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ācer , cris, cre, adj. (m. acris, Enn.; f. acer, Naev. and Enn.; acrus, a um, Pall.; Veg.; cf. Charis. 63 and 93 P.) [cf. ἀκίς, ἀκών, άκμή, ἄκρος, ὠκύς, ὀξύς; Sanscr. acan = dart, acus = swift; Germ. Ecke; Engl. edge, to egg; and with change of quantity, ăcus, acuo, ăceo, ăcies, ăcerbus],
I.sharp, pointed, piercing, and the like.
I. Prop., of the senses and things affecting them, sharp, dazzling, stinging, pungent, fine, piercing: “praestans valetudine, viribus, formā, acerrimis integerrimisque sensibus,Cic. Tusc. 5, 15, 45. So,
a. Of the sight: “acerrimus sensus videndi,Cic. de Or. 2, 87, 357: “acres oculi,id. Planc. 27: “splendor,Lucr. 4, 304: “quidam colores ruboris acerrimi,Sen. Q. N. 1, 14 al.
d. Of taste: ut vitet acria, ut est sinapi, cepa, allium, Var. ap. Non. 201, 13: “acres humores,sharp juices, Cic. N. D. 2, 23: “lactuca innatat acri stomacho,an acid stomach, Hor. S. 2, 4, 59; cf. ib. 2, 8, 7: “dulcibus cibis acres acutosque miscere,Plin. Ep. 7, 3 al.
e. Of sensation in its widest extent: aestatem auctumnus sequitur, post acer hiems fit, sharp, severe, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 647 P. (Ann. v. 406 ed. Vahl.—cf. Lucr. 3, 20; 4, 261); and so Hor.: solvitur acris hiems, C. 1. 4, 1. —
B. Of the internal states of the human system, violent, sharp, severe, gnawing: “fames, Naev. ap. Prisc. l. l. (B. Punic. p. 18 ed. Vahl.): somnus, Enn. ap. Prisc. l. l. (Ann. v. 369): morbus,Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 119: “dolor,Lucr. 6, 650: “sitis,Tib. 1, 3, 77 al.
II. Of the states of mind: violent, vehement, passionate, consuming: mors amici subigit, quae mihi est senium multo acerrimum, Att. ap. Non. 2, 22: “acri ira percitus,Lucr. 5, 400: cf. 3, 312; “6, 754 (on the contrary, 5, 1194: iras acerbas): acres curae,Lucr. 3, 463, and Var. ap. Non. 241: “luctus,ib. 87: “dolor,Verg. A. 7, 291: “metus,Lucr. 6, 1211; Verg. A. 1, 362: “amor,Tib. 2, 6, 15: “acrior ad Venerem cupido,Curt. 6, 5 al. (Among unpleasant sensations, acer designates a piercing, wounding by sharpness; but acerbus the rough, harsh, repugnant, repulsive.)—
B. Applied to the intellectual qualities, subtle, acute, penetrating, sagacious, shrewd: “acrem irritat virtutem animi,Lucr. 1, 70: “acri judicio perpende,id. 2, 1041: “memoria,strong, retentive, Cic. de Or. 2, 87: “vir acri ingenio,id. Or. 5; cf. id. Sest. 20 al.
C. Applied to moral qualities.
1. In a good sense, active, ardent, eager, spirited, brave, zealous: “milites,Cic. Cat. 2, 10: “civis acerrimus,an ardent patriot, id. Fam. 10, 28: “defensor,id. ib. 1, 1: “studio acriore esse,id. de Or. 1, 21: “jam tum acer curas venientem extendit in annum rusticus,Verg. G. 2, 405 al.
2. In a bad sense, violent, hasty, hot, passionate, fierce, severe (very freq.): “uxor acerrima,enraged, angry, Plaut. Merc. 4, 4, 56; Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 32: “dominos acres,Lucr. 6, 63; Nep. Tim. 3, 5; cf. Bremi Nep. Eum. 11, 1. Also, of animals, Lucr. 4, 421; 5, 860; Verg. A. 4, 156; Hor. Epod. 12, 6; 2, 31; Nep. Eum. 11, 1. —
D. Of abstract things (mostly poet.), Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 32: “egestas,Lucr. 3, 65: “poenas,id. 6, 72: “impetus,ib. 128; 392: “acerrimum bellum,Cic. Balb. 6: “nox acerrima atque acerbissima,id. Sull. 18: “acrius supplicium,id. Cat. 1, 1; in Quint.: acres syllabae, which proceed from short to long, 9, 4.—Acer is constr. with abl., and also (esp. in the histt. of the silv. age) with gen., Vell. 1, 13; Tac. H. 2, 5 al.; cf. Ramsh. § 107, 6 note. With in, Cic. Fam. 8, 15; with inf., Sil. 3, 338.—Adv.: ācrĭter , sharply, strongly, vehemently, eagerly, zealously, etc., in all the signif. of the adj., Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 110; id. Ps. 1, 3, 39; Lucr. 6, 783; Cic. Tusc. 1, 30 al.Comp., Lucr. 3, 54; 5, 1147; Hor. S. 2, 3, 92; Tac. A. 6, 45; 13, 3.—Sup., Cic. Fl. 11; id. Fam. 10, 28; 15, 4.—Also, ācre , Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. p. 132, 25; App. M. 10, 32; and perh. Pers. 4, 34.
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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (58):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 10.28
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 8.15
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 18
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 1.1
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 2.10
    • Cicero, For Cornelius Balbus, 6
    • Cicero, For Plancius, 27
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 20
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 5.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.362
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 4.156
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 7.291
    • Vergil, Georgics, 2.405
    • Vergil, Georgics, 4.409
    • Horace, Satires, 2.3.92
    • Horace, Satires, 2.4.59
    • Tacitus, Annales, 6.45
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.5
    • Plautus, Cistellaria, 1.1
    • Plautus, Mercator, 4.4
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 1.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.21
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    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.25
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.47
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.1041
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.20
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.65
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.953
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.122
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.261
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.304
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.421
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    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.400
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    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.1211
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.128
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.392
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.650
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    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.70
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.463
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    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.63
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.72
    • Cornelius Nepos, Eumenes, 11.1
    • Cornelius Nepos, Timoleon, 3.5
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 12.17
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 7.3
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.23
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.30
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.15
    • Persius, Saturae, 4
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 6.5
    • Cicero, Orator, 5
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