. N. D. 3, 4: “auctoritatem,” Liv. 3, 21; 37, 57 fin.: “res gestas (opp. verbis extollere),” id. 28, 43; cf. ib. 44 fin.: “noxam multitudinis,” id. 45, 10: “non si quid turbida Roma Elevet,” Pers. 1, 6 et saep.—With personal objects: “est plane oratoris movere risum, quod frangit adversarium, quod impedit, quod elevat, quod deterret, quod refutat,” Cic. de Or. 2, 58, 236; cf.: “elevabatur index indiciumque,” Liv. 26, 27: “Samnitium bella extollit, elevat Etruscos,” id. 9, 37: “assiduos viros (copia),” Prop. 2, 33, 44 (3, 31, 44 M.); cf. id. 2, 34, 58 (3, 32, 58 M.).—
C. Of the voice, to lift up, raise (late Lat.): “vocem,” Vulg. Judic. 2, 4 al.
