I.sparing in any thing, esp. in expenditure; in a good and bad sense, frugal, thrifty, economical; niggardly, penurious, parsimonious (syn.: tenax, restrictus).
I. Lit.
(α).
Absol.: “detrusisti me ad senem parcissimum,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 5, 9: “patre parco ac tenaci,” Cic. Cael. 15, 36: “optimus colonus, parcissimus, modestissimus, frugalissimus,” id. de Or. 2, 71, 287: “parcumque genus patiensque laborum,” Ov. M. 7, 656: “parcā manu offerre aliquid,” Hor. C. 3, 16, 43.—
(β).
With gen.: “veteris non parcus aceti,” Hor. S. 2, 2, 62: “donandi parca juventus,” id. ib. 2, 5, 79: “pecuniae,” Tac. H. 1, 49: “pecuniae parcus ac tenax,” Suet. Tib. 46.—
B. In gen., sparing, chary, moderate in any thing: “operā haud fui parcus meā,” Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 14: “nimium parcus in largiendā civitate,” Cic. Balb. 22, 50: “non tam vereor, ne me in laudibus suis parcum, quam ne nimium putet,” Plin. Pan. 3, 3: “quam modica cultu, quam parca comitatu,” id. ib. 83, 7: “civium sanguinis parcus,” Tac. H. 3, 75: “parcissimus somni,” Luc. 9, 590: “parcissimus vini,” Suet. Aug. 77: “acies non parca fugae,” Sil. 10, 30: “beneficiorum parcissimus aestimator,” Plin. Pan. 21, 2: “parcus Deorum cultor,” Hor. C. 1, 34, 1: “in libidinem projecti, in cibum parci,” Just. 41, 3, 13.—With inf.: “parcusque lacessere Martem,” Sil. 1, 680: “haud parci Martem coluisse,” id. 8, 464.—In gen., moderate, not rash nor self-indulgent: “somnus sanitatis in homine parco,” Vulg. Ecclus. 31, 24.—Comp.: “parcior somni,” Just. 11, 13, 2.—Sup.: “parcissimus somni,” Luc. 9, 590.—
II. Transf., spare, scanty, little, small, slight (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “parco sale contingere,” Verg. G. 3, 403: “tellus,” Stat. S. 4, 5, 13: “lucerna,” Prop. 4 (5), 3, 60. “vulnus,” Sil. 16, 111: “merito parcior ira meo,” Ov. P. 1, 2, 98: “questaque sum vento lintea parca dari,” id. H. 21, 79: “optima mors parca quae venit apta die,” after a short time, Prop. 3, 3, 40 (Parcae quae venit acta die, id. 3, 4, 18 Müll.): “et brevis somnus,” Plin. Pan. 49.—Adv., in two forms, parce (class.) and parciter (ante- and post-class.).
A. Form parcē .
1. Sparingly, frugally, thriftily; penuriously, parsimoniously: “parce parcus,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 35: vivere parce, continenter, severe, sobrie, Cic. Off. 1, 30, 106; cf.: “parce ac duriter se habere,” Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 20: “parce et duriter vitam agere,” id. And. 1, 1, 47: “nimium parce facere sumptum,” id. ib. 2, 6, 19: “frumentum parce et paulatim metiri,” Caes. B. G. 7, 71: “cur id tam parce tamque restricte faciant,” Cic. Fin. 2, 13, 42: “parce seminat,” Vulg. 2 Cor. 9, 6.—Comp.: “implet manum parcius,” Juv. 6, 546.—
2. In gen., sparingly, moderately, cautiously: “scripsi de te parce et timide,” Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 3: “parce et molliter aliquem laedere,” id. ib. 1, 9, 23: “gaudere,” Phaedr. 4, 16: “mirari,” Sil. 10, 474; 15, 756; Plin. Ep. 5, 16, 3; 5, 7, 4.— Comp.: “parcius dicere de laude alicujus,” Cic. Mur. 13, 29: “parcius ista viris tamen obicienda memento,” Verg. E. 3, 7: “parcius Andromachen vexavit Achaia victrix,” Ov. H. 8, 13: “parcius quatiunt fenestras,” rarely, seldom, Hor. C. 1, 25, 1; Quint. 9, 2, 69.— Sup.: “civitatem Romanam parcissime dedit,” Suet. Aug. 40: “ut parcissime dicam, nemo historicorum commendavit magis,” Quint. 10, 1, 101.—
B. Form parcĭter , sparingly, Pompon. ap. Non. 515, 6: praelibare, Claud. Mam. praef.