A.the younger, always of persons, Il.4.325, Od.21.370, B.10.71 ; ὁπλότερος γενεῇ younger by birth, Il.2.707, Od.19.184 : fem. gen. pl. “ὁπλοτεράων” Il.14.267,275: Sup., youngest, “ὁπλότατος γενεῆφιν” 9.58 ; “ὁ. θυγάτηρ” Od.7.58, cf. 11.283, Hes.Th.946, Pi.I.6(5).6, al. : Ar.Pax1270-1 uses the Comp. in mock heroic lines.—The orig. sense was perh. capable of bearing arms; and so ὁπλότεροι would be the serviceable men, hence, the young men, opp. the old men and children, Il.3.108, Hom.Epigr.4.5 ; then simply, younger or youngest, hence of women, “Νέστορος ὁπλοτάτη θυγάτηρ” Od.3.465, etc. ; then, as the youngest are the last born, ἄνδρες ὁπλότεροι also means the latter generations, men of later days, Theoc.16.46 ; “ὁπλοτέρου τ᾽ Ἀχιλῆος ἀκούομεν Εὐρυλόχοιο” Euph.80.
ὁπλότερος , α, ον, Comp. without any Posit. in use, Ep. for νεώτερος,