I.of quick perception, whose senses are acute, sagacious (class.).
I. Lit.
A. Chiefly of the acute sense of smelling in dogs, keen-scented: “sagax Nasum habet,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 17: “canes,” Cic. Div. 1, 31, 65; Ov. M. 3, 207: “catulus,” id. R. Am. 201. —With gen.: “naris sagax,” Luc. 7, 829.— Poet.: “virtus venandi,” Ov. Hal. 76.—
B. Of other senses: “sollicitive canes canibusve sagacior anser,” Ov. M. 11, 599: “palatum in gustu sagacissimum,” Plin. 8, 37, 35, § 132. —
II. Trop., intellectually quick, keen, acute, shrewd, sagacious (syn.: sollers, perspicax, acutus, subtilis).
(α).
Absol.: “(homo) animal hoc providum, sagax, multiplex, acutum, memor, plenum rationis et consilii,” Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 22; cf. id. Fin. 2, 14, 45: “mens,” id. Tusc. 5, 23, 67; Lucr. 5, 420; 1, 1021: “animus,” id. 2, 840; 4, 913: “ratio,” id. 1, 131; 1, 369: “homo sagax et astutus,” Mart. 12, 87, 4: “modo circumspectus et sagax, modo inconsultus ac praeceps,” considerate, Suet. Claud. 15: “mire sagaces fallere hospites,” Hor. C. 2, 5, 22: “curae,” id. ib. 4, 4, 75.—Of a soothsayer, knowing the future, Ov. M. 8, 316.—
(β).
Ad aliquid (class.): “ad suspicandum sagacissimus,” Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19: ad haec pericula perspicienda, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 4.—
(γ).
With gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “utilium sagax rerum et divina futuri,” Hor. A. P. 218: “fibrarum et pennae divinarumque flammarum,” skilled in, Sil. 3, 344; cf. in sup.: “prodigiorum (Joseph),” Just. 36, 2, 8; and: rerum naturae, Col. praef., § 22 (with non ignarus). —
(δ).
With in or simple abl. (post-Aug.): “vir in conjecturis sagacissimus,” Just. 1, 9, 14: “civitas rimandis offensis sagax,” Tac. H. 4, 11.—（ρ) Inf.: “sagax quondam ventura videre,” Ov. M. 5, 146.—Hence, adv.: să-gācĭter .
a. Quickly, sharply, keenly, with quickness of scent, with a fine sense of smell: “canes si advenientem sagaciter odorantur,” Col. 7, 12, 7.—Comp., Cic. Att. 6, 4, 3: “vultures sagacius odorantur,” Plin. 10, 69, 88, § 191; Hor. Epod. 12, 4.—Sup., Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 186; Plin. 11, 37, 50, § 137.—
b. Trop., acutely, shrewdly, accurately, sagaciously: “sagaciter pervestigare,” Cic. de Or. 1, 51, 223: “intueri,” Quint. 2, 8, 4; Liv. 27, 28: “perspicere naturam alicujus,” Suet. Tib. 57 al.
